The Douglas Hotel

PARQ VANCOUVER

Located right in the centre of Vancouver city centre & next to the stadium, The Douglas Hotel is an excellent place to base yourself to explore the shops, bars, clubs restaurants and attractions in the heart of the city. It only takes around 5-10 minutes walk to reach the main parts of the city such as Gastown or Stanley Park and offers plenty of activities for your enjoyment.

The Douglas Hotel, Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada

With plenty of natural touches and contemporary finishes that lead you through the cleverly designed spaces and elegantly appointed guest rooms and suites of this 188 room hotel. Inspired by the splendour of British Columbia, their curated collection of exquisitely furnished restaurants, bars, and a one-of-a kind sixth floor park provide a memorable urban retreat for the modern traveler.

If you find yourself in Vancouver, Canada then I would highly recommend booking a few nights stay at The Douglas Hotel.

Highlights

Strong Wi-Fi throughout the hotel
Pleasantly friendly and welcoming staff
Excellent central location in the city
Spacious & comfortable rooms and suites
State of the art fitness centre

King City View Room

During our stay at The Douglas Hotel we opted to stay in the King City View Room which was perfect for our needs and provided a very comfortable night’s sleep. With aesthetically pleasing decor, spacious and comfortable furniture we almost didn’t want to leave to explore the city.

Furnished with a large window overlooking the city and the stadium it was a great way to wake up in the morning and taking in those views. It comes with a king size bed, private ensuite bathroom, two bedside tables, air-conditioning, plenty of power points and a wardrobe to store all your luggage and clothing. Clean lines, sleek surfaces and light bedding are fresh and minimalist, which focus attention on the room’s featured decor.

What you get

The room comes equipped with free toiletries, tea & coffee making facilities, strong Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, fluffy pillows, large flat screen TV, security safe, large writing desk, iron with ironing board, robes, clean towels, soft linens, free bottled water, sofa, minibar, slippers, robes and plenty of space for two people to relax in.

To view all their other rooms click here.

Activities

Try your luck in the Casino

Immerse yourself in the high-stakes action at Parq Casino’s two exclusive salons, offering private gaming with full-service VIP Hosts for the ultimate experience of luxury.

Wellness Spa Centre

Perched high in the clouds in the 17th floor of the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver, you’ll find peaceful tranquility in the middle of the city’s vibrant heart.

Retreat on your own wellness journey to discover simple indulgence and personalised, targeted treatments designed to leave you with a renewed sense of clarity and mindfulness.

Hit the fitness centre

The fitness centre features CrossFit style equipment such as kettle bells and ropes encouraging you to use your own natural body power and strength for a compact and efficient workout. They insure healthy lifestyles are not impeded by ensuring optimal workouts in limited time.

Check out the Bear Statues

Directly outside of the main entrance to The Douglas Hotel are these unique silver bears situated in the middle of a roundabout. They add a certain quirkiness to the surrounding area and you will find yourself fascinated with the reflections they portray, especially on a sunny day.

Have a game of pool

Located to the right of the reception is D/6 which is a fantastic bar, restaurant and chill out area which includes plenty of seating areas, pool table, library, board games, fire places, and also doubles up as a night club in the evenings. This is well worth a visit if you want to relax with a drink, catch up with friends or just play a game of pool.

The Park

This is the heart of Parq Vancouver, a sixth-floor, open-air oasis that inspires with its unparalleled views of the city. Designed by renowned landscape artist Christopher Phillips of PFS Studio, this 30,000-square foot green space is built with connection in mind. The inclusion of over 200 native pines and 15,000 local floras add a sense of place.

The water feature and walking paths unite intimate alcoves, where urban explorers mix and mingle. While tranquil moments are peppered therein, restaurant The Victor and D/6 Bar + Lounge lure guests into its gardens, turning the composed green into Vancouver’s vibrant playground.

Cycle Around Stanley Park

This stunning park has managed to push aside the likes of New York’s Central Park, the Luxeumbourg Gardens in Paris and Chicago’s Millennium Park to be named the World’s Best Park by Trip Advisor. The best way to see is to hire a bicycle and ride all the way around the old growth forest, visit ancient Aboriginal village sites, grab a tan at the beach, lounge around a rose garden or get up and close with sea lions and Pacific dolphins.

There are a handful of bicycle rental spots at the base of Denman Street, and it’s the best way to get around the park.

Admire the hipster Gastown

Vancouver first began in the heart of what is now a trendy neighbourhood called Gastown, named after a historical figure known as ‘Gassy Jack’. it was once Canada’s third largest city, ‘and Gastown’ in 1867, was the site of various lumber mills. It is now home to chic loft apartments, European eateries, cocktail lounges, plenty of unique boutique shops and flashy bars. There are a few galleries of note along Water Street, and plenty of places to buy Canadian goods.

Head to China Town

The great thing about sightseeing in Vancouver is it’s easy to knock off multiple things in one visit to any of its unique neighbourhoods. Vancouver’s Chinatown is one of the oldest in Canada and the largest. Perched on the edge of the Downtown Financial District and Gastown, Chinatown offers up an array of funky shops, inexpensive markets, and of course, the best Dim Sum restaurants in town.

Take an Aqua-bus to Granville Island

No visit to Vancouver is complete without a visit to the artsy Granville Island. Interestingly, it’s more a little peninsula than an island. What was once an industrial manufacturing hub, is now the meeting place for well-to-do Vancouverites and tourists to shop for the organic produce, sip on premium teas, sample fine chocolates, listen to buskers, and watch sleek yachts sidle on up to the dock.

The Pink Alley Photos

This very impressive and unique alley is only a short 15-minute walk from the hostel and is brightly coloured with pinks and yellows. It certainly lights up what would be a dingy alleyway and creates the perfect spot to take some vibrant and fun photos.

The Digital Orca

Located on the viaduct, this awesome Orca is like something out of the movie Pixels. Douglas Coupland’s public art masterpiece, Digital Orca looks like it is leaping right out of a video game. Or maybe a giant Lego set. This well worth a look and maybe a couple of photo snaps.

How to get there

Address: 39 Smithe Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6B 0R3

DRIVING DIRECTIONS

Leaving the airport, follow signs to City Centre via Granville St. Follow Granville St. until you have crossed the Granville St. Bridge. Once over the bridge, take the exit for BC 99N to turn onto Drake St., the first stoplight after the Granville St. Bridge. Follow Drake St. for five blocks until you reach Pacific Blvd.

Turn left onto Pacific Blvd then proceed for 1 km. As you near BC Place Stadium turn left onto Smithe Street and you will have arrived at Parq Vancouver. Alternatively, if coming over the Cambie St. bridge take a left onto Expo Blvd., and then take a left onto Nelson St. and left onto Pacific Blvd to Smithe St.

BUS STATION

Pacific Central Station – 0.6 miles SE from Hotel

SKYTRAIN STATIONS

Expo Line: Stadium–Chinatown Station – 0.3 miles NE from Parq Vancouver
Canada Line: Yaletown Roundhouse Skytrain Station – 0.3 miles SW from Parq Vancouver

Prices

The prices will vary depending on what time of year you stay – to check out the pricing click here.

We stayed in August 2019 and for the King City View Room it would cost $599 CAD (£370) per night.

Extras

Wi-Fi is available in public area for free
Wi-Fi in rooms requires payment of $7.95 CAD a day.
Tours are available to book at reception
Luggage storage
24-hour reception

Summary

This hotel is absolutely lovely, unique, and the perfect place to stay while in Vancouver. I am so glad that we chose to stay here for a few nights – it’s the most luxurious place in the city!

The room was fantastic, we had a super comfortable nights sleep and really enjoyed the unique decor which makes the room really interesting especially when you throw in the views of the city. The location was my favourite feature as it was super central and the staff are so friendly, they can honestly not do enough for you to make your stay that little bit more comfortable than what it already is.

You will want to spend longer

The city is very lively with lots to do, but on the outskirts, remains the beautiful surrounding mountains and countryside which are absolutely breath-taking and you will find yourself soaking them up the whole time you’re there. When you throw in the close proximity to the shopping centres, bars, restaurants and all of the other attractions you are onto a winner!