I've read some of the postings. We will be coming to Vancouver in July. We have 3 children, and will need lodging before we leave on an Alaskan cruise. Should we stay in the Robson street area, and then take a taxi to board the ship? When we come back from the cruise, we will be needing to stay an additional two nights in Vancouver. Any tips? Thanks! Claudia

Vancouver's downtown area is very compact, so there's no real reason to stay right next to the pier - those hotels are the most expensive anyways Robson Street is a 2 minute taxi ride from the pier and it's definitely the popular place to be. There are various hotels to choose from, but I'm going to let the others suggest them as I live here and haven't stayed at any yet. I've heard that the Pacific Palisades on Robson & Jervis are really nice.

The Lord Stanley suites have a separate bedroom and a pull out sofa, plus a small den. I don't know if they could make arrangements for extra people. <BR> <BR>On the plus side: <BR>It's a very short walk to Stanley Park. There is a grocery store about a block and a half away if you want to do any cooking. The suites come with a fully equipped kitchen - oven, stove, fridge, microwave, dish washer, dishes, pots and cutlery. There is also an iron, ironing board, and clothes washer and dryer. <BR> <BR>The suites facing the park have a sliding glass door and balcony. The balconies (maybe more like sunrooms) on the water side are enclosed. I wouldn't want a room facing the city as construction is going on right next door. <BR> <BR>Muffins and coffee are available in the mornings on the main floor. Underground parking costs about $10 extra. <BR> <BR>On the minus side: <BR>Traffic noise which may only be an issue if the windows are open. Also, some people may prefer to be closer to the centre of town.

There are some good suggestions in Fodors when you go into the "Destinations" site and pull up hotels. Several are suite hotels. Yaletown is another area that is busy with restaurants and shops. As someone else said, everything is quite close together.

Thank you for the suggestions! I'm making final plans now. I've read so much, I wish we had made plans to stay longer.

You can get a fair bit done in the amount of time you have. Your children might enjoy the little ferry ride over to Granville Island.