Vancouver Hotel Help

I'm going to Vancouver this Saturday to conduct some focus groups and need some hotel help.  I'm horribly indecisive about these things and would love some recommendations if you have any.

I require a room, under $150 a night, preferrably with internet access, reasonably close to UBC by cab or transit, but also in an area where I can get some reasonably priced food (especially sushi) and which has a good coffeeshop for me to work in (I have some writing to do while I'm away).

So far I've found these two major hotels (Park Plaza and Holiday Inn) that seem to fit the specs.  I'm sure they are the classic, souless hotels, but I'm okay with that, this is for work, not for fun.  And this B&B was already booked.  I'm not sure I will feel sociable enough for a B&B anyway (though recommendations are welcome). 

And, I also have some time to kill Sunday and Monday early in the day.  What's fun in Vancouver?

Comments

[Cordelia]

De-lurking to say...
Do you like heights? Someone recommended the Capilano Suspension bridge to me: http://www.capbridge.com/ as Really Cool, if you like that kind of thing. (I'm going to Vancouver in July).

[JoVE]

Bring decent shoes and just go for a walk in Stanley Park. You can walk for miles (and I did once in shoes that were not completely inappropriate but not idea). There is a free trolley that goes through too which can save you if you are worn out and wnat to get down from the top. Also a beach. And pretty flowers.

I have a friend who may still be in Vancouver (having hopefully finished his PhD but still in the market for a real job) who is v. interesting. I'll send his details.

[Rachael]

Dude. One word: Sylvia. Okay, two words, The Sylvia. Nicest hotel, PERFECT location, just across the road from English Bay, and I think per night on the water-side for two was something like $125 and one the non-view side (from which we had a bay view) was $95. The only internet that exists is in the lobby and part of the bar/cafe area but you can sit quite unmolested there for as long as you like. It's just off Denman, so you if you stumble over a crack in the sidewalk, you'll end up with your head in sushi. We loved it.

[lala]

Go to the Museum of Anthropology at UBC! It has the nicest gallery space I've ever seen, and the visible storage is freakin' cool. Also, I second Stanley Park. Riding a bike there is fun too. If you go to the zoo I will be jealous.

[Uli]

Lots of great stuff to do in Vancouver. The hotels are nice - as you said - basic standard hotels and transportation is pretty good and easy from Broadway to UBC.... used to do it all the time. There's definitely Sushi places on Broadway... but I haven't been down Broadway in a while so I won't point to any in particular (I used to work right around both those hotels). It's also easy to get downtown from there. As the others said, Stanley Park is pretty cool and so is the Suspension Bridge. Going up to Grouse Mountain on the gondola is always a fun activity. The Aquarium in Stanley Park is also very interesting. And for some reason, I'm drawing a total blank.

[Ev. G.]

You definately want to stay at the Holiday Inn on Broadway if you are going out to UBC. The 99 Express Bus Stop that takes you straight out to UBC is practically out the front door of the Hotel. I live here and whenever I have visitors come to town, that's where they stay. There's not one, but 3 coffee shops that I can think of offhand within spitting distance of the Hotel. Vancouver has a lot of coffee shops! You can walk to Granville Island quite easily from the Holiday Inn as well, and that's a fun thing to do if you only have a few hours. Lots of things I can suggest, email me if you want more ideas. If I remember correctly, there's a sushi place beside the Starbucks right across the street.

[shelley]

I have to agree, the Sylvia is great.http://www.sylviahotel.com/ And you are close to the beaches, Stanley Park, downtown, sushi, etc.

[Cyndi in BC]

My favourite Vancouver hotel is the Granville Island Hotel!
http://www.granvilleislandhotel.com/
And Granville Island is great to wander around too, food, market, galleries, art school, art studios, etc. The Silk Shop has really nice yarn too! Seems to me there was a place to rent a bicycle for the day too. Anyway I have really enjoyed my stays on Granville island. Not that it matters to you but everything was wheelchair accessible too.

[Jeannie]

De-lurking to say ... I live in Vancouver, and The Sylvia is, I have heard, one of the nicest hotels around, but it will be a pain to get to UBC from there. It's location means probably two busses and a walk to get there, meaning 45 minutes to commute ... The two you mentioned are good locations, but are, as you noted, a little soulless. Still. They are so close to public transport that you can get to the interesting places. You're only going to sleep there, after all. :)

But if you do want something with a little more soul, I'd try googling "bed and breakfast Kitsilano". Kits is a neighbourhood between downtown and UBC, and has a ton of old heritage houses and lots of trees and some great shopping and lots of coffee shops. It would be easy to get to UBC by bus from there, as well as to downtown. I'm sorry, since I live here I've never stayed in any of them so don't have a recommendation.

Also, I know a great sushi place downtown in Yaletown -- Kaide Sushi, at 1375 Richard Street. Here's the link: http://kaidesushi.com/kaide/.

I'd be happy to try and find out more if you want, just email me.

:)

[Lorraine The Knitting Hammy]

I haven't been to Vancouver for a long time- but definitely visit the Granville Market under the Granville Bridge.

[caro]

The best thing about Vancouver is that there's a good sushi place on every corner. You don't need to look any up, they're ubiquitous. Monday morning breakfast at Provence on Marinaside (it's quiet on Mondays) in Yaletown and then a stroll along the seawall is my favourite thing to do. Or lunch at Hon's (good chinese food) and a cruise down Robson can be fun too.

[HG]

You absolutely must go to Casa Gelato, even if you have to find a cab to do it and bribe the cabbie with peach/apricot sorbet to wait.

Sha Lin noodles is unsurpassed for handmade chinese noodles

[Angie]

We like to stay at the Sylvia when we're 'in town'. You can walk to a little boat that takes you to Granville Island to see PaperYa, Blackberry Books, handspun silks and Maiwa- hand dyed fabrics.
Broadway may be better for transit. I love the Museum of Anthropology too. But I just love revisiting UBC and walking around campus. I miss the sea.
Love from Sardis, Angie

[Angela]

I'd vote for the Sylvia, even if it is a pain to get to UBC. If you stay at the Holiday Inn - go up to 16th and go to Hachi Bei for dinner one night - really good, home-style Japanese food, as well as the normal sushi.

(Sorry you couldn't find someone out here to run it)

[Shannon]

The Museum of Anthropology is kickass, and I fully concur on Granville Island -- dear God, let someone else hold your credit cards when you go into Maiwa or you will be very very very sorry. The sushi in the public market on Granville is also kickass -- you can sit and watch the water while you eat outside. Vancouver is seriously somewhere I would move in a heartbeat if given the chance!

[Lisa]

I live on Vancouver Island and we go onto the mainland quite a bit. We often stay at the Holiday Inn near Robson. The Robson street is where all the major shopping is. There is an awesome sushi place right there called Tsunami Sushi. There are small boats that float around the sushi bar, and you pick off what you want. We love it. The Art Gallery is near that area too. Lots to do there.

E-mail me if you need more info.