Vancouver help -- Hotels, restaurants, sights to see...

[K.T.B.]

Ok, I've already done some slight research here. I have an idea as to where I want to stay, but I'd like to see what others suggest and do some further research. :)

 

My wife and I are planning on flying in the night before our cruise (no time for sightseeing then unfortunately) and keeping it rather cheap as far as where we sleep. Has anyone ever stayed at the Travelodge on Howe St? How's the area?

 

We are definitely planning on spending an extra day after the cruise in Vancouver. Where do you suggest we stay? What area of Vancouver? Hotel does not really matter, we're going to Priceline it. I just want the area that people suggest the most. :) So far Vancouver proper looks like it's the place to be.

 

Finally, considering this trip will be to celebrate our 10th anniversary of wedded bliss, can anyone suggest a decent, somewhat upscale, but not overly expensive place to eat? If we can get out of there spending no more than $75, I'll be happy. However, I am looking for all suggestions, price truly doesn't play into it, it's just what I'd like to spend at the maximum.

 

Thanks in advance to one and all for the help..!

[Boo's Mom]

You won't want to miss a visit to Stanley Park. It is huge....and very interesting. Lots of different things to do in there.

 

Walk for a while....stop for lunch....walk some more....go for a horse drawn carriage ride....visit the aquarium.... There is so much!

[IBCAR18]

Just returned a few hours ago and we absolutely loved our little trip to what the called The Towne Center Overlook. It is almost like the Space Needle were you can view Vancouver from way up above. It is right across the street from the port and only cost like under $10 pp. Spent around 1 1/2 hours there and got some wonderful pic's of the ship below and the beautiful city. We stayed at the Hyatt (Priceline) and it was superb!! Good luck and have a great time!!!

 

Michelle :)

[funh2oguy]

I just returned home yesterday after a Volendam cruise and 1 day stay in Vancouver. I stayed at the Holiday Inn on Howe St. The Priceline cost was $55.00 including taxes and service charges. I was told it frequently comes up on Priceline in the 3 * catagory.The location was pretty good, within walking distance of Canada Place and Gas Town. The hotel was a typical Holliday Inn, clean and orderly...I would recommend it if you are liiking for valus.

[308nato]

Just got back from Vancouver. I would highly suggest that you try the Sequoia Grill at The Teahouse. It is located on Ferguson Point inside of Stanley Park. Look them up on vancouverdine.com. There is an excellent picture of the resturant on the location tab. You will find a menu with prices in Canadian dollars on the menu tab.

The food, setting, presentation and service were outstanding.

[violet1960]

I just returned from a weekend in Vancouver. The otel Le Soleil was fabulous. the only problem with staying downtown on the weekends is that if you don't eat in your hotel, there is only one place open for breakfast. i found this fabulous seattle style coffee house next to the Youth Hostel near Chinatown that offered a fabulous breakfast.

 

One additiional tip. if you want Chinese food, you aren't going to get it in Chinatown. We found only two Chinese restaurants there.

 

I concur with Stanlley park...all of the restaurants in the park are very good. there is also a place that sells wonderful homemade ice cream.

 

Another interesting place is Lynn Canyon park. there are some hiking trails ofer a pedestrian suspension bridge over a gorge and some waterfalls. The mountains are part of the coastal range so it is rain forest like. the suspension bridge at Lynn Canyon is free opposed to the other one nearby.

 

Violet

[MrsMoose2001]

I just got in tonight and I highly recommend visiting the aquarium, it was fantastic.

 

For food, the places we ate was amazing, hubby and I thought it was great

Joe Fortes for lunch was great at $55 before tip.

Milestones for lunch was at $50 with tip for lunch\

Cin Cin (italian) was great but around $100

and Mortons Steakhouse was great but around $135 but hubby really wanted that steak (we shared the steak as it was so huge, I couldn't even finish my part) and no deserts, we did each have a salad (huge could not finish the salad).

The pre-cruise night I ate at the hotel, and lite lunch before boarding and very good, but I was at the Pan Pacific so don't know, great hotel for anyone considering it, and very convienent located on top of the cruise ship terminal.

 

In Alaska, in Ketchikan, if you can go to the Burger Queen I had the best lunch of a Halibut Sandwich (one of the best meals of the trip).

 

Haines at the Bamboo Room, the Halibut Sandwich and chili cheese fries are wonderful, another great meal.

 

Didn't care for cruise ship food (Radisson Seven Seas Mariner).

[sassycarolinacruiser]

Hi MrsMoose. How much time should I allow for the Vancouver Aquarium? I have been trying to decide between the Seattle Aquarium or Vancouver's and I think you helped me make my decision. Thanks, Sassy.

[midwife56]

We just got back last week from our cruise. We spent an extra night in Vancoouver and really regretted not being able to spend more time. It is such a beautiful city and there is so much to see and do. We took the double decker shuttle around town and was able to get a small taste of most of the city. We stayed at the Vancouver Wall ($75) on Priceline. We spent some timein Stanley Park. I would have loved to rent bikes and spend much longer in there. I really liked Gastown. Chinatown was nice....the gardens exceptional. We found THE best Chinese resaurant I have ever eaten from (and I grew up in NYC). It is called HONS (House of Noodles). There are 2 locations...one in Chinatown and one on Robson St. We both ate until we were stuffed for less than $20. If you can at all manage it, try to stay an extra night. Their museums looked great, but we didnt have time.

[MrsMoose2001]

It depends on you personally, there is a dolphin show and a beluga whale show I think at 11 and at 12 we didn't stay for both complete shows, we spent maybe a little over an hour but we didn't see everything completely. What I saw, I was so impressed and I don't impress easily with this kind of stuff. I would allow for 2 ++ hours, if possible. I think the admission was

$17 or $18 per adult CDN, hubby was in photo pic takeing heaven.

 

I really think this aquarium is fantastic. I was told that next to San Diego it's the best one in North America. I hope what I write will please you, it's all so personal.

 

The aquarium is in Stanley Park, so you might want to do both at the same time.

 

My hubby hired a private car/driver to take us around for 4 hours. It served us well and was worth the expense to us as we really did get to see and do a lot. If you have time you really should go to the Suspension Bridge and Grosse Mtn. Hubby went up to the top of Grosse Mtn I stayed at the base with our driver because of my ears. He said the view was amazing.

 

My one comment is that if it is at all possible, and you've travelled a long way to get to Vancouver, meaning that you cannot just drive there again in a couple of hours, I would take the time if at all possible to visit Vancouver.

 

I hope this helps.

[arby70]

My husband and I spent 6 nights pre-cruise a couple of years ago. We stayed at Times Squre Suites (highly recommend) and we could walk to both bays, to Stanley Park and it was located on Robson St. which is the shopping mecca of Vancouver. We used the double decker bus to take us around town for a couple of days and visited Gastown, Chinatown (IMHO the gardens were nice but I didn't really like that area very well), Stanley Park with it's gardens and the Aquarium, and we also went to Granville Island. That has some great shopping and some really wonderful foods to try in the central market building. I had what I think they called a sugar tart and man were those good. We also went on a luncheon cruise up Indian Arm Fjiord (via Harbor Cruises) and that was fantastic. We took a public bus to Horseshoe Bay and took the ferry over to Bowen Island. It was a beautiful ride over there; but basically private homes and some artists was all that was there at the time we visited. Vancouver is one city that I intend to visit again. I loved it there and the people were very friendly and helpful. If you can spend any time at all there, I would. Actually the 6 nights was not enough time for us. We barely grazed the surface. Enjoy.:) :) :)

[K.T.B.]

Thank you one and all for the suggestions. The aquarium, while it does sound fabulous, I'd rather not, I'd much rather explore the city and not focus on one aspect of it. As for dinner, etc., so far so good. And there's a Morton's here in Chicago, and extremely over-priced for what you get, IMO. :) What about places for breakfast downtown??

 

Oh, and I should have said we'll be staying there Wednesday, leaving Thursday.

[phabric]

We just returned from Alaska on Carnival Spirit. We spent 1 1/2 day before our cruise. I booked our hotel through Priceline and received the Sheraton Wall Center. Beauiful hotel, we were on the 22 floor with ceil to floor windows. We took the airporter bus (http://www.yvrairporter.com). A shuttle bus that runs from airport to varies hotels. The cost was $12 one way or $18 return. The driver puts the bags on the bus for you. We were at our hotel in less than 1/2 hr. On your return, you just go upstairs to the Pan Pacific hotel and wait outside for the bus and it would take you to your hotel or back to the airport.

 

The horse drawn trolley that goes through Stanley Park has a bus that picks passengers up at varies hotels. They charge $2.50pp and they give you a card with $2.50 off if you use the trolley.

 

Stanley Park has a very nice restaurant called the Fish House. We had a delicious meal there.

 

The next day, we used the on and off Trolley. It has 22 stops (not sure the exact number) around Vancouver, where you can get off and spent as much time as you want and get back on. The cost was $30pp and was good for 2 days.

 

Look into getting the Entertainment Book for Vancouver. About April or May the price goes down, when I got mine it was $10. I used the coupons for 2 for 1 for the Fish House restaurant, Trolley, and Aquarium.

 

Look at the prices at the hotel you want and then try Priceline, you might get a better deal. Use Vancouver downtown for the area, there is nothing at the Airport area and you are 1/2 hr away from the downtown area.

[CA Cruiser]

We just returned also but were on RCI Radiance. We also bid on Priceline and got the Sheraton. We stayed on the 34th floor in the South Tower then 24th floor of the North Tower post cruise. We preferred the room on the South even though I read others prefered the North. At the airport we booked a limo R/T for airport/hotel for $40 CDN but by paying on our credit card it will convert to about $32. They even picked us up this morning at 4:30 AM!!! and were early! Only 20 minutes to the airport from the Sheraton. We were at the Ballentyne pier and it was $13CDN going because they have to go the long way because of Securtiy but for some reason it was only $9CDN to return to the hotel.

 

Great idea about the Entertainment book. We purchased our double decker trolley tickets by credit card for $60 which was converted to $48. Same with the Aquarium...Unless you have already converted your money, I recommend using credit cards for all purchases. They will charge you a 1% conversion fee up to $10. The trolley is great. We bought our ticket in May - good for 2 days. The 2nd day they just looked at it and said to keep it for the next time! We used it again yesterday and again, just keep it for the next time!! Good deal. Also for next year Vancouver/Alaskan cruisers...Stanley Park also has a FREE trolley for around the park just for the summer season...this year it was June 16 till today. You can get off and on and then get back on the double decker trolley.

 

Some of the trolley stops are Granville Island, an artsy type place. Nice little shops to walk around and see. There is also Yaletown, Gastown, Chinatown and Canada Place, which is were the Pan Pacific is.

[Thanksforyourinfo]

Look into getting the Entertainment Book for Vancouver. About April or May the price goes down, when I got mine it was $10. I used the coupons for 2 for 1 for the Fish House restaurant, Trolley, and Aquarium.

 

 

Phabric, I haven't caught that one, where do you get this entertainment book for Vancouver?

[phabric]

Go to http://www.entertainmentbook.com the book is valid until Nov 1. The present price is $40US and it went down during the year.

[Verde]

We were in Vancouver last weekend and had the good fortune to find Kirin's Restaurant. Their website is: http://www.kirinrestaurant.com/english/alberni/index.htm

 

It was the best Chinese food I have ever had. We also tried Cradero's and The Lift. Both were excellent restaurants; however, The Lift is extremely noisy.

 

Have fun...Vancouver is one of the world's most beautiful cities.

[K.T.B.]

Don't take this the wrong way, but I can get Chinese food any time. ;) I'm looking for something that is uniquely Vancouver.

[murphy3]

Stayed at the Sheraton Wall Centre pre-cruise (priceline $74) and the Residence Inn Downtown post-cruise. Sheraton by far the nicer hotel. We went to Stanley Park pre-cruise and it was beautiful. Had time on the day of the cruise to do it in the am before boarding. Could have spent much more time there. Post-cruise we went to Grouse Mtn and rode the tram to the top and had lunch there. Can see all of Vancouver and then some. Walked the city in the pm for quite a while and had dinner at Panchos on Denman. It was a nice little spot, food was okay. Next day we shopped on Robson and the Pacific Center Mall. Went to a movie in the pm and had dessert at Death by Chocolate afterwards. DH and I are not city lovers. Vancouver may be one of the most beautiful cities around, but it still is a big city with all the smells and ugliness that big cities have. The area around Vancouver is where the beauty is. I'll take my little town in Northern MN any day.

[K.T.B.]

Cool. So when I do go to Priceline a hotel, I should stick to downtown. Easy enough. :)

 

And getting back to a nice place to eat, as I said I'm really looking for something that is unique to Vancouver. I'm not looking for the 5 star, suit jacket required place.... Just some place that is comfortable and "an experience". And even though people have already mentioned Chinese, that's not unique to Vancouver. ;)

[CA Cruiser]

Kevin,

As I told you in an earlier post, we just returned from Vancouver and the Keg Steakhouse and Earls were recommended to us. These were all around the Robson/Burrard area. We saw the Keg but didn't check it out. We checked out Earls, nice but too early to eat so we went walking. They both might have websites?? Since DH is not adventerous when it comes to new places to eat we just ate at the Red Robin. In May we stayed at the Hyatt and ate at the restaurant there called Mosaics....fantastic food and good view from the 2nd floor. Funny story about Chinese....before we ate at Mosaics, we sat down at an authetic Chinese food place down a few door from the Hyatt. Looked and the menu of Ox tails and other unusual items, looked at each other, excused ourselves and left....not what we were looking for!

[phabric]

As I mentioned above, we eat at the Fish House, http://www.fishhousestanleypark.com, and we tried 2 different salmon dinners and both were delicious.