We are considering leaving our booking of a single nights stay at a reasonable hotel in downtown Vancouver on 26th December until the 'last minute' and booking a week or so before that date.

Is Vancouver a city that gets busy over the Christmas break and is heavily booked?

I'm not too sure about the 26th, but we were in Vancouver last year on Christmas Eve and Day, most places were closed including many restaurants. Hotel dining rooms and Chinese restaurants were about the only things we found open. It may ease up on the 26th and thereafter, but best to check on anything you might want to do to be certain it will be open.

December 26th is a national holiday - Boxing Day, however *everything* is open on that day, as it's the largest shopping day in the entire year. On Boxing Day, every retail shop offers huge discounts (usually up to 50% on merchandise). As a result, the shops are absolutely swamped with people, there are often lineups out of the store! It's a really insane day for shopping.

As for whether Vancouver is heavily booked on Christmas? I'd say likely not.

I was in Vancouver one Christmas about 7 years ago. It was very quiet. Hardly anything open on Christmas Eve and nothing open but a few pubs on Christmas Day. But busy-ish on Boxing Day with shops open. It's a beautiful place to be at Christmas time. I doubt you'll have trouble finding somewhere to stay.

Thanks all. Looks like the credit cards might be getting a bit of use on the 26th!!