Where to stay in Vancouver--Hotel and Location
 

I'll be travelling to Vancouver for a long weekend in June, and I was wondering where the best place to stay is. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION is my # 1 priority, then of course, we'd like to stay at a nice hotel, preferably one that won't break my checkbook (although a splurge is not entirely out of the question if LOCATION is considered...)<BR><BR>Thanks!<BR><BR>Randi

For "Location" anyplace within two blocks of Georgia and Burrard is best and you'll find a good varaity of quality hotels from five star Four Seasons and Sutton place to Four Star Hyatt, Sheraton Le Soleil and Metropolitan and some good three dstar places as well. You'll pay anywhere from $150 to $400 Canadian, (maybe less if you use one of the discounters), and you'll be in the centre of Downtown Vancouver.<BR><BR>Of course much more than half the things worth seeing and doing in Vancouver is not in a two block radius of Burrard and Georgia but you'll still be as centrally located as it's possible to be.

My wife and I just stayed at the Metropolitan Hotel in Vancouver. It's about two blocks from the main shopping street in Vancouver called Robson Street. The shopping street is about a mile long and has lots of shops, restaurants, stores, etc. Lots of people both local and tourists.<BR>On a Saturday afternoon, the area was just as crowded as Times Square in NYC.<BR><BR>The Metropolitan is a nice hotel with a great restaurant. We got a good deal US$129 a night on Travelocity.com.<BR><BR>My wife and I celebrated our anniversary by having a nice dinner at the hotel's restuarant. I had the seared ahi tuna and my wife loved the venison.<BR><BR>We also visited Granville Island in the morning at 8am. We took the bus there. There's a great public market with some food shacks. We had breakfast there. Lots of coffee places in the marketplace. IT was a great place to visit and buy wine, bread, cheese, and meat for a picnic at Stanley Park.<BR><BR>You can probably walk from the hotel to many other areas like Gastown, Chinatown, and Canada Place. However, we opted to take the tour on a bus provided as a complimentary service by the Stanley Park Horse Tram. We used the horse tram to see parts of Stanley Park and got the free tour of Vancouver on a bus.<BR><BR>We also went to Victoria for one night and two days. Took the Pacific Coach Bus about a block away from the Metropolitan Hotel. The bus gets on a ferry to Victoria. Then drives about 30 minutes to downtown Victoria. Left us steps from our hotel The Fairmont Empress.<BR><BR>MJH<BR><BR>

Thanks gary and mjh. Your input is very helpful.<BR><BR>Let me narrow down the question. to anyone out there, what are your TOP TWO choices for 4 or 5 star hotels closest to the shopping district (ie Robson, etc.)<BR><BR>Thank you.<BR><BR>Randi

the Blue Horizon Hotel is right on Robson Street and is unique (not a chain). Clean and lots of fun.

Location for me in Vancouver means looking at the water and mountains, so Le Soleil with its view of mostly buildings and exhaust-fumes air outside didn't do it for me.

Randi, in answer to your question about the top choice close to Robson - without a doubt it's the Sutton Place. Great location, legendary service and a botique hotel ambiance.<BR><BR>Second choice is a bit more difficult. The Wedgewood is very similar in ambiance to the Sutton place but a cut below it in quality and location. The Four Seasons is of course superb but it's three blocks from Robson although it's on top of a huge shopping mall which is good for the 'rare' rainy day. And the Fairmont Hotel Vancuver is the dowager hotel in Vancouver with all the bells and Whistles.<BR><BR>If you can get a decent rate go with the Sutton Place.

Thank you all very much. Gary, I'm taking your advice and going with the Sutton Place. You really seem to know your Vancouver stuff!!<BR><BR>Thanks again,<BR><BR>Randi