Vancouver answers from a Vancouverite

[Putterdude]

We are travelling from Seattle to Vancouver via Amtrak on Sunday 8/21/11. There are 18 of us (Adults and Children) We are staying at the Marriott Limited on W Pender St. What is the best way to get from the Amtrak station to the hotel. I have searched this thread, but did not see any groups doing this. The Taxi's are limited to 4 people and the vans are 4 and a wheelchair. We have a 2, 5,11,11,11,15 year old children.

 

I found that bus 19 goes near the hotel, but was not sure how that works with luggage.

 

Any help is GREATLY appreciated

 

I suspect you are staying at the Ramada Limited on West Pender. In which case I would suggest you walk across Main St to the Main St Station of SkyTrain and take the SkyTrain to Granville Station. Take the Seymour St. exit and once out of the station walk north toward the water, turn right on Pender St. for 2 blocks and the hotel will be on your left.

[scottbee]

We are travelling from Seattle to Vancouver via Amtrak on Sunday 8/21/11. There are 18 of us (Adults and Children) We are staying at the Marriott Limited on W Pender St. What is the best way to get from the Amtrak station to the hotel. I have searched this thread, but did not see any groups doing this. The Taxi's are limited to 4 people and the vans are 4 and a wheelchair. We have a 2, 5,11,11,11,15 year old children.

 

I found that bus 19 goes near the hotel, but was not sure how that works with luggage.

 

Any help is GREATLY appreciated

 

I would almost be inclined to take 4-5 taxis. However, the cheapest way would be cross the street, and use the Skytrain. Go into the little smoke shop on Terminal (next to Van City), and buy a book of ten 1-zone faresaver tickets for the adults, and just buy single zone concession fares for the kids under 16, and take Skytrain to Granville St. At the Granville station, use the front exit from the platform (important), and that will place you on Dunsmuir about 1½ blocks from your hotel.

 

Both Main Street (by the train station) and Granville Skytrain stations have elevators (but again I stress use the front exit from the platform)

[Quilting Queen]

I was hunting for a Hotel near the Robson for May 2012 and found Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown Vancouver at 111 Robson St. I made a reservation there but since we will be taking Amtrak the next day with our group from Arizona I was thinking of changing to the Comfort Inn & suites Downtown Vancouver. Ginny was able to book there.

 

I think we will be doing the Hop on-Hop off bus tour to see what is in Vancouver to visit on our July, 2012 Alaska cruise . We do not need to take an all day bus tour since we will back.

 

Since I have some walking difficulty I would like to be on or near one of the bus lines. I know we will have to take a taxi to the Amtrak bus depot no mater where we stay.

 

Thanks,

Norine

[Putterdude]

I was hunting for a Hotel near the Robson for May 2012 and found Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown Vancouver at 111 Robson St. I made a reservation there but since we will be taking Amtrak the next day with our group from Arizona I was thinking of changing to the Comfort Inn & suites Downtown Vancouver. Ginny was able to book there.

 

I think we will be doing the Hop on-Hop off bus tour to see what is in Vancouver to visit on our July, 2012 Alaska cruise . We do not need to take an all day bus tour since we will back.

 

Since I have some walking difficulty I would like to be on or near one of the bus lines. I know we will have to take a taxi to the Amtrak bus depot no mater where we stay.

 

Thanks,

Norine

 

I have shared some information with Ginny re the Comfort Inn, you may care to contact her.

[Cruise_More_Often]

I just booked the Comfort Inn & Suites Downtown Vancouver for our cruise, May 19-20 - almost 10 months away. Most hotels showed "no availability" for that date so I went ahead and booked now. Is something (besides a cruise) going on then?:confused:

Could it be that it is too early to book that far out? A friend just tried to book a hotel in Los Angeles and had the same problem.

 

We were in Vancouver this year at the same time you will be next year, and we didn't have any problem finding a hotel. I do remember that the Amtrak train to Seattle on Saturday morning was completely booked due to the holiday. BTW, we'll be there the same time as you are in May 2012.

 

I just went to one of the large travel websites to check out a hotel for that time, and they are booking hotels only through April 23, 2012.

Edited July 18, 2011 by Cruise_More_Often

[Putterdude]

Could it be that it is too early to book that far out? A friend just tried to book a hotel in Los Angeles and had the same problem.

.

 

I happen to agree with you, I wouldn't be booking until after the new year, now is just to early.

[cruisingherrons]

:confused:

I have shared some information with Ginny re the Comfort Inn, you may care to contact her.

 

I would love to have a "short" list of reasonalble hotels to stay as close to Canada Place as possible. Would love to stay at the Pan Pacific, but $300+ is a little out of our price range. Just need a clean/decent place to sleep, no sightseeing, no walking around, no gambling (lol - will do enough of that on the ship). Someone suggested I stay at the airport and shuttle in the next day. It seems more logical to add the price of the shuttle to the $125 for a room at the airport and find a room around $200 closer to the pier. Here is my email, in case you prefer to respond privately dh93550@yahoo.com. Any help would be greatly appreciated. :)

 

Thanks Donna (& Rick) Herron

[Putterdude]

This list is no particular order and certainly won't be complete by any means...but here goes:

Hyatt Regency

The Renaissance

Marriott Pinnacle

Coast-Coal Harbour

Sutton Place

Sheraton at the Wall Centre

Best Western-Downtown on Drake St. (has shuttle to pier)

Hampton Inn and Suites

Georgian Court

Delta Suites and Conference Centre

Sandman Inn on W. Georgia

As I no longer live in the city and do need a room from time to time, I bid on Priceline.com. I click on Vancouver-Downtown, use 3*+ and can usually get one of the above for under $135.

[Quilting Queen]

I picked up the phone and called hotels. I was told that There is a holiday on Monday May 21 so some could be already booked.

 

I tried the Pan Pacific first and they had no rooms for Saturday, May 19.

 

If I know I am cruising in a year I usually start looking at hotels about 10-11 months before.

 

Norine

[Cruise_More_Often]

I have stayed at the Hotel Above the Terminal City Club and Coast Coal Harbor. I can recommend both highly. Both locations are good, but the Hotel Above the Terminal City Club is just a couple of blocks (maybe only one block) from Canada Place.

[Cruise_More_Often]

I picked up the phone and called hotels. I was told that There is a holiday on Monday May 21 so some could be already booked.

 

I tried the Pan Pacific first and they had no rooms for Saturday, May 19.

 

If I know I am cruising in a year I usually start looking at hotels about 10-11 months before.

 

Norine

Norine, I just tried to book that hotel online, and that date was available on the hotel's online reservation system. I did it three times, just to make sure I wasn't "seeing" things.

[cruisingherrons]

This list is no particular order and certainly won't be complete by any means...but here goes:

 

Hyatt Regency

The Renaissance

Marriott Pinnacle

Coast-Coal Harbour

Sutton Place

Sheraton at the Wall Centre

Best Western-Downtown on Drake St. (has shuttle to pier)

Hampton Inn and Suites

Georgian Court

Delta Suites and Conference Centre

Sandman Inn on W. Georgia

 

As I no longer live in the city and do need a room from time to time, I bid on Priceline.com. I click on Vancouver-Downtown, use 3*+ and can usually get one of the above for under $135.

 

Thanks so much, at least now I have some frame of reference.

Donna

[Poohx2]

Available anywhere you see the 'FareDealer' sign. I normally suggest the 7-11 as a US Tourist will know what they're looking for; as Pharmasave is a Canadian chain.

 

As for [2 zone] Faresavers vs Day passes, they're both great deals. It really depends on the makeup of your group, and how much traveling you intend to do within Vancouver. If on your 1st or last day all you're doing is going to or from the airport, Faresavers are probably a better deal; if you're doing a couple of days of traveling or venturing all the way out to Surrey/South Delta/Tsawwassen (zone 3), maybe it's day-passes.

 

Either way, they're both a much better deal than buying a single use ticket, and especially buying that at the airport where there's an extra $5 tacked onto the fare.

 

Just remember with a single ticket (bought on the bus/skytrain/sebus, or a faresaver ticket), it's good for as many rides within 90 minutes from the time you validate it. For example, you could validate it at the airport, ride Skytrain downtown, drop your luggage at your hotel, pop over to Seabus, then the 236 bus and be at Capilano suspension bridge or Grouse Mt all on a single ticket.

 

Thanks so much for the information! This helps too!

[Poohx2]

:confused:

 

I would love to have a "short" list of reasonalble hotels to stay as close to Canada Place as possible. Would love to stay at the Pan Pacific, but $300+ is a little out of our price range. Just need a clean/decent place to sleep, no sightseeing, no walking around, no gambling (lol - will do enough of that on the ship). Someone suggested I stay at the airport and shuttle in the next day. It seems more logical to add the price of the shuttle to the $125 for a room at the airport and find a room around $200 closer to the pier. Here is my email, in case you prefer to respond privately dh93550@yahoo.com. Any help would be greatly appreciated. :)

 

Thanks Donna (& Rick) Herron

 

If you have AAA, you may be able to get a discount at the Pan Pacific that will bring it to the low 200s with tax.

[cruisingherrons]

If you have AAA, you may be able to get a discount at the Pan Pacific that will bring it to the low 200s with tax.

 

Really, that's certainly worth a shot. I will check it out. Thanks for the info. :D

Donna

[Poohx2]

Can someone please tell what station to get off if I am taking the skytrain to the Pan Pacific from the airport? I thought the station was fairly close to the hotel but my sister found a map online and says it looks to be about 3 1/2 blocks. That is ok with me but want to prepare the rest of the group. Since I am asking that question, my sister has heard conflicting reports on which station to use to go back to the airport from the Canada Place. Which one do you suggest? I know you all are the experts. Thanks.

[Poohx2]

Really, that's certainly worth a shot. I will check it out. Thanks for the info. :D

Donna

 

You are welcome! Good luck!!

[Putterdude]

Can someone please tell what station to get off if I am taking the skytrain to the Pan Pacific from the airport? I thought the station was fairly close to the hotel but my sister found a map online and says it looks to be about 3 1/2 blocks. That is ok with me but want to prepare the rest of the group. Since I am asking that question, my sister has heard conflicting reports on which station to use to go back to the airport from the Canada Place. Which one do you suggest? I know you all are the experts. Thanks.

 

You will take the train to the end of the line, Waterfront Station and the Pan Pacific is closer to 2 blocks than 3.5 blocks.

[Poohx2]

You will take the train to the end of the line, Waterfront Station and the Pan Pacific is closer to 2 blocks than 3.5 blocks.

 

Thank you Putterdude for the information!!

[scottbee]

Can someone please tell what station to get off if I am taking the skytrain to the Pan Pacific from the airport? I thought the station was fairly close to the hotel but my sister found a map online and says it looks to be about 3 1/2 blocks. That is ok with me but want to prepare the rest of the group. Since I am asking that question, my sister has heard conflicting reports on which station to use to go back to the airport from the Canada Place. Which one do you suggest? I know you all are the experts. Thanks.

 

You get off at Waterfront (which is the end of the line). There are two exits at Waterfront Station, one that goes down a long hallway into the station complex -- that you don't want; and an elevator and escalator right on the platform (at the other end) that pops you straight up onto the street at the Corner of W.Hastings & Granville. From this latter location it's slightly downhill to Canada Place, vs slightly uphill from Waterfront station. So don't follow the crowds into the station, just grab the elevator right on the platform

This one:

 

Heading BACK to the airport, again, use gravity on your side. Walk one along Howe from Canada Place, turn left and two blocks to Waterfront Station (on your left). This way you're walking downhill.

Edited July 19, 2011 by scottbee

[Arizona Laura]

How is Chinatown in Vancouver? Worth seeing?

Thanks...

[Putterdude]

How is Chinatown in Vancouver? Worth seeing?

Thanks...

 

Sure it is worth spending a hour or so in Chinatown. Some will say it is not what it used to be, but I don't really feel this is the case. The old Chinatown hasn't changed it is just that Vancouver has had quite an influx of Chinese over the past 20 or so years and that generation has chosen to live out in Richmond near the airport. Our downtown Chinatown is just a vibrant as ever, lots of interesting shops and restaurants.

You may want to visit the Dr. Sun Yat Sen gardens while in Chinatown.

http://www.vancouverchinesegarden.com/

[Arizona Laura]

If I want a 4 star hotel in a good restaurant and shopping area in Vancouver what price should I consider for Priceline bidding and what area should I check for site?

 

Also if I want a hotel in the same area and book myself please recommend 3 hotels that I should look at. With taxes would like to keep at low 200s-250 max USD.

 

We are going to Amtrak the next morning at 0500 so want Amtrak to be within 10 minute taxi ride or so at the most..

 

Thanks so much..

 

I am all new to this...:confused:

[Poohx2]

You get off at Waterfront (which is the end of the line). There are two exits at Waterfront Station, one that goes down a long hallway into the station complex -- that you don't want; and an elevator and escalator right on the platform (at the other end) that pops you straight up onto the street at the Corner of W.Hastings & Granville. From this latter location it's slightly downhill to Canada Place, vs slightly uphill from Waterfront station. So don't follow the crowds into the station, just grab the elevator right on the platform

This one:

 

Heading BACK to the airport, again, use gravity on your side. Walk one along Howe from Canada Place, turn left and two blocks to Waterfront Station (on your left). This way you're walking downhill.

 

Thank you Scottbee! The visual really helps!

[Putterdude]

If I want a 4 star hotel in a good restaurant and shopping area in Vancouver what price should I consider for Priceline bidding and what area should I check for site?

 

Also if I want a hotel in the same area and book myself please recommend 3 hotels that I should look at. With taxes would like to keep at low 200s-250 max USD.

 

We are going to Amtrak the next morning at 0500 so want Amtrak to be within 10 minute taxi ride or so at the most..

 

Thanks so much..

 

I am all new to this...:confused:

 

On Priceline I would stick to Vancouver - Downtown.

Four star hotels that would fill the bill:

Hyatt Regency

Marriott Pinnacle

The Renaissance

Sutton Place

Metropolitan

The first 3 could be considered 3.5 stars and Hotwire lists the Sutton Place as 5* but the hotel component is really 4*. No downtown hotel is more than 10 minutes by cab from the Pacific Central Station which Amtrak uses.