Hi folks
Husband and i are travelling to Vancouver come feb after visiting banff...we will fly to vancouver thenwill be hiring a car..
staying in vancouver for about six days but may head down to seattle for an overnighter if the weather is friendly and will most likely go to vancouver island...either a day trip or an overnighter
ive been looking at the L'hermitage which has great reviews...do folk here agree?
dont want to spend a fortune but would like something clean and comfortable and central

does anyone know of nice accommodation on vancouver island? something with a view perhaps but not skyhigh in cost

is there anything going on in vancouver in feb that we need to be aware of...something that might cos an accommodation crisis? a festival or some trade conference?

we were unexpectedly caught short in nz in nov when a victorian fair took over a town that we breezed in overnight and we had the motorhome in the carpark for the night...that taught us a lesson not to take off-season travel /accommodation for granted!
thank you for any advice

Vancouver has good public transit and Stanley Park is very walkable. I don't see any need for a rental car.
To get from Vancouver to Seattle I use the Amtrak train or Amtrak bus.

IF lodging costs are a major factor, central Vancouver is small-ish enough so that Priceline.com can be trusted to land you a good deal on a random hotel in the downtown Vancouver area, especially in February.

<b>However, with a rental car, a random Priceline deal may come with a difficult-to-avoid $40-per-night-ish fee for valet parking</b>.

If done most efficiently, you would take the Sky Train from the airport to central Vancouver, and then find your hotel, and only hire a rental car if/when needed.

There is a whole lot to do and see in central Van. before you need a vehicle.

hi, lanejohann,

We have booked into the Blue Horizon for our trip there in October, following a recommendation on this site and also our travel agent / my niece.

My brother and sister-in-law always stay at The Sandman Hotel in Vancouver when there, and just love it.

Enjoy your time in Vancouver. We are certainly looking forward to it.

thank you kind fodorfolk!
i'll run the idea of not having a car past the OH...we may need one on vancouver island although with it being winter we may not want to do much driving anyway..
thanks for the hotel recommendations dottyp and northwest!

Hi again, lanejohann,
I've just read your original post again, and see you were asking about accommodation on Vancouver Island too. My travel agent recommended Executive House Hotel which is in Victoria, about a block back from the harbour and not too far from everything. Here is the website:

www.executivehouse.com

We are staying one night in a guest room for $NZ222 for the night. I put NZ dollars as I know you have just been to NZ, and that is where we are coming from. I'm wishing we could stay two days on VI because there is so much to do but just couldn't fit it in.

I think I've put you wrong about the ferry times. From reading the website it appears to be only about 95 minutes to Swartz Bay which is just north of Victoria.

www.bcferries.com

oh thanks for that dottyp..ill check out executive hotel...
i have never been overseas in winter so i have to be flexible in my thinking about what is achievable...

i am suddenly panicking that i dont really have warm enough pants for a canadian winter...but i guess i will just have to wait and see...