Plaza 500 Hotel?

[Squashbuny]

Anybody ever stayed there?

I 'pricelined' for a hotel and that's what I got.

 

Please, Please tell me it's an okay place!!!!

 

Anna

[LeftcoastBC]

yes it's OK. Not a high ender but fine. Mostly business I would think these days. Right across (Kitty corner) the street from the City Hall. Nice little shopping center across the street. On Direct route in and out of downtown for transit.

 

Used to have a great bar. Haven't been inside for a while though.

[scottbee]

Anybody ever stayed there?

I 'pricelined' for a hotel and that's what I got.

 

Please, Please tell me it's an okay place!!!!

 

Not bad at all!

 

GOOD: Broadway (9th Ave) has some great restaurants nearby (try the Banana Leaf Malaysian), and it's close to downtown (lots of buses).

BAD: They're digging a subway on Cambie Street right outside(*1), and Cambie is a pretty busy road, so there is some construction noise.

 

 

*1: in late 2009 a subway will open, direct from the airport to the cruise terminal, and you would have been across the street from a station

[Sprucetree]

Hey Anna, I just got the Plaza 500 on Priceline too! Thanks for posting your questions as it also answers my concerns as well.

 

Betty

[Sprucetree]

Uh Oh, Anna. It looks like the Plaza 500 is a regular Priceline "win". I just checked Trip Advisor and there are very bad reviews...dirty carpets, dirty curtain, dirty chairs, indifferent staff, and very, very noisy. I hope they're all wrong. I will have to say that most of the reviews were older and hopefully things have changed for the better.

[Squashbuny]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Oh please let it have been upgraded!

I do not want a stinky room!

My family depending on me, so of course if it turns out stinky......it'll be my fault!

:(

[hockeyucf]

I won this hotel on priceline as well and stayed there for one night last week. Just for comparison's sake, I'm a 20-something who highly values the following: free internet, clean modern looks, proximity to fun stuff, and low parking fees :). I might be just a tad picky (no hotels with corridors on the outside for me, and never anything below a 2.5*). On this trip, I also stayed at the Sheraton Seattle, the Holiday in Express (Seattle), and Hotel Vintage Park.

 

So here goes... It is definitely an "older" hotel, and I thought it was kind of musty. The room was sizeable, funky shape though, does anyone know if it is maybe a converted apartment building? The room had 2 beds, a writing desk, a small sitting table and chairs, an older but decently sized TV, and a balcony. No free internet. My biggest issue with this hotel was it's location, which is a bit away from what I considered to be the "downtown." Had we not had a car, this might have been an issue. Another problem, which I am 99% sure is the exception rather than the rule, is that we had some VERY loud neighbors drinking in the hallway and slamming doors (which caused our door to shake in its casings loudly). I probably could have gotten this taken care of by calling the front desk, but I was half asleep and it didn't occur to me :rolleyes:. My final complaint is that I got a cold shower the next morning. When we went to check out, the clerk had a list of rooms that was titled "no hot water." Again, I imagine that this is the exception and not the rule.

 

I am the kind of person that perseverates over bad reviews and constantly second guesses, so I know how you feel. A lot of times, those negative reviews come from the kind of people you can just never please, and the balance of negative reviews are probably from people like me who chanced upon a "bad" stay. Bottom line- would I stay there again? No. Was it functional and have I stayed in worse? Absolutely. Hope that helps!

 

Cara

[Sprucetree]

Cara, was there a lot of street noise? Do you recall which floor you were on? What about the overall cleanliness of the room?

 

Thanks,

Betty

[hockeyucf]

I would say some street noise but not a lot. We were on the 5th floor closest to the street (Broadway I think???). The room was clean, no complaints there. Also, there's a great restaurant called Earl's (I think it's a chain) further down Broadway (if you leave the hotel and make a left, not a right towards city hall).

 

Cara

[Urban trekker]

It has been an apartment hotel for many years - haven't stayed there but use to drink in the pub - then called the Jolly Alderman - like a lot of the businesses along the construction of the rapid transit line I suspect the hotel's business has suffered and that is one reason for it being such a good price on Priceline and also may help to explain why the hotel hasn't been upgrade.

 

The Broadway corridor of which the hotel is considered part of is now consider part of the downtown core - it is the second most busiest shopping area in the actual City of Vancouver - the Earl's restaurant would be about a six block walk from the hotel - there is a fast food fair in the shopping mall across the street and a Cactus Club restaurant much closer - like their menu better than Earl's.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Sprucetree]

Thanks Cara and Dennis. It sounds like it'll work for one night and I like the idea of a mall across the street.

 

BTW Dennis, thanks for the info on that other thread. Sorry you were bashed by that other poster. I didn't want to reply to him because I didn't want to give him more fuel! Thank you for being there. I did get a reservation on the shuttle you recommended, so I'm all set now.

 

Betty

[Putterdude]

Locationaly the Plaza 500 is ok, certainly no crime problems. It is just not a downtown hotel. I would think that it is about a 10 min cab ride to downtown and 15 - 20 mins by bus. As other posters have pointed out there are restaurants in close proximity but most are of the pretty casual to family style eateries.

[gracecarmo]

Could you provide the amount and area for Vancouver you bid on Priceline?

 

I am now trying to do some research re these hotels.

[Sprucetree]

Grace, sorry it took me so long to reply. I've had a knee replacement in the interim and having a hard time getting going again.

 

I believe I bid $125. With tax it ended up being about $141.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Betty

[Putterdude]

If you are going to be up in those kind of numbers then check Hotels.ca, Priceline or hotwire for downtown west side. You will certain erode any savings in time and money with cabs and/or transit.

[Putterdude]

"My friend just booked the Blue Harizon on Robson Street for $119 a night in June - this was the cheapest hotel in Downtown, by far! The other option was the Pacific Palisades at $149 a night - I have stayed at both places and they are fine. Anyone looking for a Downtown hotel might want to check them out...."

 

Here is a post from Vancouver by Vancouverites http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=13707236&posted=1#post13707236

 

Both of these would put you in the downtown -west side area

[Urban trekker]

Putterdude - I believe Betty booked through Priceline so she can't cancel.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Putterdude]

Ut;

Your are correct except she was leaving information for gracecarmo. It's back to the hockey game, Go Canucks go!

[Urban trekker]

While you were watching the Canucks beat the Blues I was out at the Pacific Coliseum watching the Vancouver Giants Jr team beat Everett 1 - 0.

 

Have a good evening

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[rtevlin]

OK, I got it for $125 as well. Can anyone tell me how close it is to public transportation? $125 is a really good price compared to what I've been seeing and we really planned on using the buses and trolley to hit up Stanley Park and the rest . . . it doesn't look too far out of the way when you look at a map . . . like Squashbuny it'll be my fault if this ends up being sh**ty.

 

Dang . . .

[LeftcoastBC]

OK, I got it for $125 as well. Can anyone tell me how close it is to public transportation? $125 is a really good price compared to what I've been seeing and we really planned on using the buses and trolley to hit up Stanley Park and the rest . . . it doesn't look too far out of the way when you look at a map . . . like Squashbuny it'll be my fault if this ends up being sh**ty.

 

Dang . . .

 

Right outside the door turn right and cross the streets. Buses on Cambie into town. There is a bit of a hole out there from construction for the new Sky train but I think the buses are all still running OK up and down Cambie.

 

Passed the hotel today and it looks great from the outside still.

[ErinH1]

Can anyone tell me what Hotwire zone this hotel would come under? I'm having a hard time comparing maps to determine that. Thanks.

[Putterdude]

Can anyone tell me what Hotwire zone this hotel would come under? I'm having a hard time comparing maps to determine that. Thanks.

 

I am not familiar with the Hotwire zones but I would describe it as central east to south east or West Broadway. If you want to come with some zones that might help us a bit.

[scottbee]

Right outside the door turn right and cross the streets. Buses on Cambie into town. There is a bit of a hole out there from construction for the new Sky train but I think the buses are all still running OK up and down Cambie.

 

Passed the hotel today and it looks great from the outside still.

 

The bus stop for northbound Cambie @ Broadway is weird right now. It's actually a little platform that overhangs the construction site, just south of the intersection. there's no sidewalk at that point, you need to cross cambie @ Broadway and head about 20 ft south and there's a little area behind a concrete barrier to stand.

 

Of course it doesn't help now, but starting in late 2009, you'd be able to take the subway from your hotel to Canada Place cruise terminal.

[TCF]

I've been in the hotel recently for business meetings...but not in the rooms so I will stand down to those that have stayed there recently.

They won't put any money into upgrading the rooms until AFTER the 2010 Winter Games....they don't have to because every room in town is pretty close to being booked all ready for several weeks around the actual games.

The road work on Cambie Street makes it just a zoo and it won't be finished until 2009.

There is bus service downtown and to Canada Place across the street...but they are forever chaning the locations of the bus stops because of the construction. The hotel desk should be able to tell you where they are located on any given day.

There is a, 'Vancouver institution', called the White Spot. It is a local restaurant chain that first opened in 1929. The food is great and interesting. I grew up on White Spot burgers with 'triple O sauce', and Chicken Pic'ns... the first is still there in many configurations....the second is long gone. It is a walk across the street from the hotel...but....don't step in the hole!!!

Someone mentioned Cactus Club....another great restaurant on Broadway about five blocks from the hotel...I agree that it is better than Earl's up the street.

There are also a whole whack of various ethnic restaurants along Broadway that are worth taking a look at.

For an overnight stay there is nothing wrong with this hotel.

Hope you have a great time in Vancouver.