It’s fun to stay at the YWCA ……
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Previous components to this trip:
Singapore – London on British Airways BA12, A380
London – Vancouver on British Airways BA85, A380
Robson Suites, Vancouver
Starting with the ratings for my hotel stay (out of ten):
Room 6
Service 6
Food NA
Overall 6
The final act of my stay at the Robson Suites was to request a free shuttle service to Beatty Street where the YWCA is located. The free shuttle dropped me right outside the YWCA and I dragged my luggage the short distance to the door.
Hotel number 2 of my visit to Vancouver.
What I didn’t realise what that the YWCA hotel is in a very good location on Beatty Street. It is very close to the Stadium-Chinatown Skytrain stop. If you are still lost, it is right opposite Rodgers Arena.
Funnily enough I was a bit confused as I saw quite a number of hotels in the nearby vicinity. The reason I was confused was that I didn’t expect it to be located so close to other hotels, given the budget reputation of the YWCA.
What’s important to note is that the YWCA hotel, is that it is not the same as the YWCA. It part of the same organisation, but actually the YWCA hotel is a social enterprise that helps fund YWCA Metro Vancouver’s community service work.
It’s got a nice clean and bright entrance hall. This also served as a place to meet, wait or use computers and so on.
If you are in need of a refreshment or light snack, you can grab it at a cafe in the lobby, which is to the left of the above photo.
Check in was pretty straight forward and I had been booked for a week.
You are given a key and you have the option to hand it back in every time you are leaving the YWCA or to keep it on you.
Myself, I preferred to hand it back in every time I left for the day. Although it meant asking for the key coming back to the hotel though this wasn’t too much of a hassle. Gives me one less thing to worry about.
There is free wifi which is password enabled. From my brief stay there it was reset on a weekly basis.
I tried making my booking with Booking.com but it was completely booked for the week I needed, so I immediately went direct to the YWCA website and managed to secure a double room with a private bath.
There are a variety of different variations.
Singles
Hall Bath
Semi Private Bath
Hall Bath
Doubles
Hall Bath
Semi Private Bath
Private Bath
There is a category called Double/Double which are bigger than normal doubles.
Triples
Hall Bath
Private Bath
Quints
Private Bath
Double – private bath
Daily rates:
OCT 2015 – APR 2016: $90 / MAY 2016: $117 / JUN – SEPT 2016: $138
Weekly rates:
OCT 2015 – APR 2016: $78 / MAY 2016: $101 / JUN – SEPT 2016: $119
Other rates (student, senior and YWCA members):
OCT 2015 – APR 2016: $81 / MAY 2016: $106 / JUN – SEPT 2016: $125
I ended up going for a double with a private bath and I’m glad I did! Although the bedroom was very clean. It was a bit small for my liking, but I had no trouble fitting it with all my stuff nor with sleeping. The windows seemed pretty sound proof. In fact there was a football match on one evening I was staying and I could barely hear anything from the stadium.
The room has airconditioning, and since I was there during the summer I was very glad for it! It also has a fridge but they don’t come pre stocked with anything.
They also had a phone in the room, which I never used, but apparently allowed free local calls. I think this is something that all hotels offer, except bizarrely the Westin I stayed in later.
The ironing board was hanging in the room so you can just get it set up and start ironing your clothes! I never do that on holiday… In fact I hardly ever iron.
The bathroom was also very clean. They also provide a daily cleaning service to change towels and give new shampoo etc. I didn’t need it every day so only had them come in three times during the week I was there.
There were laundry facilities on, I believe, 2 floors. I never used them, but they seem like the ones you find at any laundromat.
They have kitchens and mini kitchens.
Unfortunately, the main kitchen had people in it, so I felt a bit awkward taking photos. this is an example of a small kitchen. If I recall correctly there was one small kitchen every other floor, but I am happy to be corrected on that front.
If you do want to use the kitchen, just go to the front desk and ask for the utensils. They will provide a whole box – including cooking pots and pans!
But what good are all those pots and pans if you don’t have some food to cook. The nearest place is just round the corner about 3 blocks away on Robson Street called Marketplace IGA. Don’t do what this muppet did which was walk almost three times the distance to the Marketplace IGA on Burrard Street. Yes… it was hot! I am just glad it was not raining cause that would have been really unpleasant!!
Apparently you are also entitled to use the YWCA Health + Fitness Centre. However, I was too busy eating working out never really crossed my mind!
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