YWCA Hotel, Vancouver

Clean, cheap, secure, and located in downtown area. The people down in the reception are really friendly and helpful. The hotel was always full of young people. Nice place to stay if you're looking for something cheap and comfortable.

The front desk staff helped make my trip comfortable.They were so helpful, efficient and friendly and I'd definitely go back.The location is great and the coffee bar in the lobby is convenient.The best deal in town.

we stayed there during the 2006 western finals in the cfl and the stay was great the rooms were clean and the staff were really friendly and we will stay there everytime i go to vancouver

We chose a room with one Queen bed and private bathroom,it was very very nice with all the amenities you have in a 4 star hotel, it wasn't a big room though, but for us was more than enough, since we didn't spend much time there.I specially liked the fact that the sink,mirror and hairdryer were outside the washroom which makes it easyer for two people to get ready in the morning. The front desk staff were extremely helpfull giving advices how/where/what to visit. I also liked the fact that you need the room key, to have the lifts running.

I planned to spend 2 days at YWCA Hotel, and wound up staying a third. The other reviews I had read suggested that it might be worth giving a try, even though they have a type of lockdown at 11pm, where they bolt the doors of the lounges and kitchens. I might have decided on a different hotel to stay, but the price point was attractive enough. I gave it a go, thinking that I'd leave after one day if I didn't like it. My room was on the 10th floor, where there is virtually no signal from the wi-fi service the hotel has, but they didn't have any rooms where I could get high speed internet (the service downloads were about 100kbps). I bought wi-fi (less than $10 for 24 hours use) and sat in the public lounge on the fourth floor to get a signal, but got kicked out at 11pm when a staff member made rounds to bolt the public rooms for the night. My room was typical, quaint, a smidge on the small side for someone used to the rooms in the United States. Yet, I grew to like the place. Yes, it's a bit weird to have to use a shower or relieve one's self in a shared room down the hall (the shared bath was all they had left), and if you're leery about doing your duty this way, this room at YWCA Hotel may not be in your best interest. They have others with private baths though. I just put it in my mind that it's similar to being at work. The only times you feel a little miffed is when others don't clean up after themselves (towels, a used soap bar and bottles of a good brand of shampoo were left - which I took advantage of, since I had to straighten their mess). I also liked the fact that I had the option to take advantage of $4/day parking in the lot beneath the hotel. It's a great feature, where you're given yet another key to open a powered gate, drive in, and feel secure knowing that your vehicle's well-protected at night. In all, I collected 4 keys with a paddle showing the room number. It seemed that many of those rooming here were younger, but they weren't loud at all. With the signs left around the hotel, it seems that the staff had had experience enough to warn people about the consequences of going overboard. The YWCA is also a smoke-free hotel, and warnings clearly say that those violating this rule are subject to being removed. The kitchens are really rather large. You can throw a 20-pound turkey in the full-size freezer if you wanted, or buy a lobster and cook it on one of several electric ranges (one, a full size oven) I saw in the full kitchen on my floor. Or, run down the street and get some food to microwave, and pick up tea bags for the electric teapot they have (bring your own eating utensils; they charge a couple dollars to rent theirs). There are also kitchenettes as well. In the lobby, there is also a coffee bar, but I didn't try it. My television was only 13" diag, but there were many channels of cable. The room's also equipped with phone ($1 per local call), AM/FM clock radio, a sink and mini fridge. A small work table with chair and full size bed round out my room. The air conditioning could bring the room to a very cool temperature, so it was adequate. It smelled fine, and the cleaning staff did a good job making up the room each day. Bottom line: Would I consider returning if I had a choice? Yes, no question I would return. The benefits outweigh the inconveniences, IMHO. Like having to dress when you need to go in the middle of the night. One tip to leave you with: Make sure to shower before bed instead of in the morning, when most people do. Otherwise, you might be waiting for a while.