A Shining Hotel ... And Some Lustre Lost
Written: Nov 21 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beautiful hotel architecturally, close to most destinations
Cons: Little misses: mold in the shower, bad repair, $10.95/day internet.
The Bottom Line: While I thought it was a nice and comfortable hotel, it was the little problems that kept it from being a 5-star rating.
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| martytdx's Full Review: Club Intrawest Vancouver |
When I first got the okay to go to a conference in Vancouver, BC a few months ago, I quickly asked the company travel agency to book me a hotel within walking distance of the conference. Luckily, they hotel they chose was the hotel where the conference was taking place - the Sheraton Wall Centre.
The hotel is located near downtown on Burraud St., and is close to a number of restaurants. I got there via a limo from the Vancouver airport and was greeted warmly by the staff when I arrived. There are two locations to check in - the more expansive and luxurious are in the north tower and the smaller and more utilitarian one at the south tower. I was dropped off at the south tower, so I checked in there (although that worked out because I was staying in that tower. Service was quick and friendly and I had my room right away.
• the ROOM •
I had a pretty simple room but that was really all that I needed. My room was roomy and very comfortable, furnished with a king-size bed, a somewhat typical armoire with a TV, a small desk and a chair & ottoman to relax in. The bathroom lay just before the main room off of the entryway. The bathroom was pretty nice, if nothing necessarily elegant with a shower/tub combo and a sink. Also included in the room was a mini-fridge, which I used while I was there for storing cold drinks at night ($4.95 for a bottled water was a little steep for my tastes). There wasn't any mini-bar, per se - instead you could leave a filled out checklist to have certain items brought up to your room for you to snack on. But the 7-11 across the street was cheaper.
Many of the rooms overlook the wonderful plaza between the two towers of the hotel, which was an attractive scene with water features and a combination of brick and stone. I, however, was facing the hospital across the street which was noticeably less scenic. But, as it turned out, I wouldn't be spending much time in the room anyway, so I wasn't too upset about it.
But I have to admit that I was really surprised that the hotel not only charged for internet access, but it charged quite a bit for it - $10.95 per day (24 hours). My 5-day stay cost me $61.85, which I thought was a bit high - especially since I haven't been charged for internet in quite a while, particularly at a hotel of this level.
The room did have two things about it that was a bit off-putting, if not too bad. There was a slight bit of mold in the toiletry shelf in the shower, and a panel on the wall looked like it had been removed and then reglued back on slightly crooked with glue showing. A little surprising for the class of hotel it was supposed to be.
• the HOTEL •
This is one of the nicer hotels in this area of Vancouver from what I understand, and visually it stands up. The architecture of the towers themselves was impressive, although the glass-covered, curved north tower was the more impressive of the two. I already mentioned the courtyard, but most of the hallways were nicely appointed with pictures from the area - not your typical posters, but actual photographs framed with what appeared to be hand-written names. Another nice touch - on at least my floor and I'm assuming others - was a mirror by the elevators that showed you what the weather was currently outside (Sunny, Cloudy, Rain, Snow, Windy). A nice choice to help travelers understand how they need to dress for a trek out. For those who were moving between the two towers, such as those at a convention, a convenient passageway crossed between them so that you wouldn't have to go out in those same elements. Of course, it took a lot longer to get around that way rather than just crossing the courtyard but it was drier.
• the CONFERENCE AREA •
The conference area itself was fairly standard and comfortable, although I have to say that the sitting areas and washrooms were actually nicer than other conference rooms that I have seen. There was ample seating for everyone at breakfast, lunch and breaks, both in the normal 'dining room' and at benches and other areas nearby. The conference area itself was spacey and a glass wall allowed natural light to filter in, even if the view was only of the office building around the way.
The conference I was at supplied both breakfast and lunch, which was a nice touch. They offered a number of ethnic cuisine types such as Asian fare, local dishes and gourmet offerings. The food was good if not great - a great variety of offerings, but the quality was uneven at times and they routinely left vegetarian items off of the menu. However, the foods provided at break times were usually quite good and perfect for a quick snack to keep energy up and hunger down, as they offered cheese trays, fruit and vegetable spreads, desserts, drinks, and even a truly stellar berries with vanilla whipped cream that was REALLY hard to avoid getting seconds of.
• the SERVICES •
The hotel obviously has a number of services that they offer. They had the typical gift shop with snacks in both towers with the north towers' shop being larger and having a bigger slice of cheesy souveniers and junk food. The north tower also sported a Starbucks on the promises - but as I don't drink coffee, I really didn't partake.
One of this hotels big offerings is their Vida Spa, a full service spa right in the hotel. I didn't partake and don't know anyone else that did, but it looked nice as I passed by. I did visit the gym several times while I was there, and that was a lot better than many I have experienced. Upon walking in, it appeared very small as there were only a handful of aerobic machines there - 4 step machines, 2 eliptical trainers, a single bike and 6 treadmills, all tightly tucked in. But I discovered that they also had a back room through the locker areas which held the heated pool and more extensive workout areas with weights and machines.
The hotel also has two restaurants - Iridium and CafeOne. I didn't try the former, which appeared to be a quieter, lounge type; CafeOne - which the conference reserved for two happy hours - was nice, although I really didn't see it in a true dinner mode. They provided a number of appetizers the first night, including some satay skewers, prosciutto-wrapped figs, and other fancy foods. The second time was a dessert theme with a chocolate fountain, surrounded by fruits and chocolate cake for dipping. Delicious, although I didn't eat too much. I'm not sure about the rest of the menu, but I would say that they have a primarily light cafe-style menu.
I know that they had a variety of the typical hotel services (cleaning, faxes, etc.), but I didn't have any reason to try them out.
• the AREA •
The hotel is located just outside of the main downtown area for the restaurants and nightlife. There are several nice restaurants within blocks, including the excellent Sala Thai about 4 blocks away. Yaletown, a part of the city that seems to be one of the hipper parts - was only a short walk down the road. And for quick eats, located in the same block as the hotel are a Subway, a deli (Deli O) and a pretty decent sushi shop called Tokyo Joe's.
And for me, Stanley Park - the 'crown jewel of Vancouver', as I heard on the news tonight - was only about a mile away on a straight walk to the edge of the park. The park offers miles of hiking and some beautiful natural scenery and wildlife, although they are still cleaning up from a massive storm in January which felled thousands of trees. I found it beautiful, with ducks and other waterfowl inhabiting the Lost Lagoon and the surrounding areas.
But the area was one the edge of what appeared to be some rougher areas. Only a few blocks away I saw quite a few homeless people gathering and a few questionable characters. I never felt unsafe walking around there, but it seemed a bit out of place for as nice as the hotel was.
• final THOUGHTS •
This is a pretty nice hotel - one of the nicer ones I've been to in many ways. But, this is not a casual hotel for everyone - it evidently caters to a convention crowd and more upscale visitors. At a daily rate of C$199.99 per day (at the time about $212), it isn't cheap by any means. And while it was certainly comfortable, it's location was chosen primarily because of the fact that it was where the conference was being held. I don't know that I would spend that much for another stay were I were to return. I know that there were other hotels in the area that were more reasonable.
Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre
1088 Burrard Street Vancouver
British Columbia V6Z 2R9 Canada
Phone (604) 331-1000 Fax (604) 893-7200
website: http://www.sheratonvancouver.com
• related REVIEWS •
Vancouver - coming soon
Other Hotels
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Embassy Suites - Hotel New Orleans
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
martytdx
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Member: Marty
Location: New Jersey
Reviews written: 481
Trusted by: 179 members
About Me:
Doing what I can to try new places, restaurants, books and beers.
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