Budget Inn Patricia, Vancouver

Our first warning was from taxi driver who asked "why would you stay there?". This alone should have turned us away because we had a similar incident in the Bahamas and that hotel was also a disaster. The street people in the immediate area of the Budget Inn Patricia are plentiful and a definite negative. For our visit to Vancouver, we left the hotel very early in the morning and returned before dark to barricade ourselves in the room. We did not feel safe. The first night, there were two people killed on the street below... this hotel is definitely not for the weak hearted. On the plus side, the room was fairly clean and breakfast was offered, in the pub below, which is like a dungeon. Unfortunate choice of hotels for us even though the price was right.

Budget Inn Patricia provides good service and clean rooms with private baths at excellent pricing. Although the building is old, it is well kept. Rooms would probably be considered small by US visitors and normal by visitors from Europe. The only downside to this hotel is its location. The location, on E. Hastings, is full of characters that may make some folks uncomfortable. The poor folks on the streets are not threatening but will try and sell you their black market goods and services in an effort to make a buck. The most annoying thing to me was be required to smoke outside and being asked for cigarettes. Those who wish to avoid these people can simply walk over one block to Pender (in Chinatown) and you'd never even know that the Hastings crowd was only a block away. In conclusion, if you're looking for a bargain in the heart of Vancouver and you like people watching the not so cosmopolitan crowd, The Budget Inn Patricia may fit the bill for you.

My uncle, my husband, and I just stayed in Vancouver overnight, so we didn't need a 5 star hotel. The hotel is old, but clean. It was quiet enough and comfortable. The only thing is that there are tons of homeless people and prostitutes in the neighborhood. We walked to Gastown for dinner and when we were walking back it was getting dark. I was really worried about getting mugged but apparently the bad neighborhoods are friendlier in B.C. than in the U.S. It was hard to walk down the street because there were literally hundreds and hundreds of homeless people. If you are planning on visiting with children I would stay in a better part of town. I had my husband repeatedly go downstairs to check on our car because the homeless people were all over the parking lot. The breakfast in the morning was decent, and the pub downstairs was fun, but the staff at the pub was rude. At 10 o'clock we were rudely told not to play another game of pool instead of them just letting us know that they were closing. I wouldn't stay here again, but it made for a good story. This place would be fine for people traveling in a group, on a budget, and with no need for romance or luxury.

The hotel wasn't bad. The room was small, but adequate. The bed was comfortable. No air conditioning, but the room had a fan in it. It was clean and neat. The room contained a private bathroom where most places in Vancouver at this price have bathrooms that are shared with other guests. It is in a more run down part of town, but they disclose that right on their website. They aren't trying to misrepresent themselves. If you're alright with that simple fact, it's actually not a bad location. Yes, there are homeless people and such in that area, but you're also right across the street from Chinatown. Walking through Chinatown is pretty interesting. Gastown is within walking distance which has tons of restaurants and shopping places to choose from. Not to mention an incredible Vietnamese restaurant that is directly across the street from the hotel. My wife and I had the most amazing dinner there. She wants to go back to Vancouver just to eat at that restaurant. The hotel also has a brew pub on the first floor which is a great hangout. They brew what the call "Pat's Ale" which is worth drinking. My wife and I finished out the evening by sitting at the pub and singing karaoke. We had a blast!! Didn't feel too bad the next morning either as Pat's Ale is pretty good beer. The people at the front desk were fine. They weren't overly welcoming or in any way stand offish. They just checked out the room and acted pleasant. In other words they were mostly nuetral. They had a job to do and they did it. I did meet the owner when I checked out and he was a very nice man. Long story short, a great value for the money. It is where I'll stay if I go back to Vancouver.