A great time in Vancouver
 

My husband and I just returned from a four night trip to Vancouver and I have to say, it's a beautiful city. We stayed at the Hyatt on Burrard. The location was perfect - right next to the skytrain and the busses all stop right in front. It's about a five minute walk to the waterfront and a three minute walk to Robson, the Vancouver Art Museum and lots of restaurants. The hotel was OK - typical Hyatt but with an above average helpful staff. If you don't get your breakfast included in the room rate, there are plenty of restaurants nearby.

The weather was mostly sunny, with some rain (of course), but we were prepared. Public transportation is cheap, easy and the bus drivers are incredibly helpful.

We flew into Vancouver from Vancouver Island on a Harbor Air float plane - the most wonderful experience ever. Flying over the islands is an experience worth every penny.

Restaurants:
Cactus Cafe for lunch - on Burrard, across from the Hyatt. It's a very busy restaurant with great service, delicious food and well priced. We only had hamburgers (the Jack Daniels burgers are great) and salads, wine and beer and would return again.
Kirin Seafood for dinner - fantastic Chinese food. The Kung Pao Chicken, Scallops in Sechuan Sauce and Vegetable Buddah's Feast were excellent. I asked for a bit of spice to the Buddah's Feast but the other two dishes were very spicy - just the way I like it. There were mostly Asian people in the restaurant (that's usually a good sign) and the service was excellent. I'd return - absolutely.
Blue Water Cafe for dinner. Overpriced, over-hyped. The food is good but not better than most restaurants in this category. Portions are way too small. I won't return.
Villa de Lupo for dinner - on Hamilton. Fantastic ambience (converted old house), unbelievable service (probably the best I've ever had), delicious food (except that my pasta was a bit overdone) - I would return in a heartbeat.

We went to the Museum of Anthropology and if you're interested in history or Pacific Northwest Native cultures, this is the place to go. We went on the complimentary docent tour and found it more informative than most. It's a beautiful trip out there on the bus as well. The grounds are lovely - worth the trip.
The Vancouver Art Musuem is worth visiting. It's lovely.
We walked Gastown, Chinatown, Robson, the West End.
Visited Granville Island. The Public Market is interesting with lots of shops and food and an area for kids to play. However, the streets in South Granville look even more interesting. I wish we'd had more time to check that area out.

You can't beat the scenery, friendliness of everyone, great food and ease of exploring in Vancouver. I loved the city and can't wait to take that Canadian road trip I'm starting to dream about.

Thanks for a great trip report. I, always love reading about people's trips to Vancouver. It's a wonderful city!

Thanks for the trip report. We're heading to Vancouver in September and are thinking of staying at the Westin on Robson, on the boarder of Yaletown. Any opinions on the location? I started a thread with Vancouver questions, if you can answer any, would really appreciate it.

Glad you had a good time.

Thanks for the rundown on the restaurants. We'll be spending a week in Vancouver at the end of this month and may try one or two of yours. Have stayed at the Hyatt a few times (Priceline wins) and really enjoy the place - agree about the staff.

sludick, I've only used Priceline once with a good result. Do you bid at the last minute or a few weeks out? I'm thinking about using it more often but need some strategy advice. Thanks. Frank, I answered what I could on your thread - have a fabulous time.

I've bid out as far as 5 or 6 months and as short as a couple of hours. It can vary by area and market demand. But my best results come from exploiting occupancy swings in 4* hotels due to conventions and business travel.

So, it pays to know what hotels in an area cater to that business and what is going on at the time you are looking for. Crystal City (outside D.C.) will get you good weekend rates at a full-service Marriott or Hyatt, for example.

In Vancouver, I don't bid on anything less than 4*, and concentrate on downtown. There are a number of nice places, and I have enjoyed any that I've won.

There is a very good explanation of bidding strategies for Priceline documented on www.biddingfortravel.com. Here is a link to it: http://biddingfortravel.yuku.com/forum/viewtopic/id/615

Thank you. I'll build up my courage and give it a whirl.

sludick, if you don't mind my asking, what did you bid on priceline to get a 4* hotel?

Jahlie,

I'm glad you had a lovely time in Vancouver. I think it's a great city too.

Thanks for sharing, Daniel

RainyDay09 - my winning bids have varied by the time of year. Off season, I've done well with $65-75 USD a night. For now, it looks like around $100 is about right. Check www.biddingfortravel.com to see some recent winning bids: http://biddingfortravel.yuku.com/for...-Victoria.html

I do also use Hotwire along with hotel websites and places like Expedia to check rates. As a rule, I use Hotwire as an upper end bid, factoring in Priceline fees. Otherwise, it doesn't make sense to use Priceline.