The Sylvia Hotel

I’ve stayed here a couple times when in Vancouver. The Sylvia is great as it’s so close to Stanley Park and overlooks English Bay—a very picturesque setting in Vancouver. It’s on the west side so it’s not in the heart of downtown. But Vancouver has a small downtown footprint so it’s really just a 10 minutes walk from the main downtown shopping district.

It’s an older building and the rooms have a bit of character so if you’re looking for Hilton-esque lodging then you’re better off booking a more standard modern hotel downtown. A cool thing about The Sylvia is many of the rooms are suites with small kitchens (you have to ask) which can be helpful if you’re traveling with kids or prefer eating in. Be sure to check out the antiquated front desk registration system—computers have yet to make their mark on this place and it’s nice to see an old school hotel ledger when checking in (could this be the last place in the western world using pencil and paper to make reservations?).