In lieu of the busy tourist period in Vancouver, we’re creating a series of articles about hotel industry in Vancouver to help inform arriving tourists like yourself about the best deals to be had in our awesome city. (or the best luxury experience, fancy a boutique hotel?)
This article will deal primarily with mid-range hotels in Vancouver.
I hope this article will be useful as well if you’re just looking to find the best time to visit Vancouver as a tourist (If you’re looking for a great deal on Vancouver hotels, then that be December-February where the hotel prices are lowest.)
What are Mid-Range Hotels?
Mid-range hotels are usually hotels that fall within the 3-star ratings (sometimes 3.5-stars or 4-stars). These are hotels that target largely tourist travelers with some expandable budget and business travelers. These are hotels with reasonable amount of amenities but are usually prized on their cleanliness, comfort, and convenience (I was trying to use Three-Cs. In reality, some of these hotels may not be convenient but they are in great neighborhoods.)
If you’re looking for a pleasant experience in Vancouver, I really wouldn’t suggest going for any less than a 3-star hotel.
Even then however, the star rating itself isn’t determinant of your experience. Consistency is something hard to standardize with the service industry where your experience may be dependent on the staff that cleaned your room and checked you in. A 3-star old hotel may give you a worse impression than a 2-star newly built hotel. (Like the Queen’s Hotel in New Westminster.)
There are some reasonable 2-star and 2.5-star hotels in Vancouver such as Holiday Inn Express and we’ve considered those as mid-range hotels as well although they lean towards the budget hotels segment. The usual 2-star Comfort Inns can provide a pleasant experience for guest (but it largely depends on the )
At the same time, there are some 3-star hotels like the Empire Landmark Hotel before it shut down recently in 2017 that have great location but are so old and run down that it wouldn’t provide as pleasant a experience that a 3-star hotel should. (Keep in mind as well that older hotels, despite having typically more worn common areas, beds, carpets, will also have variance in building design…for example odd windows.)
This to say some franchise have exceptional consistency across franchisees (like Holiday Inn) while some have greater variance in quality and experience. (Like Comfort Inn) This is why it helps to have a local who can share with you the intricacies of the neighborhood, reputation, and experience at a Vancouver hotel.
Vancouver Tourism – Hotels and Cruise Ship Season:
The peak of Vancouver’s tourism is often during summer months of June to August however the cruises begin around mid-April till about late-November.
You will notice the prices of Vancouver hotels will match the cruise ship season. This meaning, if you arrive in Vancouver from the months of December to February, you can expect an incredible deal on hotels in Vancouver – especially mid-range hotels which is the usual choice of cruise ship visitors.
The average price of mid-range hotels in Vancouver during the low season is generally expected around $80-$125. Whereas, if you find yourself visit Vancouver during the peak season you’ll be looking at $270-$315 for the summer months of June to July. Towards edges in Spring and Fall, you can reasonably expect paying anywhere from $125-$170 for either March to April or October to November. (Vancouver hotels can still be very expensive during September as many international students and their families are arriving in Vancouver to settle their kids into university at the University of British Columbia – UBC has one of the largest international student population at 24%, not considering students from Eastern Canada. This is one aspect that truly makes UBC a world-renown university with alumnis across the world and truly an incredible learning experience to have the opportunity of meeting so many varied opinions and cultures. A Place of Mind. Can you tell I studied at UBC? It’s truly better than SFU on this aspect. I think exposure to different cultures and individual mindsets is always an appreciated learning experience. The international students also make tuition cheaper for locals.)
With this said, there are secrets to getting better deal on Vancouver hotels as well. For example, the hotel association of Vancouver runs a promotion during the low season in December to February on the BeVancouver.com site. You can also take your chances with Vancouver hotels by trying Priceline’s Name-Your-Own-Price or Express Deals.
I have used Priceline’s Express deals frequently and found the deals to be very legitimate. (The quoted regular price is the actual regular price for the hotel on various online travel agencies…not some inflated hotel price or the usually expensive walk-in hotel rates. This means the quoted savings are actually legitimate – you do truly get up to 50% off your booking. The experience however is hit and miss, some hotels are excellent and some hotels are horrible – even for a 3-star hotel. Some hotels will take note of your reservation through Express Deals and cut back on service or benefits while others will ensure you receive the standard treatment as any full paying guest.)
Best Vancouver Mid-Range Hotels:
Here are the BEST mid-range hotels in Vancouver. Several are in downtown Vancouver and several are in quaint neighborhoods and convenient across Vancouver such as .
Check as well our recommendations for the best mid-range hotels in Richmond. Vancouver is not very far from Richmond, BC. Vancouver’s international airport – YVR – is actually in Richmond. If you’re arriving in YVR, it may be more convenient for you to book an airport hotel for your visit. Most Richmond, BC hotels – Vancouver airport hotels – have free shuttle service to and from the airport. You can easily get from Richmond, BC to Vancouver downtown in 20 minutes by rapid transit – the Canada Line skytrain – or car. Some conveniently located hotels like the River Rock Casino is situated on the Canada Line making it easy to get around Richmond and Vancouver.)
1) Moda Hotel:
2) Residence Inn Vancouver:
3) Riviera Hotel on Robson:
4) Best Western Plus Sands:
5) West Coast Suites at UBC:
It isn’t your conventional hotel but we’re listing it here. West Coast Suites at UBC is a year round hotel on UBC Campus in Point Grey neighborhood.
Looking to visit the suburbs of Vancouver? Here are some of the best hotels in Burnaby or the best hotels in New Westminster. If you’re looking for a New Westminster hotel, you don’t really have many choices. We also have a locals recommendation for the best hotels in Coquitlam.
Some tourist sight-seeing tips if you’re visiting Vancouver:
New Westminster is a very quaint city that I would recommend visiting if you’re in Vancouver. There are plentiful small mom and pops shops and eateries along with a working river. It was almost the actual “downtown Vancouver” when early settlers were here. It’s nothing fantastic but it’s very different from the Vancouver experience.
Port Moody is very much like New Westminster that is worth a visit if you appreciate nature and outdoors. There’s a very good ice cream store at Rocky Point Park.
Conclusion – Best Mid-Range Hotels in Vancouver: