Suggestions for hotels in Vancouver please (saw they were very pricey)

[Calantha]

Currently at the Fairmont Pacific Rim and it has been wonderful. Heard from our airport driver that the clients he drove yesterday were not happy at the Pan Pacific (Lots of maintenance and housekeeping issues).

Fairmont Waterfront was very busy when I walked over and discovered the DCL hospitality desk (they were very helpful and told us the process for tomorrow. We’ll see how accurate they were then!)

 

[Keyser]

Adding this in case it helps someone. It has been several years since our Alaska cruise, but at the time, we managed to get a really good deal (my memory is over 50% off the regular booking price) with the Pan Pacific by using Priceline. It was the non-refundable-doesn't-say-which-hotel-until-after-you've-paid option. But, in doing a lot of research ahead of time, it was possible to figure out which hotel was being offered from the details included, so we were confident that was the one we were getting when we paid. Not sure if they are even still participating with Priceline, or if it's still possible to figure out that much information, but it used to work!

We thought it was a nice hotel and you can't beat the convenience, but if we didn't have the really good deal, we'd have looked elsewhere.

 

[brentm77]

I live in the Vancouver suburbs and I can see the port from my office. People on these boards always want to recommend the Pan Pacific as THE option and while that hotel is great and yes literally at the terminal,The closer you are to the port the more expensive the hotel is going to be. However, the thing about Vancouver is that you don’t need to be super close to the port to have convenient access to it.

For staying downtown within walking distance the St Regis on Dunsmuir is a good value, roughly a ten minute walk to the port or a very quick taxi/Uber/Lyft. There’s also the Rosedale on Robson a couple blocks up from there which is a little further.

If you’re looking for a really affordable option and you aren’t planning on doing any sightseeing just staying the night before you sail, stay near the airport or anywhere along Canada line. The Canada line makes access to the port very easy even from outside downtown.

I found your above post really helpful. Do you mind if I bump this thread and ask you a question? We are looking at cruising from Vancouver the first week of Sep, 2023. We will likely have an evening and one full day in Vancouver. What do you recommend doing? I plan to get a guide book, but I would love to hear from a local.

 

[otten]

I found your above post really helpful. Do you mind if I bump this thread and ask you a question? We are looking at cruising from Vancouver the first week of Sep, 2023. We will likely have an evening and one full day in Vancouver. What do you recommend doing? I plan to get a guide book, but I would love to hear from a local.

Here are my top suggestions in order of proximity to the port/downtown hotels:

1. Fly over Canada. I was skeptical but we did it in summer 2020 when we were playing local tourist and it’s worth doing. In that same area there is the Olympic torch which is a neat photo spot and the harbour where you can watch seaplanes. Walking around Canada place is nice.
2. Gastown starts only a few blocks away and I generally think it’s over touristy and very ‘cruise port’ if you know what I mean. Lots of shops selling the same old souvenirs. But! Al Porto is a nice restaurant to eat at there and if anyone in your group is into shoes, the Fluevog store is worth a visit. The shoes are expensive (not Prada expensive but $$$) but the staff are accustomed to people coming in to just browse and try on without necessarily purchasing. It’s the headquarters of the brand also so if someone is already into Vogs they will definitely want to pay a visit.
3. Stanley Park/Aquarium. Stanley Park at least is a must do. There are many walking trails and you can also rent bikes. There’s also a horse drawn tram if that’s more your speed. I haven’t been to the aquarium since it reopened under new management but it was definitely worth visiting before.
4. Granville Island. Further from downtown but if you haven’t rented a car the #50 bus will take you there in about 20 minutes. Lots of street performers and artisan shops and a great market. It you have the time, watch an Improv show. They’re fantastic.
5. Capilano Suspension bridge. You’ll get a good feel of Vancouver’s scenery here. You can either rent a car or there are shuttles.

 

[brentm77]

Here are my top suggestions in order of proximity to the port/downtown hotels:

1. Fly over Canada. I was skeptical but we did it in summer 2020 when we were playing local tourist and it’s worth doing. In that same area there is the Olympic torch which is a neat photo spot and the harbour where you can watch seaplanes. Walking around Canada place is nice.
2. Gastown starts only a few blocks away and I generally think it’s over touristy and very ‘cruise port’ if you know what I mean. Lots of shops selling the same old souvenirs. But! Al Porto is a nice restaurant to eat at there and if anyone in your group is into shoes, the Fluevog store is worth a visit. The shoes are expensive (not Prada expensive but $$$) but the staff are accustomed to people coming in to just browse and try on without necessarily purchasing. It’s the headquarters of the brand also so if someone is already into Vogs they will definitely want to pay a visit.
3. Stanley Park/Aquarium. Stanley Park at least is a must do. There are many walking trails and you can also rent bikes. There’s also a horse drawn tram if that’s more your speed. I haven’t been to the aquarium since it reopened under new management but it was definitely worth visiting before.
4. Granville Island. Further from downtown but if you haven’t rented a car the #50 bus will take you there in about 20 minutes. Lots of street performers and artisan shops and a great market. It you have the time, watch an Improv show. They’re fantastic.
5. Capilano Suspension bridge. You’ll get a good feel of Vancouver’s scenery here. You can either rent a car or there are shuttles.

Somehow I missed this when you replied. Thank you for the great suggestions! I have added them to my planning notebook.

 

[DisneyConvert]

Somehow I missed this when you replied. Thank you for the great suggestions! I have added them to my planning notebook.

bike rentals on Denman St and a ride around Stanley Park. Great way to get one's "land legs" back.