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Sylvia Hotel
Category: Event Planning & Services Hotels Hotels & Travel Hotels Hotels [Edit]
1154 Gilford StVancouver, BC V6G 2P6
Neighbourhood: West End
(604) 681-9321
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 7 am - 9:30 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
16 reviews for Sylvia Hotel
16 reviews in English
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Review from Jena J.
Vancouver, BC
10/11/2011
all i'm going to say is "mr got-to-go"
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Review from Jillian F.
8/18/2011
Coming up tomorrow it will be our 7th year coming to Vancouver and staying at this wonderful hotel. My family and I have stayed at an assortment of rooms, all of which have had their own special little charms. We have been able to fit at least 5 with plenty of space to stretch our legs and make this hotel our home for the 3 days we spend there for the Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. The closeness to the always busy Denman Street and Stanley Park is always a plus, not to mention of the beautiful view if you are so lucky to get a room on that side of the hotel (which we never do). The rooms themselves, price wise, are quite expensive but are worth it.
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Review from Danphi V.
4/19/2011
Just returned from staying here. Room was teeny tiny, the queen bed took up the entire room. Bathroom very cramped as well, although tub shower was good with high nozzle (I'm over 6 ft and that's important to me). Old feeling with strange smells that others have mentioned. The room door was really shaky and didn't feel like it was very secure. Electri outlets were at a premium and a set of them didn't work at all. WiFi was free, but slow
They accept dogs, which is a huge plus. My 80lb dog had trouble getting comfortable in the room and since the only substantial area for her to lay down was by the door, she went on alert every time she heard something in the hall way. Neither of us slept too well as a result.
It is nice to have underground parking (for $15 plus tax). Unfortunately, the garage is not secured and someone smashed out my back window and took a small bag of dirty clothes off the floor in the car. Staff seemed pretty indifferent about this happening. I heard one other car had the same thing happen.
Location is good, but having my car prowled and paying to park there is not really cool in my book.
The staff stepped up to help out with some unforeseen circumstances during my visit, but at the end of the day, I'm not likely to stay here again. -
Review from D.J. Y.
8/8/2008 2 photos
Okay, I'm giving this place 3 stars, just because.....1) We didn't encounter bedbugs. 2)The windows opened just enough to let the natural gas smell out of the little kitchen area. 3) The view of the water, from the lobby, is not to be missed!
Granted we stayed here but once, and that was quite a while ago. I just looked at the website and from it I'd guess a few things have changed. As in they have taken out the little kitchen areas in the rooms and the bed spreads have changed from the 50's to the 70's era.
For an adventure, meaning being really close to Stanley Park, bring your camping gear and check this place out... -
Review from Becky L.
1/5/2009
Finding a place B.E. hadn't stayed was high on my list of musts while vacationing in Vancouver - and we hit it in great style with The Sylvia! This water font boutique hotel has charm oozing at all levels. It's not luxury, and doesn't have a hot tub, thus only 4 stars, but on every other level I really like this place. Our simple room was very affordable and offered a nice size room and a shower that nearly knocked my 138 lbs (yes, Seattle has put 5 more on me - grrrrr) down with its' force.
Parking is easy, Stanley Park is right outside the door, there's a bar, great restaurants surround the area, the beds are big, there's a beach and they use real keys instead of swipe cards. I loved it. -
Review from Suzanne P.
8/2/2009
Not my favorite hotel on my trip. My mom was really excited about staying at this hotel and had done extensive research on the place prior to our stay. I know that this is one of Vancouver's staple hotels but it just really didn't do it for me.
The concierges were not helpful at all. They were all very sweet, but couldn't really tell us a whole lot. The room was ok, not really ventilated at all and TONS of bugs flew into the room all the time. It was during a heatwave, so closing the window was not really an option.
The bathroom was also not so great. The plumbing must be really out of date because our showers kept switching to freezing cold and then back to scalding, with no in between whatsoever.
The hotel has its charm and is in a great location, but I don't think I'd stay here again. -
Review from Calvin L.
9/21/2008
The pluses are the location (next to Stanley Park and Denman and Davie streets... we got to just walk down the street to walk around Stanley Park, do laundry, pick up water, buy souvenirs, go to restaurants), the character of the building (vines growing on the front, old fashioned sitting room), the size of the room we had (two queens, a sofa bed, desk, tv, and another room with a twin bed!), the great views (for us it was the buildings around us and a little bit of Burrard Inlet), parking (you need to pay but boy is it convenient to not worry about it), friendly and helpful staff, free Internet access, and good price (150-200 depending on the number of people in the room).
The minuses are that the rooms are a bit old (so you get that old smell), the outlets are a bit loose, the hallways a bit dim, no microwave in our room, bed with not enough coils, one window did not stay open, elevators were a bit creaky.
Overall, I'm happy with the choice but I can see how people who want to be pampered wouldn't be as happy. It depends on your taste. -
Review from Alexander B.
8/31/2010 1 Check-in Here
I stay here every time I visit. Just a cool old hotel in a great location. Yes, not so great food, old smelly walls, disfunctional elevators, and old tvs. That all makes up the great character this hotel possesses. If you like old ones, this is a must. Location!
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Review from Jane D.
2/7/2011
The atmosphere is quaint, sort of like the Hotel at Harrison Hot Springs, but the location is good, and the rooms are a good size, even though they are old fashioned.. But the little elevators sort of bothered me, and I just wasn't completely comfortable with going up and down. I know other folks love it, so perhaps that old charm will be just what you are looking for.
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Review from Brendan M.
8/23/2009
The Sylvia Hotel has approximately two big things going for it: price and location. Being an older hotel, the Sylvia presents guests with a strange combination of antiquated and updated features.
Blasts from the past (some annoying, some not):
You have to leave the key at the front desk when you leave the building, then ask for it when you return. It's an actual key, not a keycard. You can take the stairs down to the lobby, but the only way up from the lobby (for security reasons) is the elevator. The elevators are slow and small. The rooms do not have air conditioning, so don't stay at the Sylvia Hotel during a heat wave. The television is pretty small. The sprinkler pipes protrude from the wall and hang from the ceiling like, well, a retrofitted older building. Some of the power outlets are loose, so electronic devices come unplugged easily. (But at least they accept plugs with a grounding pins.) The bathrooms don't have exhaust fans, or much counter space. The paint has a weird texture -- visible from across the room -- much like stiff cupcake frosting. The baseboards have seen better days. The walls bulge in odd places. I assume the building has been retrofitted with earthquake protection features, but I don't know for sure.
Newer features:
The furniture looks fairly new -- beds, table, chairs, nightstand, dresser... Fairly typical for a mid-price hotel. They even have faux headboards glued to the wall. The carpeting looks new. The telephone and alarm clock are standard hotel fare. There is, in theory, wireless Internet access available, but it's not a secure connection, and it's VERY unreliable. I wasn't able to connect for the entire first day of our stay. On the second day, I was able to connect sporadically, but there were many times when my network connection status suddenly changed to "limited or no connectivity."
Other things that I liked (+) or disliked (-):
(+) Nice views of English Bay, the Davie & Denman intersection, and nearby buildings (depending on what room you're in).
(+) Spacious rooms. Our room, 704, had two queen beds and a small table with four chairs. There was a lot of room to move around, much more than I expected.
(-) Ice is available on the main level, and you have to ask for a bucket at the front desk.
(-) Hard water. Wash your hands, and you'll never get that thin film to go away completely.
(-) The water in the shower can suddenly go from hot to very cold, and back again, with no warning.
For what it's worth, I never felt unsafe during my stay, and the overall feel of the hotel is neither seedy nor run-down, but some of the outdated features are truly annoying. On the other hand, the price and location are worth keeping in mind. -
Review from Victoria R.
BC
11/14/2008
The building dates back to 1912. That is just one special feature of the boutique hotel that many tourists love. The other? The location. The corner building has ocean views. The decor is being updated but it's still fairly old-school. So you won't find flat-screen tv's or fancy appliances in the rooms. And some of the rooms still offer a smoking environment (which is strange for Vancouver). The building is about eight floors and offers suites as well as independent rooms. Room 801 is a corner room that is the most spacious in the hotel. It's a 180 degree view of the ocean, overlooking English Bay -- something to consider for a fireworks night.
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Review from Abbey B.
8/12/2010
I haven't had problems with this hotel in the past but this time I came was enough to put me off ever coming back. The staff mixed up our room confirmation, blamed US for it, knew our car lights were on all night but didn't tell us so we had a dead car in the morning and were generally very rude. I give two stars here because of past experiences that were good, but this trip deserves one or less.
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Review from OLIVER D.
8/11/2010
Old world beach front hotel from another era. The rooms and hallways smell mold like and musty. The furniture and electronics not even close to competiton. Wi Fi slower than dog boop. Elevators out of order every other day. Not my cup of tea for the money.
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Review from Steven V.
Surrey, BC
2/18/2010
English Bay on an early weekend morning is a perfect combination with the brunch at the Sylvia Hotel. I have had their brunch a number of times and its have consistently good. The service is also very good and the atmosphere in the hotel is really cool.
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Review from Denice R.
2/12/2009
I just love this hotel and have been a guest for many years. What I love about this hotel is its LOCATION across the street from English Bay, its unpretentious quaintness, and its quiet simplicity. This old hotel has an air of history and is blanketed in ages of ivy growth. It feels as comfortable and welcoming as a heated bath towel. It's by far not the fanciest or most modern hotel in Vancouver and it doesn't offer a bunch of amenities. But for me that's part of its charm. It's clean and simple, classic and maturely elegant. I also like that it's on the outskirts of downtown but within walking distance of everything. It's just lovely!
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Review from Stacey E.
1/3/2009
If you want a recent review, we are currently in our room right now. Our stay has been great so far. We booked over the phone and the reservation process went smoothly. Our room is on the 6th floor with a view of English Bay (I can't believe we got this for $100 a night on new years day!). The room is clean, tasteful in decor with sturdy brass fixtures and solid antique furniture. They provide soap and a hairdryer but make sure you pack everything else, the free swag is pretty bare bones.
