Ah, what to say about Vancouver, one of the world’s most livable cities and Alex’s hometown? Yet also one with some of the highest income to property ratios in the world, with data suggesting that you need a family income of over $200,000 to afford a home? As noted earlier, Canadians will need to be spending time exploring our own backyards, and in my humble opinion, there is no place more beautiful in Canada than Vancouver (note I have also not been east of Quebec City, so my opinion is colored). The city possessions a wide array of both natural and manmade attractions and boasts some of the best sushi outside of Japan.

Vancouver is a Fantastic Destination

Unlike most of Canada, such as Toronto, Vancouver has extremely mild weather, dipping rarely below freezing and rising not about 25 degrees Celsius, or 77 degrees Fahrenheit if you prefer a system that is completely arbitrary. While I will be writing another article on this, the best times to visit are during the wintertime (Nov – Jan) to partake in North America’s greatest winter sports locations, or during the summer (June – Sept) to explore the city’s vast cultural and natural beauty. To go during other times would be to experience the city’s nickname “Raincouver”.

Vancouver’s natural beauty is on full display in its many parks, such as Queen Elizabeth and Stanley Park, its stunning waterfronts, such as English Bay and Steveston, and its mountains, such as Grouse, and Whistler. Concurrently, the city boasts of many indoor attractions, such as the Museum of Anthropology at UBC (#proudalumni), a Science museum aptly named Science World, and most importantly nearly world-class shopping at Robson Street (*experiences may differ in 2021*).

How to get to Vancouver Using Miles and Points

Vancouver’s proximity to Asia, and its close cultural ties, mean that there are a plethora of flights from Asia. Star Alliance devotees can fly Air Canada, Air China, Eva Air to and from Asia from a variety of destinations, Oneworld loyalists can only fly from Japan or Hong Kong, and Skyteam doesn’t matter (all jokes aside, given that there are no easy ways for Canadians to partake outside of Westjet’s non-existent loyalty program, we’ll skip over it).

Domestically, Vancouver is a major hub for both Air Canada and Westjet, Canadians should be well covered through either of those programs. Should there be seats available, Air Canada will charge 12.5K points for a one-way economy ticket, or 25k for a business class seat; Westjet, having recently wrecked its member-exclusive fares, will charge as much as the market will let them, although summer flights will easily eclipse $600 during a non-pandemic year.

For Americans aiming to visit Canada, Vancouver is definitely well covered by all the major Airlines.        

1. Alaska has flights from its Portland and Seattle hubs

2. Delta, a Westjet Partner, services Vancouver from Seattle, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis, and Atlanta

3. American services Vancouver from Los Angeles, Phoenix, Chicago, and Dallas

4. United and Air Canada, Star Alliance partners, have flights from basically every major US city to Vancouver

All of these airlines have frequent flyer programs: Sweetspots include paying 5,000 Alaska Points for a flight from Seattle to Vancouver, 12,500 Delta points for a Westjet flight to Vancouver, or 12,500 Aeroplan on Air Canada or United.

Where to stay in Vancouver?

Vancouver’s size, popularity with tourists, especially to start cruises, its design as a conference hub based on legacy Olympic venues means there are a lot of choices for places to stay. Prefer the hustle and bustle? A hotel in Downtown Vancouver would be suitable. Enjoy nature? A stay in some of Canada’s best mountain hotels might be suited for you. Looking for deals? Look to near the airport in Richmond or Burnaby for some of the cheaper, but more accessible options.

For downtown hotels, the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver is a great choice if you prefer a more modern, slightly flashier taste. While maybe overrated as a category 6 Marriott Bonvoy hotel, the rates can easily reach $500 a night, but with status, access to one of North America’s best lounges, and an outstanding hotel gym it’s likely the best choice for a Marriott Bonvoy hotel in the city if your budget can afford it. Personally, both Nick and I enjoyed the décor, as did Ricky in his review.

Nick’s personal favorite option is the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre is located in a more central location, although is slightly older (with recently renovated rooms). Have been there for many a conference, I am impressed by the sheer size of the hotel, although during the pandemic part of the hotel has been shut down. The hotel treats Marriott Bonvoy elites really well (currently offering breakfast and two drinks in the lounge) which makes it well worth directing business towards.  

That said, the hotel is only $99 a night on stays longer than 5 nights right now, an absolute steal for Vancouver. That said, some nights are pricing at ~$250, which is pretty typical for summer in Vancouver, which makes this hotel a great option for those looking to explore the city and use their Free Night Certificates.

Another honorable mention for downtown is the Westin Bayshore given its prime location on the waterfront. Located near Stanley Park, and with a pool facing the mountains, it’s a great option, especially if you’re traveling with kids.

That said, the Westin Bayshore is expensive on points! It’s much better value to spend the money on a night, at about $275, rather than use 60k points.

Nick has also stayed in the Westin Wall Centre, Vancouver Airport, which provides a convenient, clean option that also treats its elites very well. For those #avgeeks out there, the Westin Wall Centre has great rooms right on the flight path of Vancouver International Airport.

While Marriot Bonvoy has an extensive set of hotels in Vancouver, the main competitors, Hyatt and Hilton are lacking in that regard. While Hilton has a rather expensive, but average, resort in Whistler, they only have the Hilton Vancouver and Hampton Inn & Suites Vancouver Downtown on offer within the vicinity of downtown Vancouver.

The Hilton Vancouver has already moved past COVID-19 pricing and gone straight back to almost normal pricing, offering rooms over $250 this summer, or about 60K Hilton Honors points a night. Even worse, the limited-service Hampton offers the same prices as the HIlton Vancouver.

Hyatt on the other hand has an even more limited selection of properties, with just one, the Hyatt Regency Vancouver, in the Metro. Running just under $300 a night, it’s a better deal in my opinion to use a Hyatt Free Night Certificate from their US credit card, 12,000 Hyatt points a night, or even cash + points for us Hyatt starved Canadians.

Outside of the main three programs, it may make sense to book with Hotels.com, as there are dozens of unbranded 3 to 4-star hotels in the city, much more than other major cities in the country (does anyone know why?).

There are a few options in Vancouver to consider if one is not collecting points in any other loyalty program. Booking through Hotels.com will allow you to get 10% back on each booking (1 night free after 10th night), although there is the slight risk that you will be “walked” if the hotel has overbooked.

Choice Hotels has Hotel Belmont, a 25k point a night hotel that actually seems pretty cool for Choice, and may be an option through Hotels.com in the future for me.

On the other end of the scale is Fairmont, with 4 hotels (including the airport hotel) in the city. The Fairmont Pacific Rim is likely one of the best hotels in the country and with the amazing Le Labo toiletries (seriously they go for extreme amounts on Ebay), I highly recommend checking it out if it’s within your budget.

The Point

Vancouver is the place to be this summer, with hotels prices approaching normal territory, this may be the last “quiet” summer for the city before the international tourists return for 2022. My advice, book as soon as possible but hold off until early September if you can for slightly cheaper flights and hotels with the same (and possibly cooler) summer weather. Regardless, you won’t want to skip out on Vancouver; there will be an article about what to do in Vancouver shortly!

- Alex Qu