# Vancouver hotels close to Ballantyne Port



## JackieD (Apr 28, 2009)

Hello,

Leaving May 30th on an Alaskan cruise out of Vancouver.  I was looking at a thread for the Cananda place dock but couldn't find anything about Ballantyne.  It looks very remote according to reviews.  The Fairmont Waterfront has a good rate based on a code on another TUG thread (thanks BevL!) but it sounds like it won't be remotely close.

Also, I have to deal with parking for the week for the cruise.  Any hotels with free parking (or less than $134) for a week?

Thanks!
Jackie


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## BevL (Apr 28, 2009)

I took a look on mapquest and I'd be shocked if you could find a hotel that's walkable there.  DON'T STAY IN HOTELS NEAR THE MAIN AND HASTINGS AREA.  It's a slum area that is very scary.

You'll have to stay either in the downtown core or Yaletown and cab down.

Sorry, I can't help with parking.

Bev


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## ricoba (Apr 28, 2009)

Commercial Drive on Vancouver's East side is an eclectic and interesting neighbourhood (see my Canadian Spelling!), that I used to live in many years ago.  It's always been a unique neighbourhood with a good mix of restaurants, shops etc.  I lived on 5th @ Commercial.  There is great bus service and the SkyTrain stop is Broadway & Commercial, very easy to get around the city from Commercial Drive.

It is close to Ballantyne Pier and it got me thinking I remember some B&B places on Commercial/Victoria Drive. (Commercial becomes Victoria or vice versa)

I have not stayed at this place, but it gets OK reviews on TripAdvisor

Aberdeen Mansion

There are some other Bed & Breakfasts on "The Drive" as it's called in Vancouver.

You can find them on the Commercial Drive website, I linked to above.


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## BevL (Apr 28, 2009)

Yes, I don't know about hotels on Commercial, but it's a very nice area.  Large Italian influence, good restaurants, etc.  But a B & B would likely be the option there.


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## ricoba (Apr 28, 2009)

BevL said:


> Yes, I don't know about hotels on Commercial, but it's a very nice area.  Large Italian influence, good restaurants, etc.  But a B & B would likely be the option there.



No, there are no hotels on Commercial, but from the website, it looks like there are a lot of B&B's that weren't there when I lived there.

Back in the day, it used to be almost all Italian, but now days it's more of a mix of elasticities, and now it's a bit more upscale from the days of my bygone youth!  

I drove up and down the drive on our last trip to BC, and it's become a lot busier than the days when I lived there, when it was still primarily an Italian neighbourhood.


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## JackieD (Apr 28, 2009)

thank you both!  I'll look into that area. Congratulations on the birth of your very new grandbaby!!


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## BevL (Apr 28, 2009)

If you stay on Commercial, check out Lombardo's.  Not much for ambience - it's in a mall, but the lasagna is really good.


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## asp (Apr 29, 2009)

If I were leaving from Ballantyne, I would stay somewhere downtown, but on the eastern side.   There are a number of hotels in what used to be called the "Entertainment District".  This is a favourite area of locals, with two major sports complexes, live theatres, and only a short walk west to the "centre" which I think of as Georgia and Granville.  

The area has not been "bad" for a long time, and has further improved with the construction of several more residential high rises on Robson, with shopping on the ground level.  You will, unfortunately find "homeless" all over Vancouver but in that area they do not harass you in my experience, nor have I been afraid walking alone.  I agree, stear clear of anything east of the Delta Suites on Hastings.  

Located in that area is the Rosedale on Robson(both Aviawest & Pt to PT have timeshare in that building), Westin Grand, Hampton Inn, and Georgian Court.  There  is a renovated heritage hotel towards the centre with a very large restaurant and renovated rooms, the Kingston which markets itself as a BB.


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## BevL (Apr 30, 2009)

asp said:


> If I were leaving from Ballantyne, I would stay somewhere downtown, but on the eastern side.   There are a number of hotels in what used to be called the "Entertainment District".  This is a favourite area of locals, with two major sports complexes, live theatres, and only a short walk west to the "centre" which I think of as Georgia and Granville.
> 
> The area has not been "bad" for a long time, and has further improved with the construction of several more residential high rises on Robson, with shopping on the ground level.  You will, unfortunately find "homeless" all over Vancouver but in that area they do not harass you in my experience, nor have I been afraid walking alone.  I agree, stear clear of anything east of the Delta Suites on Hastings.
> 
> Located in that area is the Rosedale on Robson(both Aviawest & Pt to PT have timeshare in that building), Westin Grand, Hampton Inn, and Georgian Court.  There  is a renovated heritage hotel towards the centre with a very large restaurant and renovated rooms, the Kingston which markets itself as a BB.



Yep, that's Yaletown.  Hampton Inn, I believe is very highly reviewed on Trip Advisor.

I agree that that would be closer than what I consider Downtown, which would be boundaried by Seymour to the east, to Stanley Park on the west and basically from Robson or Nelson to the south over to the water on the north side.

And my warnings about hotels on what we call the Downtown East Side - basically Vancouver's Skid Row - come from the fact that I have seen the Patricia and other flop houses advertised on sites like Travelocity as "budget hotels" for Vancouver.


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