Where to stay in Vancouver

Neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood guidance for Vancouver, Canada: which areas suit which travellers, what they cost, and the stays we list in each.

• Coquitlam (2) — Lafarge Lake, new towers Mostly a base for visiting family; Lafarge Lake's light display is the winter draw. The Korean restaurants along North Road are the best reason to make the trip.
• New Westminster (2) — Riverfront, heritage brick The old colonial capital on the Fraser, with a boardwalk, the River Market and the region's cheapest heritage hotels. Thirty minutes to downtown.
• West Vancouver (4) — Waterfront houses, Ambleside The Seawalk from Ambleside to Dundarave is the prettiest flat stroll in the region. Almost no hotels — mostly rentals — and little to do after 9pm.
• North Vancouver (3) — SeaBus, Grouse, the Shipyards Twelve minutes across the harbour by SeaBus, with the Shipyards night market and Lonsdale Quay at the dock. The trailhead for Grouse Mountain, Lynn Canyon and Capilano.
• Gastown (3) — Cobblestones, brick warehouses The oldest blocks in the city, now restaurants, bars and design shops.
• Yaletown (4) — Loft conversions, marina Brick warehouses turned into restaurants along a False Creek marina.
• Mount Pleasant (3) — Breweries, murals Main Street's restaurants and a cluster of breweries a few blocks east.
• Kitsilano (3) — Beach, wooden houses A beach with mountain views and a long strip of shops on West 4th.
• Point Grey & UBC (3) — Campus, forest, beaches Spanish Banks and Wreck Beach at the tip of the peninsula, the Museum of Anthropology, and student-run cafés. Far from any nightlife.
• West End (4) — English Bay, Davie Street Between Stanley Park and English Bay, with Denman and Davie Streets for food. The most walkable base in the city and the classic first-visit address.
• Burnaby (3) — Metrotown towers, SkyTrain Metrotown is Canada's second-largest mall with hotels attached, twenty minutes to downtown on the Expo Line. Cheaper than the city for the same access.
• Richmond (3) — Night market, dim sum, Steveston Next to YVR on the Canada Line, so a genuine option before an early flight. The best Chinese food in North America along No. 3 Road, and Steveston's fishing village at the south end.

• Fairmont Pacific Rim — Coal Harbour ($$). Harbor views, live jazz lobby, walk to Canada Place
• Rosewood Hotel Georgia — Downtown ($$). 1927 landmark two blocks from Robson shopping
• The Sylvia Hotel — West End ($). Ivy-covered heritage inn on English Bay
• Skwachàys Lodge — Downtown Eastside ($). Indigenous-owned boutique with commissioned art
• Yaletown condos — Yaletown ($). Waterfront seawall, patio dining, skytrain to BC Place
• Kitsilano beach houses — Kitsilano ($). Surf-town vibes across the bridge from downtown

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