Stephanie P.
Yelp
We were headed to Vancouver for the weekend and wanted a budget-friendly hotel in the downtown/touristy area that was close enough to fun stuff to be walkable. A friend recommended the Burrard, and it was perfect for our needs!
If you're familiar with the Jupiter Hotel in Portland, it's very similar in look and feel (though the Burrard has nicer furnishings and bigger rooms). Basically, it's a retro-midcentury-Jetsons style with a winking sense of humor, charming enough to get you to overlook its minor shortcomings.
From the street, you only see the lobby entrance. The parking garage is accessed through the lobby and the rooms start on the second floor, with doors facing onto an inner courtyard with planters and outdoor seating. We were in room 206, on the side that faces the street, meaning we were directly opposite the emergency entrance of the hospital across the street. These are the bigger rooms, but the trade-off is that ambulances are blaring RIGHT outside your window a handful of times per night. Obviously, they don't mention that on the hotel website. If you're willing to have a smaller room in exchange for less street noise, ask for a room on the other side. However, besides the ambulances, we didn't hear any noise coming through our walls from other rooms, and only minimal noise from guests walking past -- the advantage of being in a corner room.
Mostly, the room was fine. Our bed was comfortable enough and they provided plenty of pillows. The one flimsy throw blanket wasn't much help and was more there for looks. The novelty furniture looks cool but isn't very comfortable (molded plastic chairs, clear lucite side table). Toiletries are provided, sort of, in the form of squeeze bottles of shampoo, hand soap, and lotion -- travel-size bottles are available by request at the front desk. The towels were on the scratchy side, but thick and absorbent, and were replaced daily. Our room safe broke and we had to call the front desk for assistance, but they sent someone quickly to unlock it.
Actually, the biggest problem with the room was the light. The windows have short inner curtains and blackout liners, but the liner is a couple of inches shorter than the window, so you get a bright line of light right at eye level when you're in bed. The heater in our room was in the bathroom, but the window in there had no curtain, and thanks to the angle of the mirrored closet door, leaving the bathroom door open = sunlight bouncing off the mirror into the room. So you have to choose between a colder, darker room or a warmer, brighter one. If you're an early riser or don't mind sunny rooms, this might not be an issue for you.
Parking was $28/day with in/out privileges, which is pretty typical for Vancouver. The parking garage is VERY tight and spaces are difficult to get in and out of, even when the garage isn't very full. The underground level seems to be a bit easier to negotiate.
As others mentioned, there are free loaner bikes in the garage, free wifi, complimentary admission to a nearby gym, free water bottles and Nespresso pod coffee machines in your room. Having a small fridge was great for chilling beverages, and there are several wine shops and liquor stores within a few blocks. The Burrard is very close to Robson, Davie, Granville, and the ferry stop that will take you to Granville Island and other destinations if you don't have a car. The staff were all friendly and very helpful whenever we had questions and greeted us whenever we walked through the lobby.
Overall, you can't beat this place for the price. A fun place to stay with a good location if you want to explore downtown Vancouver and ditch the car.