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Buchan Hotel
Category: Event Planning & Services Hotels Hotels & Travel Hotels Hotels [Edit]
1906 Haro StVancouver, BC V6G 1H7
Neighbourhood: West End
(604) 685-5354
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Paid
7 reviews for Buchan Hotel
7 reviews in English
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Review from Chris S.
11/8/2011
For the price (keep in mind how expensive Vancouver is), it really is pretty nice. The room is very old-fashioned, but it's in a very charming area and the people at the front desk are very friendly and helpful. The bathroom is outdated for sure, but the bed is very comfortable, the wifi is cheap, and the cable is extensive. Not sure what the other reveiwers were expecting in this price range given the cost of this city.
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Review from Trung T.
8/6/2011
My initial impression of this place was not positive. The clerk told me he would put a pre-charge on my credit card, informing me the final bill could be more or it could be less at the end of the stay. Ok, I thought. Pretty standard procedures as they want to assess any damages to the room after check-out. I ask him if there was wi-fi. He says it's $2 a day, a trivial charge compared to the entire trip, so I accept and request the network key. He ask if I'll be using the internet tonight. I wasn't able to check-in until 1:30 in the morning, so I presume he was going to charge me for that night upon acceptance of the key.
Next he glosses over the rules of the hotel. The doors are locked after 11pm, and a key can be provided with a pre-charge of another $25, which will be refunded upon return. At this point I'm annoyed. Do they nickel and dime you for everything here? Luckily, an alternative was to program the door to accept my credit card for entrance. I opted for the latter.
Afterwards, I retreated to my hotel room thinking it wasn't so much the guy was overtly rude, but his mannerism and the way he came off could rub you the wrong way. He was, mind you, a foreigner with a very thick accent. I think it was more of a cultural barrier and a general lack of understanding how to carry oneself in the hospitality industry (maybe that's why he's working graveyard shift?). All in all that was the only issue I had with the hotel, and I didn't think twice about it the next day.
Other things of note:
- This place is in a great location -- the West End -- footsteps away from Stanley Park and walking distance from English Bay.
- The hotel had no A/C. Coming from Texas this is completely foreign to me, but the hotel is quiet enough, settled in a residential neighborhood where you can open the windows and let the fan run. Bring earplugs just in case.
- The room I stayed in only had a sink. Shared bathrooms were fairly clean.
Overall, when you're paying these kind of prices in a great location, I think the most you can ask for are quiet, clean and safe. The Buchan passes on all fronts. Simply put this hotel is for patrons who are not looking to spend a lot of time in the room, but rather a place to wash up and sleep at the end of the day.
Ratings is more like 3.5 stars. I would stay here again, all things considered. -
Review from Susan D.
7/27/2010
This is what you would expect to find in Europe. This would be a typical hostel where your room is found along a long hallway whereas the shared private bathrooms and baths are found somewhere else along that hallway. At least we got a sink in the room!
The bed, small television, and open space were sufficient. This would not be described as luxurious by any means. It was rather expensive for what the room was at about $100 a night, but Vancouver in general is an expensive city! Plus you have to find your own parking on the street. -
Review from Bob M.
1/19/2010 2 photos
We were very happy with our stay here after we had a chance to settle in a little and look at things objectively. Older properties like this require that, I think, as a Holiday Inn or Raddison does not--you go in with an expectation and if it hits the mark, it is the last thought that you give it. The Buchan made us think a little, which may sound a little odd.
The check in area is frumpy as is the staircase leading to our room. The commons area was very nice however. Our room was nice enough as my photo shows, which was room 30 to the front of the building, but it is an old property. For instance, the floor was anything but level, there is a step outside of the bathroom one uses to get in, and get used to, the paint in spots has cracked away from the walls and moldings in spots, the radiator heating is, well, radiators--old and weird looking.
We peeked in room 38, which looked very nice. There are different classes of rooms, which that one most likely was an upgrade.
There is a flat screen TV yet, no phone and one needs to ask management for an alarm clock. There is no ice machine yet warm sodas in a machine labeled cold drinks.
In the basement, with an outside entrance there is L'Altro Buca, which was way beyond our means, but perhaps if you factor in what you save in the cost of your room, you could justify a meal there. The reviews looks very good.
The property is in a residential area so very quiet and it is a beautiful neighborhood at that. It is very well located for touring the city also.
But the real question one should ask: Would we go back? Yes, I think we would. Overall, with the pluses and minuses, the pluses won out.Listed in: Vancouver BC for goobers
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Review from Kreag S.
Vancouver, BC
12/22/2008
Super cheap...super convenient and a super duper dump...but totally worth it if you and making your way to Vancouver and need a place to rest your head in between shopping, eating and going out on the town.
My partner and I moved away form Vancouver in a momentary lapse of insanity...and came back for a visit but were on a budget. I used to live across from the Buchan and thought maybe we should give it a shot. It was located in the west end and so it would be close to any where downtown..Robson, Davie, Stanley Park, Gastown, ...you get the picture...just a hop skip and a jump away from great shopping and great eats!
Now, the hotel, is a total dump..built in the early 1900's and maybe updated a bit in the 1980's..it smells bad..it's not clean at all and you may have to share a bathroom with total strangers...BUT...think location, location, location!! At $80 or so a night it's worth it...you don't really spend alot of time in your hotel anyway right?? -
Review from shain r.
Vancouver, BC
10/16/2008 1 photo
Do you want an escape from your usual hotel variety? Well, hidden down in the depths of the west end is the Buchan hotel. The hotel was built in 1926, and is a comfortable accommodation at an incredibly affordable price. We stayed here on one of our escape weekends, and I use the word escape, from Calgary, and it was not bad. If your ok with a no frills bedroom, and the heritage vibe then this might be good for you. The best part is it is walking distance to all the best stuff...Stanely park, Robson street, Denman, Davie, Yaletown, and the famed aqua bus to Granville Island. ... oh and it's in a residential area so there is no traffic, and hardly any noise, cept for the bums and their carts full of cans..but to any urban dweller this is kinda comforting for some reason.
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Review from K. K.
2/3/2010
Stayed here for 3 nights while touring the Vancouver area for a weekend and was pleasantly surprised. The service was the best. It's a small, old, hotel but the staff were very pleasant and obliged with all of our requests.
We opted for the cheaper route with no bathroom in the room. This worked out fine. There are sinks in the rooms and so toilets and showers are shared and right across the hall from where we stayed. I expected it to be rather inconvenient but it wasn't at all and saves quite a bit of money, especially if you're on a big budget like I was.
Easy walk away from nice restaurants along Denman Street, and just a few blocks away from the beautiful English Bay.
Free parking in this residential area was certainly a chore at times due to all the city's parking regulations but besides for that it's a great, quiet location. Parking spots cost something like $10/day which we passed up on but not unreasonable if you really don't want to change your spot every 2-3 hours.
