Skwachàys Lodge Indigenous Hotel and Gallery

I REALLY want to rate this hotel higher. I am not completely disappointed. But was definitely shocked by the large homeless population that was partaking in public use of hard drugs. The staff was GREAT (friendly, helpful, and kind) the rooms were clean and comfortable, could have better amenities. I was happy that they had microwaves and refrigerators! The website stated there was parking, there is NOT, apparently this has been an on going issue. It would definitely have been nice to have the ability to purchase refreshments, such as water. Especially, due to the drug problems on the street. The rooftop garden needs alot of attention.

I would like to have rated this hotel higher! The rooms were clean, comfortable and the employees friendly. However…the concept of the hotel WAS terrific but management has allowed it to go off the rails. I’m not discouraging anyone from staying here and the following comments are directed at management in hopes they will take action. The gallery reception area was embarrassing! I get it the gallery is gone. CLEAN IT UP!!! Repurpose it! The roof top garden is a shambles. CLEAN IT UP!!! The breakfast area needs attention too. Get rid of the picture hooks over the fireplace. Get rid of the cheap table and chairs. Get rid of the stupid signs in plastic folders! This was a wonderful artsy hotel and could still be but management has lost their attention to detail! Such a shame!

The hotel was not staffed at all when I arrived which in all my years of global travel, have never encountered a hotel with no staff onsite before. Security had to call staff several times and when we finally got through to someone I ended up having to wait 2 hours for staff to show up. And when he did, he talked down to me like I had never stayed in a hotel before. I did or said nothing to provoke anything, I had no sleep and just wanted to check into a room. I paid in full online and he made no attempt to accommodate let alone apologize for making me wait 2 hours. He told me I should know how hotels work. Even though he was unable to accommodate me, which I understood, there was no apology at all which I found the most insulting. Instead he continued to talk down to me and did not offer any help to resolve the issue. He definitely made me feel like I was inconveniencing him. As an indigenous person who was looking forward to supporting a local indigenous business, this left me feeling disregarded and unwelcome. I have travelled the world and have stayed in many hotels, and this was by far the worst experience I’ve ever encountered. I don’t care how nice the rooms are, the staff was very unfriendly which is a major deal breaker for me and I will be sure to inform fellow travellers to avoid this hotel at all costs.

I really like this hotel. This is my third time staying here. It’s gotten expensive Ike everywhere else but remains a nice experience, with nice rooms and nice First Nations art touches throughout the building. Great location for being close to theatre, stadiums, and night life, of course near some very sketchy stuff but where isn’t in this part of town. I would recommend staying here. Nice free breakfast.

This is a little gem with beautiful crisp white bedding & towels. Custom design rooms. Thank you to Tony and Jacky at reception for the amazing, kind service. I truly enjoyed my conversations with you both. You are supporting local and our Indigenous community when you stay here. The area can be off-putting to some. However, for the most part, the homeless people are harmless. Just be aware of your surroundings and walk with confidence in this neighborhood. Only 2 short blocks in 3 directions, and you are out of the homeless and drug addiction area. And make sure you have a hold of your bags & belongings. I have stayed at this hotel in the past and decided to come back. They also offer a continental style snack with coffee, teas ,cereal, and pastries in the morning. Years later, they still maintain this hotel/gallery and it's rooms. If it's important to you to support local as well as the Indigenous community, this place is a great spot to start. Thank you again & sending positive vibes ✨️ to the Skwachàys Lodge. 💫

Overall my stay was a disappointment. The location is a bit sketchy especially for the price. There is no parking provide by the hotel. Just over priced street parking, and again sketchy area. The hotel elevator is painfully slow. I swear each time i used the elevator i probably could have taken the stairs one way and then back to catch the slow-ass elevator. My room lacked towels, kleenex and soap-shampoo-conditioner, the microwave did not work, the bed had some stains on the sheets, and the bed only had 2 pillows. The air conditioner unit barley worked, maybe it was clogged or something ... the views out both windows were horrible. i think would have been better with a black wall up against the windows rather than looking out onto a residential apartments balcony's. The windows were not tinted or anything and so again sketchy area not comfortable having curtains open with fresh air coming in because of all the eyes that could easily see into my room. Also the smoke alarm kept going off. I don't smoke. so weird i think the battery's needed to be switched or something. The only positive thing i can say though, was the staff were very polite and as helpful as they could be i felt like.

Very kind welcome to this boutique hotel. We like the outdoor sauna, very close to China Town, and excellent customer service from Scarlett who went above and beyond their duties to make us feel comfortable.

Located in the heart of downtown Vancouver with great access to excellent food options. The room was very clean, and the staff were great to deal with. As many have mentioned, there is a noticeable presence of substance abuse and homelessness in the area, but don’t let that stop you from staying at this great hotel! For Airport stays early morning Uber was $40-$50 (pre-booked) with quick trip in early morning hours before rush hour.

Beautifully decorated hotel and the most friendly and helpful staff we've ever experienced at a hotel. My wife and I checked in on different days, and in both cases they gave us a welcome tour of the facilities and made sure we were settled in. The neighborhood surrounding the hotel is a bit run down. We felt safe at the hotel because all the entrances and the secured garage require keycard access, but if you have kids with you, you may want to consider a different area. We frequently passed people openly using drugs on the sidewalks around the hotel, especially later at night.

Skwachays Lodge was an amazing hotel with a wonderful cause behind it. This eclectic hotel truly provided us with an indigenous experience by showcasing aboriginal art on the hotels property. The lodge also had an indigenous art gallery in its main lobby. My wife and I felt good about staying here because we knew that it supported Vancouver's Native Housing Society's mission and financial sustainability. It was also interesting to see how urban indigenous artists resided in this hotel as their artist in residence. The art on the walls of the hotel rooms truly got you engaged with the indigenous way of life. If you are an eclectic traveler who wants a hotel that truly supports an amazing mission, than Skwachay's Lodge is the right one for you. Aside from their mission, their breakfast was quite amazing. Everything on their menu was homemade. From danishes and muffins, to yogurt parfaits, we truly felt that everything was super fresh and that we were receiving amazing quality. One thing to note is their location can be a bit off putting. It's close to downtown, however, it's recommended you take cabs to and from the hotel, given the neighborhood. You will truly get the Vancouver experience outside of touristy downtown. Enjoy your stay if you so choose this hotel and enjoy all of the wonderful works of art in both the gallery and the rooms that the indigenous people have to offer!

Amazing and beautiful rooms! The staff was friendly and helpful. The gift shop has amazing items and prices are reasonable. Loved it!!!

Loved the artwork in our room and throughout this boutique hotel! Clean, simple decor featuring beautiful Aboriginal artwork. Small, but well laid out breakfast/lounge area. Nice to have breakfast included. Small selection but adequate continental style breakfast. Sketchy 'hood, but felt relatively safe considering they buzz you in after hours; and they have secure parking in the back. However, the alley has it's share of homeless and drug addicts hanging around. Staff were friendly and helpful.

If you are traveling with children is location is not recommended. There were drug addicts all over the street as well as an emcampment with drug addicts in it at the end of the block. The hotel itself had really awesome art work and the staff was nice. However the bed was not very comfortable Al not was the pillow. Beware that this more like a backpackers lodge than an actual hotel.

Rick helped us out and was very friendly and went out of his way to help us with the check in process. This property is a unique artist themed hotel with a lot of personality. I highly recommend it and hopefully you get Rick who took good care of us. 5 BIG stars!

Amtrak had us arrive after hours (11:45pm!). I was in a state of panic because it looked pretty dark in the gift shop/gallery. Luckily, they have an awesome night security man that we were able to page. He came down promptly, brought us in to the check-in area, got us our keys, and sent us on our way. The entrance, lobby area, hallways, and room are super cute, quiet,and clean. So far, so good!

I'm going to school for art history, so this for sure sways my opinion on this hotel--and not for the better. Upon reading reviews and seeing pictures, I was led to believe this place was going to be an artistic experience with inviting art that wraps you up in its arms; I was sorely disappointed in that. The gallery is more of a gift shop, not clean walls and open space that showcases art like a typical gallery would. I had an animal themed room and all I had was some tree wallpaper and only two tribal masks (one of which was shoved awkwardly too close to those corner of the room). And it didn't even stretch into the bathroom-there was little design in there. The mirror size and lighting was amazing, but the lack of counter space was very frustrating, but what was only because I needed space for makeup and a curling iron. I also have to say the TV and cable was frustrating. The hotel doesn't do a good job at keeping up to date on the condition of their technology because many buttons on the remote in my room were broken. The location this place is in was my least favorite I've been in. There are homeless people and druggies everywhere for a few blocks in both directions. I only stayed here since it was close to Rogers Arena. I was only a block or two away from this place when I saw a homeless man try and grab a young woman's butt, which shook me up. This hotel does, however, get the job done. The place was clean, the refrigerator was very cold, and the beds were cozy.

Absolutely loved this place. The rooms were clean and loved the decor, so unique. Staff was amazing and enjoyed the gallery at the front, purchased an original print. Appreciated the breakfast and amenities in the room. Cute smudge room and balcony on the top floor. Can't help the area but not far from many attractions, can't wait to return and recommend to anyone in town.

Stayed at Skwachàys for two nights with my girlfriend and we enjoyed it! The staff is amazing and super friendly, which is a plus. After checking in, the front desk agent met us around back to show us how to park the car. The lobby is also a part of an art gallery which was cool. Our room was on the 5th floor and our stay was pretty quiet and relaxing. Our room even had a balcony! The complimentary breakfast is also amazing! The blueberry muffins were definitely my fave. :P Although the lodge was located in a sketchy location (Ill explain in a bit) there were many restaurants and bars nearby, which made looking for food that much more convenient. Now for the reason why I took off a star(and if I could, a half), the area surrounding this lodge is really sketchy. As another yelper said, there were quite a few zombies (druggies) roaming around the street. The alley way that you take to get to the parking structure, is usually blocked off by bums, which frustrated me a few times because they would not move even when I approached them in a car. On one of our days while leaving the hotel, my girlfriend and I witnessed a man peeing behind a dumpster which really creeped out my girlfriend. I wouldn't walk around at night because of how sketchy the area is. All in all, if it wasn't in such a sketchy location I would totally recommend this hotel. Instead I would probably pay a little extra to stay at the Pinnacle at the Pier across the bay.

I was in Vancouver for one night but after staying at the lodge, I wish I had planned for a longer stay! The hotel is on the border of the largest Chinatown in North America and the historic district of Gastown. Those who are not used to city life may feel uneasy but I felt the location was perfect for exploring fantastic restaurants, interesting bars and attending hockey games. The lodge hosts a beautiful gallery with Aboriginal art made by Aboriginal artists. As an added bonus, First Nation artists have their living and studio spaces subsided by the proceeds of the hotel. I love that this hotel has a purpose and interacts with the community. I stayed in the delightfully roomy Canadiana Suite which featured a TV room, a bedroom with a kitchenette (microwave, fridge, coffee pot, water heater, and glassware), and a full bath. Note that the hotel is small with only 18 rooms and limited front desk hours. They have a delicious complementary breakfast and extremely cheap pre-reserved parking. I have paid over $70 for overnight parking in San Fran so $18 a night is a steal. If you require parking, I recommend that you park in front of the hotel for check-in. They will show you to the gated parking garage on the tour. I will absolutely stay here again upon my return to Vancouver.

I stayed here with my brothers while they visited town. The staff were accommodating, the beds were comfy, and the prices were reasonable (FOR VANCOUVER)! I would stay here again in a heartbeat. The neighbourhood is near the Downtown East Side but at no point did I feel uncomfortable, even walking around at 11pm.

First, I'm going to start off by saying that the amazing thing about this place are the people who work there. Maggie, in particular, was phenomenally professional, courteous, and helpful :) As such, the low star review has nothing to do with the staff of this Lodge. OK, where to begin? There are several reasons I am giving this Lodge a 1-star review. 1. Dangerous area. I'm sorry, but there's no arguing that this is a scary area. By the way, I have lots of experience traveling, as well as living in dangerous downtown areas (when I was younger), and I feel very comfortable in most areas (and countries) that other people are not comfortable in. This being said, you have to do your own research, as there's so much conflicting on these reviews, and I'd expect you would be confused why this is suddenly a ONE star review amongst the majority of other, glowing 4 & 5 star reviews. BUT READ FOR YOURSELF, at the Bureau of Diplomatic Security Website by the United States government: https://www.osac.gov/pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=19819 Here's a direct quote from this website: "Other Areas of Concern -- Generally, the east-side corridor of downtown Vancouver should be avoided. While areas near East Hastings Street and Main Street are filled with attractive boutiques and restaurants, individuals fueling drug addictions are also present and steal/sell items to support their habits." Now, I'd like to remind you that this intersection (East Hastings & Main Street) is less than THREE blocks from Skwachays Lodge. 2. The rooms are really tiny, and I felt claustrophobic. There is actually a sort of "counter" built into the foot-area of the bed to try to compensate for lack of counter space. 3. Our room had NO privacy curtain on the windows. Just curtains that black out the light 100%. Thus, the choice was between darkness and zero privacy. Oh, and outside the window was the whole side of an apartment complex, with peoples' windows and balconies literally an easy stone's throw away.... Really, no privacy. 4. This place gets the award for the slowest elevator that operates on electricity, lol. 5. Parking! -- To get to your car, you have to walk outside, around the front of the place, around the side, and then into the alley in the back. In daytime it's not so scary, but at night time--yikes! There were drug addicts shooting up, and ANGRY criminals and troublemakers (the kind that accost you and harass you, and who might assault you) between me and the garage door... That's correct, there is NO access to the parking garage from the inside of this "lodge" - you have to walk outside... 6. Cancellation policy - Yes, I know a 24-hour cancellation policy is the norm. But, after we spent ONE night here, and experienced how dangerous it was, we decided to cancel the rest of our nights there (our safety is more important than artwork). So, Monday morning we cancelled the rest of our nights, but they still charged us for Monday evening. I truly feel that if I were in charge of this place, I would have refunded that night as well, since the cancellation was due to safety reasons. 7. Overall quality-to-price ratio is way off. After we left, we went to another place (HINT! If you go just 3 or 4 blocks to the west, the area clears up SIGNIFICANTLY, and we found an INCREDIBLY awesome hotel to stay at (spacious, elegant, high-class... I can't rave enough about it, but hey, that's another review, right?)) for just $15 more per night. I'd say the place we ended up at was 20X better, for only a little bit more $$. The other place was so incredible, that we will stay there next time we come to Vancouver. FINAL CONCLUSION - Slow elevators, tiny rooms, and lack of privacy curtains aside, the main issue here is SAFETY. How much do you value yours? Are you willing to take the risk? Perhaps you should ask a local (who does not have a conflict of interest - such as a bus driver) before you decide on ANY place to stay in Vancouver...

This is a tough one for me to rate - definitely a 3.5, tipped into a 4 by great service and a nice breakfast! Yes, it's in Chinatown, it's not dangerous but it can get a little loud in the evening sometimes. We had a lovely check in experience (you go into the art shop to check in, FYI!) and I found the staff super friendly throughout our stay. Our room was cute, clearly still very new, and I LOVE that they're all decorated by First Nations artists! There's even a whole sheet telling you about the artist when you come in! The room was small but comfortable, and the bed was big and comfortable! The bathroom didn't have a ton of counter space, but we made it work. The thermostat didn't work, but on our second day I realised that there was an AC unit in the room which was great because it was HOT! My only complaint is that the room hadn't been dusted - it's a small thing but it was noticeable on the walls etc. The free breakfast was a lovely addition, and they had some really cute yogurt parfaits, as well as bannock on the first day! Yay! Worth checking out, but please do make sure you dust the rooms thoroughly, Skwachays!

For my first-ever visit to Vancouver, and traveling alone, I wanted to stay somewhere special and non-cookie-cutter. I got my wish -- and more -- with Skwachays. My room ("Moon") was spacious, clean, comfortable, and distinctively decorated. The front-desk staff was personable, thoughtful, and helpful. I loved strolling through the gallery to the elevator, and then chatting with some of the resident artists in that elevator. (That sort of encounter wouldn't happen at a corporate-chain hotel.) The breakfast buffet was outstanding: homemade yogurt in little Mason jars, petite quiches, freshly made breads, fresh fruit. Many thanks to Maggie for the fabulous repasts! Despite some of the negative reviews here, I *loved* the location. I wouldn't want to trivialize Vancouver's homelessness problem, but I've seen far worse in California's major cities. I loved being able to walk to Chinatown and Gastown, and Skwachays is directly across the street from one of the venues of the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF), which was one of the reasons for my visit. Within hours I felt at home in Vancouver, and much of the credit goes to Skwachays. I hope to return soon!

The staff is super friendly, the hotel is nice. I am giving it a 4 star because the neighborhood does seem a bit dodgy and because of the stairs as soon as you enter the room. Really, this hotel would be easy to miss, but you should check it out for at least one night, it is a full place and the staff is very nice. Their recommendation to go to Caveman across the street was spot on, the food was delicious, inexpensive and unprocessed. Oh and serving portions are gigantic. It should prove that healthy food can be made to be filling and affordable. Definitely check them out if you stay here. But the hotel is beautiful and very quiet, at least for us. Given how environmentally friendly they are, it would be nice if their showers had temperature mixing valves so that the water wouldn't turn on until it comes up to temperature, which would help to save water as it does take a little while to get hot water. Parking is a bit strange here, but it does at least make it fairly secure.

Super friendly and helpful. The rooms were great and the bathrobes are awesome. The gallery has beautiful art and it is great to get to meet artists in residence sometimes. Top of my list for travel to Vancouver and great to support Indigenous artists and a local housing society.

What an awesome place! I just happened across this place on a travel web site. The price was very reasonable for it's location, so I was skeptical. I have stayed in many different places in Vancouver and this is by far my favorite. Everything is brand spankin new, so that was a real bonus for the price! It's 3 blocks from the trendy gastown, across the street from an international shopping area with a huge variety of food court places, 3 blocks from the SkyTrain, an $8 cab ride from Canada Place (cruise terminal) and a $6 cab ride from the Amtrak station. Did I say it was a perfect location? Seriously! Are their homeless people in the area? yes. Is that pretty much everywhere downtown except robson street in vancouver? yes. It's urban life. Certainly does not deter from the bargain and the fabulousness of this place. The Scoop: The place is about 1 year old. The web site was very confusing to me and I couldn't quite pinpoint what exactly it was. I read other reviews and since it's concept was so foreign to me, I worried that it might be a YMCA type homeless shelter/hostel /hotel like NY. It is nothing like that! This place has style and class and is GENIUS! Style: It's a center for Native American artists. Their art is displayed and sold in the lobby gallery. The gallery works are spectacular. The rooms are all brand new and very comfortable. We had a corner room and it was quite spacious. The GENIUS: The center houses 25 artists. The top floor is the hotel. So, when you ride the elevator you are likely to meet one of the artists. I must say I was bummed that the elevator ride was so short! The artists we met were very talkative and informative. You can really "feel the love" in this place. It's an artists community where boring folks like me get to mingle and be a part of a creative community! I understand why it's called a "healing lodge".... the positive vibes in this place are abundant. I say this is Genius because travelers like me get to stay at a great place, pay decent (if not discounted comparatively speaking) price, and support local artists all at the same time. Think about this! You can either give your money to folks like Paris Hilton or you can support local artists and a great community. This is a genius idea and I wish there was a place like this in every city! Bravo Skwachays! I will always stay here when I visit Vancouver! Bravo!

This is the last time I book a hotel without READING the reviews first. (I normally just look at the overall ratings, which DID NOT prepare me for this place.) First of all, we couldn't even find the place, because the entrance to the hotel is through this little hole-in-the-wall gallery. When I called for directions, the person I spoke to on the phone assured me I was on the wrong side of Pender (E. Pender vs. W. Pender), even though I wasn't. Then, when we finally got to the hotel and checked in at the desk, the person there tried to charge me the entire amount of our stay - including the $250+ that was pre-paid through Hotels.com. (Also, parking is extra, and their lot is super limited so be prepared for that.) When we finally got to our room, we found that it was super small and very bare-bones. The bed has just a regular metal frame, the TV is a giant tube set that hums loudly when you turn it on, and the windows and balcony were unusable because they looked directly into other people's residences (all of which were within 30 feet of us). Housekeeping was awkward the next morning, as they don't give you "do not disturb" signs to put out, so I had not one, but two people try to come into the room while I was getting dressed, and had to yell at them through the door that we were fine and didn't need our bed made. With that said, the room, though small, was clean, and was fine for just sleeping. If you're planning to be out and about in downtown the whole time you stay here, I think this place is probably fine. But if you plan to spend any amount of time in your room (which we expected to do at least a bit of, since this was our anniversary weekend), I don't recommend this place.

The hotel itself is super cute and the staff is really nice. I feel really bad for this review but it is very true to our experience. We stayed here for one night over Memorial Day Weekend. The biggest thing I was concerned about was the location/neighborhood. The building was fairly hidden and it looked like a hostel from the outside. You check in at the Art Gallery and you get back in your car to meet the front desk agent in the "alley" to get into the hotel parking lot through 2 garage doors. Once you're parked, you walk out of the garage (not through stairs or anything butt where the car drives) and leave through the huge garage door then down the alley a few doors down to get into the "back door". This set up was too much for me and there were a lot of "zombies" (druggies in the alley). It was a well lit alley but I still wouldn't recommend this set up if staying here by your self or a bunch of girls. During our stay, it was quite short but there was a lot of noise, I believe half of the building are tenants and half are hotel guests? Something like that but there seemed to be a lot of parties and noise going on in this property. It didn't bother us as we knocked out from drinking but I can imagine the noise to be bothersome for others.

The lodge is absolutely lovely. Decorated in aboriginal theme throughout the whole lodge and rooms which creates a very beautiful and calming atmosphere. Although the building has 6 floors, only 2 are used for hotel guests. The remaining floors are occupied by the "artists in residence" who rent a bachelor space at the hotel. Those same artists are the artists whose work is on display and for sale in the gallery at the reception. The most stunning art. Prices vary, it's not the place to buy a cheap souvenir to take home: this is true art. The breakfast room is small and more for a quick coffee and small bite. Proper silverware and crockery and nothing of that styrofoam stuff often finds in hotels. Good tea brands and a nice variety available! Big thumbs up for that one! One needs a hotel room key to enter the hotel and use elevator after 7pm which is good and safe. Room has a safe, microwave, coffee machine and separate water kettle. Nice beds, fluffy duvet, good mattresses. Our room had no view: we looked right into the rooms of a neighboring apartment so we kept curtains closed. The location, although Gas Town and bordering China Town (the gate is literally 2 minute walk) It's sketchy to say the least. Vancouver has approximately 2500 homeless people. Now don't get me wrong: homeless doesn't necessarily mean people are aggressive. In this area there are many addicts, maybe schizophrenic, maybe alcoholic. It's not pleasant part of town. We didn't come back to hotel after 9pm but I wouldn't feel particularly safe here. I would most definitely not like to park my car here overnight! Having said that: walk 2 blocks and you'll see a fun part of town with less homeless. needless to say hotel prices will go up as well.

This hotel is awesome. The staff are very friendly and helpful! The hotel itself is super clean and well taken care of and also feels safe! The rooms are comfortable, artistic and unique! The rooms are also pretty quiet considering it's in a big city. The breakfast was fantastic. Honestly just loved this hotel, 100% would stay there again!

Loved this place! Gorgeous room (really quiet on floor 6), SUPER friendly and warm staff -- shout out to Andrew in particular for being so welcoming and making our stay so pleasant in the wake of an apt. flood crisis! Got stuck in the wrong parking garage and he went out of his way to make sure we were okay -- would 100% stay again! Todd was also really helpful and we loved the decor and style of the hotel. Was really surprised we hadn't discovered this gem of a hotel before.

Great location and tremendous staff. Room was beautiful and very comfortable. I'd say here every time I come to Vancouver.

Loved it! Where to start: 1. The staff were friendly and fantastic. 2. The rooms are beautifully done. Ours was themed "The Moon" and we liked the big "rock" pillows and detailing on the ceiling and walls, and the unique platform our bed was on. Big giant puffy pillows. Mini fridge and microwave. Flatscreen TV. Ipod dock. All good. Love the wood table. Just every detail was perfect. 3. location: close to gastown, science world. downtown, seabus, skytrain, and all points. Close to grocery, restaurants, a pharmacy. 4. Love that we had a chance to stay at a hotel with a mission, and I wish them every success. Its a hotel/residence, but it was not the least bit an issue. I did forget to see the 6th floor deck. oops! Room size is about average, even spacious, Ive stayed in far tinier hotel rooms, my family who joined us and stayed elsewhere had a far smaller room than us. It fit two adults, luggage, stroller and toddler just fine ( no cribs, so plan accordingly for the small traveller in your group.) I will say, for people unfamiliar with vancouver, the neighborhood can be...colorful. A bit alarming even, but we never had an issue. We used to live in the area, so I guess it doesn't bother me much. ( hint: the residents won't bother you if you don't bother them.). It's safe. Our suite overlooked an inner courtyard, but again, quiet, and lovely. This is now my preferred hotel for Vancouver. Highly recommend.

Very odd hotel experience. The room itself was very clean, but extremely small. That much is expected downtown, but there was a complete lack of service. We called down at 7 PM to request more pillows, left a voicemail. and never heard back. It didn't feel like a real hotel, more like a little guest room in someone's apartment building. It gets two stars for a great location, it's only saving grace.

Wow! Didn't even stay. It took us forever to find the place and the streets all around the hotel were filled with drug addicts. We wanted to be near Gastown and walk around in the evening but clearly we would be taking our lives in to our hands to do so. We cancelled and were charged the full room rate but there was no way I was going to stay there, we cut our losses and left we are now comfortably checked into the Pinnacle Harbour front Hotel and it is beautiful!

The friendly staff and uniquely decorated lobby/art gallery and rooms made our stay great. The breakfast of breads, yogurt, jams, and meats was a great way to start each day. The location made it an easy walk to Gastown, Chinatown, and Stanley Park, as well as the ferry to Granville island. The neighborhood is a bit rough but we felt safe.

This place needs to get its act together. I have been collecting Indian art up here for over thirty years and have never before spoken to such an incompetent sales person. I was not greeted when I walked in and when I asked for help, it was evident that she had better things to do. Lousy customer experience all around. If you want decent selection and knowledgeable, personable staff, head for Hills in Gas Town

Having just returned from a weekender in Vancovuer for what was apparently an "event" weekend that meant insanely high hotel rates throughout the city. However, this is where the Skwachàys Healing Lodge really saved my bacon, because they popped up with availability at the last minute for a much more reasonable rate than any number of shoddy hotels were offering. And this place is by no means shoddy (although it is very close to skid road). Simple, but very clean rooms, a cool art gallery, and a great Ronald McDonald house-type service provided to Canadian aboriginal people. It's the last part that makes this place a by definition "last minute" booking, because this place serves visiting patients first. That said, it was no problem for us, and the Gastown location was perfect for our purposes. The only drawbacks would be the sheets/towels, which are scratchy (and slightly bleached-smelling) and the lack of area parking. But these are minor drawbacks. I would definitely come back here.

Stayed here for the first time while attending Bon Jovi concert. BTW, about a block away to Rogers Arena! Everything is very close to this hotel. McDonalds, Tim Horton's, Cineplex. I was impressed with the location. There are homeless people near by, but it is Vancouver, there is going to be :) Did not have any issue with people. The security is very good. There is underground parking (only 7 spaces) which you need to call and reserve if you wish to get a space. $15.00 each day you wish to park. The security for the parking is grand. The entrance is located in a small alley, but no worries there. The two days we were there, we ran into no troubles. The back door into the hotel is locked and a large light above the door. Cannot enter ANY door in the hotel without your pass. Cannot even use the elevator without one. The room was clean and spacious. The beds were comfortable. For me, not too hard nor soft. Our room was two double beds. There is a nice big bathroom, shower, sink and of course toilet. There is a small kitchenette with a fridge. No microwave. There is in room coffee. (back to the parking - there is no luggage cart, so if you bring much luggage, this might be slightly annoying) The hotel staff were super friendly. We were not in our room much, so for us, this was perfect. Perfect location, perfect price for the location and security made us feel even better.

Skwachays was in an Ideal location, right in between china town, gas town and downtown. Hotel was very secure and clean. Staff was very nice and helpful. The hotel room's were incredible. Oh and all profits go to a cause and not a corporate entity. One flaw is that the hotel Is located in a dangerous spot. Besides that al in all, 4 stars