Reviews Best Western Sands Vancouver

Guest Reviews of the Sands Best Western Hotel
Sep 3, 2009
The location is great. Right at English Bay. Lots of shops, amenities, transit. Quick walk to Stanley Park.

Staff were fine. I appreciated the management's attention to security when we were there as 300,000 people were descending on English Bay for the annual fireworks festival and the hotel had on extra staff to cope with ensuring only hotel guests were accessing the building, particularly the upper floors.

The one bedroom suite with kitchenette worked well for us, but felt like a throwback to the 1970s in overall decor. The kitchenette had adequate dish-, glass-, and silverware for 4 people and basic pots, pans, and cooking ware. There was a toaster, microwave, coffeemaker in addition to sink, stove and fridge.

It was clean.

Guest Reviews of the Sands Best Western Hotel
Aug 31, 2009
well were do i start, good location 200 meters from the beach, but in the centre of everything which is great IF the hotel had double glazing, which it does'nt, there is a bar on the ground floor which stays open until one, and then everyone has to get home,!!!! the buses run until 11,which is great if you are on them and they are electric which you would think no noise BUT air brakes and lift on them makes each one noisy and you could have up to 6 out side. THE HOTEL ,clean and tidy but in need of a up date, bath room old colors and very tired, air conditioning works but noisy, had a word with the staff on leaving about these items and told would bring it up at the next management meeting, good views from the window at the front we were on the 2nd for our 1st 2 day stay then on the 4th on our 5 day stay so we do know a little about this hotel, check it out before you book and make sure its the one for you, but does the location cancel out all the other problems only you can decide. staff okay very helpful when we had problems to sort out...lots to do in Vancouver its a good walk to the city centre but the bus will take you there and it does as i say stop right outside the hotel ..have fun.............


Guest Reviews of the Sands Best Western Hotel
Aug 28, 2009
We could not have picked a better location for our stay; the staff was outstandingly helpful and friendly. It's a hopping neighborhood with more restaurants than you can shake a stick at, and two-block access to the beach, Stanley Park, bay trails and more.

Several aspects of the rooms are decrepit -- substandard AC, obvious gaps at tops of doors, little to no soundproofing -- but very clean and nice clean/modern touches in the bathroom, carpet, furnishings. When making reservations, ask to be AWAY from the 70-year-old ice machines. We were able to move to a quieter room -- not that it was quiet, but it was quieter and sleepable.

Guest Reviews of the Sands Best Western Hotel
Aug 8, 2009
Vancouver was the last stop for two nights on our fly drive through the Rockies before we went to Vancouver Island for a few days.
The hotel reception was not very welcoming although the gentleman dealing with us did lighten up after a while and ended up being very helpful and friendly. Our rooms were very dismal. Other reviewers on this site speak very highly of the hotel and its accommodation - we must just have been unlucky. I suspect that as Gay Pride was taking place a couple of days after we left and there was also an international firework competition taking place, the hotel was fully booked and we and our friends were accommodated in rooms that were overdue for refurb and which with ordinary levels of occupation may not have been used.

The bedding and towels were clean and in good condition. There was air conditioning installed in one of the windows but it was noisy and rattled the other windows.  The bathroom was acceptable. Reception was inconsistent, some staff were very helpful others not.  Breakfast was included but what you had was not negotiable. Scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns and toast with Tea or Coffee - take it or leave it.

We decided to wander down to walk as the sun set. It was very busy and many people around. It was much more pleasant during the day. Once we explored Vancouver we were more happy. Recommend Capilano Bridge for a couple of hours. Quite expensive but well presented with good facilities and pleasant walks and raised boardwalks. Good attempts at providing educational/informative guidance to children. We also enjoyed the habour boat tour with dinner. Although reception tried to put us off this as well as we could eat in a top class restaurant for the price, the tour itself takes you to areas you would not see on a tour bus and there an informative commentary for part of the tour and a sing duo during dinner. Stanley Park too is great and we toured it by Tram.

Guest Reviews of the Sands Best Western Hotel
Aug 6, 2009
Clean, a little cramped, quiet on top floor, no view, good linen. Lots of places for breakfast within a half block. Parking lot a little tight but it worked fine.

Guest Reviews of the Sands Best Western Hotel
Jul 26, 2009
Stayed here for 2 nights prior to our Alaskan Cruise then another 2 nights after our cruise.

Hotel is in a superb location with only a few minutes walk to English Bay and a bit further to Stanley Park. We walked everywhere from the hotel, over to Gas Town (bus back), down to the harbour, over to Granville Island (via boat ride) and over to the ferry to cross over for a bus to Grouse Mountain. Superb location.

Rooms are nice with super comfortable bed and pillows. Bathroom is a bit small, but you don't sleep in a bathroom!

We stayed on the 5th floor at the back of the hotel the first 2 nights and then on the 5th floor but at the front the last 2 nights. Suggest you ask for a room at the back of the hotel as it can be a bit noisy in the front.

Staff are very friendly and very helpful and had time to help us with maps and places to visit etc.

We ate on the last night at the hotel and food was very good and would recommend it.

All in all a nice hotel, great location, nice rooms, nice staff, good food and good value.

Guest Reviews of the Sands Best Western Hotel
Jul 14, 2009
I stayed here for 3 nights then again for 1 night in June with my wife and teenage children (2 rooms), the rooms were clean and comfortable. Our rooms were relatively quiet, we were on the 4th floor then the 3rd floor and were there on weekends during both stays.

The staff at the front desk were very helpful, we arrived early and they stored our bags till our rooms were ready. They were also very helpful with advice and directions.

The location was fantastic, it's about 5 minutes walk to the beach at English bay , 10 -15 minutes to the edge of Stanley park. There were probably a dozen restaurants within 10 minutes of the hotel. Rain city grill has a take out window that sells fish and chips for 10 dollars which was very good, Nat's Pizza is about a 5-10 minutes walk away and was a hit with my kids

Guest Reviews of the Sands Best Western Hotel
June 27, 2009
The cleanliness of Best Western Sands Hotel in Vancouver was satisfactory, as reported by Tina. In the opinion of the reviewer, the leisure activity options at this hotel were awesome. Transportation to and from the hotel was good. The check-in process was superb. The competence of the staff in their ability to communicate in other languages was very good. The leisure activity offer was certainly sufficient. The room in Best Western Sands Hotel was well cleaned.

Guest Reviews of the Sands Best Western Hotel
May 21, 2009
Great location by beachfront with easy access to Stanley Park area and eating places on Denman St but as windows to street are only single glazed suggest you ask for a room to rear as it was noisy. We got caught with the extra taxes so the quoted C$150/night was actually C$176 at checkout!


Guest Reviews of the Sands Best Western Hotel
May 2, 2009
My sweetheart and I decided to leave Seattle last minute and enjoy an unplanned Vancouver weekend. Generally we stay at high end, luxery hotels like the Fairmount. Upon arrival in the city we heard about the Marathon, crowded hotels and had some trip advisor lists on our laptop to choose from. We happened to drive in on the westside-saw the SANDS and decided to quickly grab one of the few rooms left-thinking we'd gotten a lower end Motel. It's not the Fairmount, but it was a wonderful, pleasureable & relaxing, stay. Everything said positively in the above reviews is true. The remodeled room was great, we loved the location and water view, and really had nice walks on the beach. We too, enjoyed Jeff's warm welcome and the price was super. I know we'll return to this little gem-and the lounge view of the water was also a treat.
 

Guest Reviews of the Sands Best Western Hotel
Apr 24, 2009
The room was very clean and the bathroom looked updated. The rest of the room could have used some updating as well! Overall the value of the room was great, considering the location in downtown Vancouver, overlooking the English Bay and steps from Stanley Park.
Nothing really stood out in the hotel/room, besides the view and location, basically it was a place to sleep after a night out sipping martinis!
No complaints whatsoever, There is construction going on across the street and the hotel had supplied earplugs in the rooms, which we didn't even need... I don't remember hearing any construction (but we did stay Friday night, so maybe no work on Saturday morning?).

Guest Reviews of the Sands Best Western Hotel
Mar 24, 2009
I recently stayed at this hotel as I have many times in the past. Loved the upgrades that has taken place in the rooms as well as all the attention to details. Staff are probably the best in Vancouver...always smiling and very helpful....all of this combined with a great location makes this a place I can recommend to anyone.

Guest Reviews of the Sands Best Western Hotel
Feb 10, 2009
A great little hotel in an excellent location in downtown Vancouver
on English Bay. The lounge " Checkers" has an excellent and friendly service. The menu has everything you may want from a lounge menu at reasonable price. The other lounge has a terrific view of English Bay !
At the Front desk, who were greeted by a very attentive and helpful
staff. The maid service was excellent. Our room was beautifully furnished, equipped with a fridge and a little balcony which we could not use as the snow was falling over Vancouver .
Our bathroom was equipped with all amenities you may expect.
All in all, a great little secret to share with your friends !

Guest Reviews of the Sands Best Western Hotel
Feb 1, 2009
We checked in and upgraded on arrival to a balcony room with no hassles. The staff were extremely helpful and willing to assist at all times during our stay.

Our room was located on the top floor and overlooked English Bay. The room was clean and well kept.

There was construction work going on across the road from the hotel and the only thing we can’t say is that the whole view we had will still be there after construction.

The area around Davie Street is known for its gay community which made more sense to me when we arrived why the hotel advertised as gay friendly (I read gay as happy).

The hotel is well located to many restaurants, grocery stores and Robson Street for shopping. Also within walking distance to Stanley Park. We hired some bikes and rode it.

We also followed the bike trail and did a complete loop of Vancouver (False Creek). From Science World we negotiated our way across town to Gastown. The only downside was we ended up coming out at a part of West Hastings Street where there was a lot of derelicts and it was a little dirty and smelt like urine. Not a place I would want to be at night.

Overall our stay was pleasant and most enjoyable. Would highly recommend this hotel and location to anyone travelling to Vancouver.

Guest Reviews of the Sands Best Western Hotel
Jan 17, 2009
First timer to this hotel. Decided on it for location, as we wanted to be close to downtown, close to ocean, and close to Burrard St. bridge. Found hotel to be wonderful surprise when it came to all aspects. Great location for starters, being easy to find and access, and close to good restaurants and shops.

Jeff, the front desk agent, was warm, friendly, and very personable. (Always welcome characteristics of service providers.) The chambermaid I shared elevator with was also smiling, chatty and friendly. Room was very clean, and it was very quiet over the parking lot. Ample parking too.

My husband and I and our two tall sons fit fine in the double queen room, and the shower, TV and wifi were all in good working order.

Definitely good value for money, and we'll stay there again for our next bi-monthly visit to the big city.

Guest Reviews of the Sands Best Western Hotel
Dec 31, 2008
We stayed at the Sands by the Sea for three nights just before Christmas. Its a cozy hotel. Very comfortable beds and quiet rooms. I was told the mattresses are brand new. We were only going to stay for two nights but we liked it so much we decided to stay an extra night. A nice bonus is that parking is free. Most downtown hotels gouge you for $15 a night...ouch. Not the Sands it's included. Lots of stores within a block, London Drugs, BC Liquor Store, Tim Hortons (across the street), Starbucks and more. Also we were only 2 blocks away from Stanley Park and 1/2 a block from the beach both were nice romantic walks. We in the restaurant and the food was great. I highly recommend it.. Very relaxing and good value.

Guest Reviews of the Sands Best Western Hotel
Oct 27, 2008
First of all, you have to understand that this is not a new hotel. It is however an older hotel that has been nicely redone, except that the bathroom could be updated. The room we stayed was very clean, decent size with a nice bed and a somewhat limited (fourth floor) view of English Bay. Our biggest complaint was the heating/cooling system - needs to be worked on. There is on-site parking at a daily $8.99 charge that is well worth the price. The hotel is steps away from the beautiful Stanley Park, close to downtown, minutes from Granville Park and in the midst of scores of ethnic and local restaurants. The staff is more than accommodating, going above and beyond to satisfy. We had a front room that was a bit noisy due to daytime construction and buses at night but we slept well. All in all, we felt that this hotel was a very good value!

Guest Reviews of the Sands Best Western Hotel
Oct 16, 2008
Stayed for 5 nights after a weeks cruise. Room at the back on 4th floor, was quiet, large, clean but dreary decor. Bed was big and very comfortable. We slept very well every night. Small dated bathroom but clean. Lots of towels. Friendly staff. Not enough safety deposit boxes during our stay so had to hide the passports etc in the room. Wonderful location near English Bay beach where we sat most nights watching the sun set. Great for Stanley Park. Round the corner you can pick up the Big Red Bus for city tours. We got a ticket to last 2 days but used it for getting around the city for a third day too as nobody checked our ticket. Bus stops outside and opposite the hotel. Very close to lots of places to eat - we loved Knight and Day. Safeway supermarket a short walk away where we got pastries to eat with coffee for breakfast in the room. Small fridge in the room was ideal to keep fruit, milk, juice, beer etc. Much as we would love to have enough money to try a stay at the Fairmont Waterfront we found the Sands ideal as we were out all day and early evening. Would definitly stay there again.

 

Best Western Sands
1755 Davie Street
Vancouver BC

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