Where to Stay in Vancouver: A Neighborhood Guide

Short answer: for a first visit, stay downtown, in Coal Harbour or in the West End. You'll be close to the seawall, Stanley Park and the SkyTrain, and you won't need a car.

Vancouver hotels are expensive, especially in summer, and the price you see usually doesn't include the accommodation taxes added at checkout. Book early for July and August.

Downtown and Coal Harbour

Most of the big hotels are here, around Robson Street, Burrard Street and the waterfront. Coal Harbour, along the inlet, has the views: seaplanes, the mountains and the start of the seawall. Canada Place and the cruise terminal are at its eastern end. Convenient for everything, and the Canada Line from the airport stops at Vancouver City Centre and Waterfront.

West End

A residential neighbourhood of apartment towers, old wooden houses and tree-lined streets between downtown and Stanley Park. Davie and Denman Streets are full of cafés and small restaurants, and English Bay beach is at the bottom of the street. The Davie Village area is the heart of the city's LGBTQ+ community. Our favourite base for a first trip, with a few boutique hotels and plenty of apartments.

Yaletown

Old warehouses turned into restaurants and bars, on the north shore of False Creek. Lively in the evening, with an Aquabus stop for Granville Island and its own Canada Line station.

Gastown

Characterful brick streets and some of the best restaurants and cocktail bars in the city, with a handful of boutique hotels. The drawback is its neighbour: the Downtown Eastside begins a few blocks east, which bothers some visitors, especially at night. Our travel guide explains.

Kitsilano

Beaches, yoga studios and a relaxed feel across False Creek. Few hotels, mostly rentals and a youth hostel near Jericho Beach. Good for a longer summer stay. The Broadway Subway, due in fall 2027, will bring the SkyTrain closer, but until then it's buses.

North Vancouver

Hotels around Lonsdale Quay, twelve minutes by SeaBus from downtown. Handy for Grouse Mountain, Lynn Canyon and hiking, and often cheaper than downtown.

Richmond, by the airport, is practical for an early flight and for food (dim sum, the night market), but it's a long way from the sights. For planning the trips from any of these bases, see our day trips guide.