Hello fellow travelers,
Doing an Alaska cruise and then staying three nights in Vancouver. We are six active seniors looking for a place to stay. Recommendations? Is Airbnb or VRBO a good option or would hotel be better? We’d like to be centrally located near restaurants and transport. Thinking of renting a car as well. Any guidance would be much appreciated.
You don't want a car if you're staying in the city. AirBnB is a good choice for a large group. Kitsilano is a nice area that has a lot of AirBnBs, plus restaurants, etc. If you want to be downtown, you're probably looking at a hotel or three apartments in the same building. The classic Vancouver hotel is the Sylvia in English Bay by Stanley Park. It's been a long time since I stayed there, but it was very nice, and it's in a good location. You can rent bikes (likely including ebikes) nearby. That would be a great way to explore Stanley Park. Another area to check out is Coal Harbor, the waterfront area northwest of Canada Place. The Seawall Walk is a very pleasant strolling route.
We’re also staying in Vancouver after a cruise. We found Airbnb’s to be less common there. This is due to the city cracking down on them and requiring them to be owner occupied. So you will often find people who rent out their basement, or live in the basement and rent out the upstairs. I’m sure you’ll also find some illegal rentals.
We found hotels to be ridiculously expensive. Like $300+/night at a Comfort Inn. We’re staying 1 night in a hotel before the cruise and 2 nights in a rental afterward.
Air B and B type accommodations are considered “iffy” here in Vancouver now.
There has been a crackdown on them in recent years.
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/information/visitors
I wouldn’t chance it.
There are hotels that have apartment-type units.
Be aware that in cruise season, hotel rates are astronomically expensive here.
Have a look on booking.com, but be aware that apartments advertised there will still be subject to the short term rentals rules.
You don’t need a car in Vancouver!
Throughout the years, we've stayed at a number of places in downtown Vancouver but the last 15 years we've always stayed at the Worldmark Vancouver. They are apartments and, though they are part of a timeshare, you don't have to be a member to rent. It's convenient to everything, including restaurants, the water foot ferry to Granville Island, shopping, museums and is a short drive to Stanley Park, Gastown or the harbor. I've always had a car in the city. Traffic is a beast but it's fine driving. I would just make sure where ever you chose to stay that parking is included if you decide to rent a car.
You want a car. With 6 you would need, at least, 2 separate taxi's or the equivalent. rent a van or large SUV. I say this because some of the best things around the city really are not close by the "downtown" area. And places like Stanley Park are so big you need a car to see them unless you're walking multiple miles. Bikes are also popular. And with a car you could actually take a day and ferry over to Victoria, which might be good for an overnight.
Do go see the anthropology museum at UBC. Do go to Stanley Park, Do go to Granville Island for the market.
The last couple times I've stayed in Vancouver (it's been 2 years since the last) I used the Delta Hotel and found it well situated.
As with anything on the internet (or in life, for that matter), it's buyer beware on AirBnB, Booking.com, etc. Read the reviews. Only communicate with the host via the platform. For Vancouver, look for the registration number. The sky isn't falling. AirBnB is still an option in cities with very appropriate regulations like these.
You do not want, or need, a car in Vancouver. Finding parking is difficult and expensive. Public transit is terrific, and will get you everywhere you will likely want to go. Do be careful if you decide to book an Air b&b or VRBO, as others have mentioned, there has been a crack down on them, but there are still some illegal ones out there. Someone mentioned staying in the Kitsilano area. It is a nice area, but your options for transit would be limited to bus routes so I would check how close a place is to the bus routes, first. Also, if you are close to a train station, you can purchase a day pass from the ticket machines, but can’t purchase one on a bus. Some retailers do sell them, but you will have to find one near you. A day pass costs about $12, and is good on the bus, Skytrain, and Seabus, but if you purchase a ticket on a bus, you can’t use it on the train.
Hotels in Vancouver are expensive, and there is a shortage of them, especially when the cruise ships come in. If you don’t mind being a little out of town I would suggest looking at the Riverrock near the airport. It is directly connected to the Skytrain. It takes about half an hour to get into Vancouver from there, but you can also get off along the way to connect to a bus that will get you to other places. Another option might be to look for something in North Vancouver near the Seabus terminal. It only takes 15 minutes to ride the Seabus from Waterfront station (right beside Canada Place) across to Lonsdale Quay on the other side, and there is a nice public market there, and buses that will get you to Grouse Mountain and the Capilano suspension bridge, two very popular places for tourists.
Here is the link for transit https://www.translink.ca/
Again, what Anita said: those of us who actually do live here and drive here would not recommend renting a car for only three nights, which really is only two days.
We never drive into the city from where we live, but take public transport.
Parking is very expensive, if you can find it.
A lot of central areas require an app to pay with your phone for parking spots and meters.
They don’t take cash.
Walk, take buses, SeaBus and SkyTrain, rent bikes for Stanley Park.
We have taxis, and we have Uber here too.
Here’s the site for public transport:
https://www.translink.ca/
Also, get the CityMapper app and/or the Moovit app for getting around.
Did you find accommodations?
@KimberlySEA how can i book it? Doesn't seem to be anything for reservations on their website, and when I google it all i get is third party booking sites. Thanks for all the helpful info to all of you!
