Have Baby Will Travel’s trip reports for British Columbia are organized alphabetically by city or region within the Province. Simply scroll down to read them all. Each trip report has been provided to Have Baby Will Travel in hopes of giving other parents a clearer picture of what to expect when traveling to British Columbia with a baby or toddler.
(10 reports)
VANCOUVER: HYATT REGENCY VANCOUVER
December 2008
C.L. & Family (Baby 18mos.)
I stayed at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver for 2 nights before getting on a cruise ship. The hotel was in a very good location directly next to a sky train station and very close to Robson street. I booked our room using Priceline after reading a few reviews online and I paid 175 a night when most all hotels including Best Westerns were going 175+.
I arrived with my wife and son at 11 a.m. on a Friday morning and was able to check in right away with no problem at all. I had room 907, which was one of two rooms per floor with a balcony. The rooms were extremely clean. I walked the room, lobby an hallways repeatedly with my 18-month-old son in our sock and they only showed the slighted amounts of dirt, so I was very comfortable letting my son crawl or walk around the room.
The room was well appointed and the beds were comfortable. The staff was extremely professional and friendly. They took care of whatever I needed right away. The only thing I didn’t care for was that there was a lot of corners and edges in the room (the dressers and the desk) that I covered up with extra towels incase my little one took a header into them.
I would absolutely stay here again. If I didn’t have a toddler I wouldn’t have had anything – no matter how minor – to say about this hotel.
VANCOUVER: OPUS HOTEL
July 2008
Nora & Family
Great little boutique hotel w/stylish rooms, friendly/helpful staff & in close proximity to trendy dining area & coffee shops. The rooms aren’t huge but they are tastefully designed. Bathroom was spacious & featured wall to ceiling windows. Make sure to use the privacy blinds as the neighbors truly can see in the windows.
We were a little skeptical about noise at first given that there is some construction going on nearby & after we heard that the hotel’s bar/restaurant is a popular nightspot. Neither posed a problem. That being said, we were certainly in the minority as we were traveling with an infant. Most guests appeared to be youngish couples w/the occasional business traveler. However, we were pleasantly surprised when we requested a crib in the room that they not only provided the crib but a baby toiletry bag & baby book. Thoughtful touches.
All in all we thoroughly enjoyed our 4 nights at the Opus. Everyone that we encountered was genuinely nice & helpful, the room was stylish & comfortable, the location was just right and the price was very fair given what we got for it. I expect that we’ll be back to Opus on our next trip to Vancouver.
VANCOUVER: TIMES SQUARE SUITES
July 2007
K.D. & Family (Baby 1yr.)
We stayed at the Times Square with our 1-year-old daughter in July 2007. We had a wonderful stay and they provided us with a crib, highchair and everything else we needed for her. The rooms were clean and well appointed with everything we needed for the stay. We stayed in a suite with one-bedroom which was great because we could put our daughter to sleep and still stay up watching TV. It was quite warm outside but we found that the air conditioning in the bedroom was sufficient and our room was generally quite cool.
It was great to have the washing machine in the room as this came in very handy with an infant.
We would definitely stay at the Time Square Suites on our next trip to Vancouver
VICTORIA: ROYAL SCOT SUITE HOTEL
July 2007
K.D. & Family (Baby 1yr.)
We decided to stay at the Royal Scot Suites after reading some the wonderful reviews. We wish we hadn’t stayed here. We came from a wonderful hotel in Vancouver and were very disappointed with the Royal Scot. We had our 1-year-old daughter with us and the floor was so dirty and stained that I did not want her crawling on it. We even attempted to find other accommodations but were only staying two nights.
The location of the hotel was the best part. It was easy access to all tourist locations. We also had a wonderful breakfast in the dinning room. Other than that our stay was terrible. I wouldn’t recommend this hotel to anyone. We found the room to be quite outdated and dirty. The carpet was stained as was the furniture. We called the front desk to ask if they had a room with cleaner carpet, as my daughter wanted to get around, and they told us all the rooms were the same. We took our daughter in the shower and were almost burned as the water went from hot to cold. (Tub was also dirty/stained so we opted not to bath her). We called to have someone repair it. He came and fixed something and left muddy footprints throughout the bathroom. The problem still occurred the next morning (we bathed our daughter at a family members home instead). I informed the front desk of the problem again upon check out but they didn’t seem concerned that we had not had a good stay.
The room was also very warm and there is no air conditioning. Not so nice on hot summer days.
We asked for a crib and highchair. We had to phone twice before we got them and the highchair needed to be cleaned before I could put my daughter in it.
I filled out a comment card and talked to front desk staff about the problems with our stay but nobody seemed too concerned and we still paied full price for our room and were not contacted by management. We would never stay here again!!!!
VICTORIA: ROYAL SCOT SUITE HOTEL
December 2006
Prairie & family
We spent our Christmas vacation at the Scot and can’t say enough good about it!
Here’s our story,
We had an accommodation budget of $100/night for a week in Victoria for 2 adults and active 3yr old. Eating 3 meals in a restaurant with a toddler can try everyone’s patience, so we needed a light housekeeping suite.
We booked the Royal Scot in the fall during their Fall sale, and got a basic room for only $95 dollars a night, but because we were staying over 2 days, we got a free upgrade to a studio suite with a kitchenette!
HINT: We found hotel websites are rarely up to date and often say they are fully booked when they aren’t! We emailed the Scot on a whim and a prayer as it was so highly rated and the only hotel we could find with a pool and LHK. Hotel staff told us about the great deal!
The entire staff are amazing but top marks to front desk folks and the shuttle service people! They never miss a beat! Cleaning staff are very approachable, considerate, and hard-working, but they have a really busy day, so call the front desk if you need anything and they will have your problem solved within minutes!
The 3rd floor studio suite was heaven!
The mattresses are a dream! Even the sofa bed is amazingly comfy. The rooms are fresh and the kitchenette has all the basics you need, including salt and pepper!
We spent our first night in pure luxury in our lovely room, but woke up the next day with a sick toddler. The front desk arranged for the shuttle to take us up to the James Bay walk in medical clinic (you’ll be in an out in minutes! – pharmacy right next door or in the Thrifty Mart if you need a few groceries).
Our toddler had Chicken Pox! They were done within the week, and thankfully didn’t bother him much, but we still had to quarantine him in the suite for the majority of the visit. Thanks to the sofa bed, visits from his much adored Grandma and Auntie, and Treehouse TV, he couldn’t have been happier! The staff were very understanding and helped us carefully exchange our bedding and towels so that we didn’t infect anyone else in the hotel, including the housekeepers. They were very professional and considerate about everything.
Clearly we can see why this hotel is such a hit with so many folks and they have such a popular long-stay program. It really does make you want to stay longer.
My Three top hints for staying at this hotel are:
HINT: Use the shuttle service – it’s fast, it’s free, and it saves your feet. The shuttle drivers are great guys. Take a card to call them when you are downtown loaded with shopping and tired feet!
HINT: Volunteer to do the laundry! It’s right next to the Pool so you can easily slip into the hot tub or swimming pool while you wait! Or do a little exercise in the exercise room, or play billiards or shuffle board or relax in the games room, or use the computer down the hallway. Great amenities!
HINT: If you are super busy, or super lazy, cleaning staff will wash your dishes when you are paying a daily rate! Who knew? What service!
Thanks to all for such a lovely Christmas holiday!
WHISTLER: DELTA VILLAGE WHISTLER SUITES
May 2007
Brian & Family (Baby 10mos.)
I booked a weekend for my wife and my 10-month-old son at the Delta and we were ecstatic with everything we experienced from check-in to check-out. I travel a great deal on business and have traveled extensively worldwide for pleasure. Without a doubt, the level of service we received was as good as any hotel I have ever stayed in, anywhere at any price…period. Jamie was delightful when she checked-us in and noted that we had one child on our reservation, she asked how old and if it was a boy or girl and then promptly disappeared and reappeared with a little gift package for him. She asked if the room we had booked had the right configuration, I told her that we tried to book a larger bed but that Expedia indicated there weren’t any available. A few keystrokes later and we had the bed we wanted.
Jamie also mentioned that the spring swimming pool and fitness centre renovations were to be completed by the first morning of our stay but that if we wished to use any facilities, they had arranged guest passes for the Fairmount Whistler in the meantime.
The room was a suite with a full kitchen, including stove, oven, microwave, dishwasher, kettle, coffeemaker, toaster, fridge and freezer. It also had all the utensils and dishes needed. We left the “room service” doorhanger outside our room before retiring to bed, we elected to select the “cook your own” breakfast. The next morning precisely to the minute we requested breakfast, two platters arrived with eggs, bagels, condiments, bacon, juice etc. for us to cook. This type of set-up is perfect for breakfast with an infant.
The bedding was extremely nice, the bed was incredibly comfortable and the bedroom was very quiet.
Each person on staff we met was very helpful, cheerful and had a sincere desire to help in anyway possible. Great training!
We also noticed little “cat/dog” magnets on some of the guestroom doors with the name of the “pet” staying at the hotel…it was a nice little touch for those traveling with their animals (Whistler is an extremely dog friendly place).
We would wholeheartedly recommend this hotel and look forward to returning.
WHISTLER: NORTH STAR AT STONEY CREEK CONDOS
August 2007
Catherine & Family
We stayed at this property with my sister’s family in August 2007. Unit #36 is a 2-bedroom, 2-level condo. The master bedroom has a queen bed with its own door to the shared bathroom; the 2nd bedroom has a bunk bed with a double mattress on the bottom and a twin on top. There is a full kitchen, 2 bathrooms (one with shower stall, the other has a jetted tub), and a sofabed in the living room. We were disappointed to find that the described TV and VCR in the unit was actually a TV/VCR combo that had a 13″ screen — tiny by today’s standards! There’s a balcony off the living room with patio furniture and a really small charcoal barbecue. I’d suggest you bring your own if you’d like to barbecue. There were plenty of dishes and cutlery in the kitchen and plenty of extra towels and blankets stowed elsewhere.
As another reviewer mentioned, there is no A/C in this property so we brought a small fan along but we didn’t really need it; we just didn’t use blankets at night. The window in the master bedroom in this particular unit doesn’t open. It’s screwed shut — probably because if it were to open, children could climb the window sill and fall out. It’s also worth mentioning that the vertical blinds do not block out the light so I was glad that I’d brought dark curtains along and used clothespins to attach them.
We had 2 babies and a toddler with us, which meant we had a lot of baby gear to unload. The stairwell from the underground parking lot to the ground level was narrow and the door is always locked so it’s best to unload all your things by parking your car temporarily on the street. Once on the ground level, you still have to climb a flight of stairs to get to your unit. All 2-bedroom units in this property are like this. Every time we would go out for a walk, we’d have to haul the stroller down the stairs to the ground level before we could set out. It’s a bit inconvenient but tolerable.
We’d stay in this property again, but would prefer to book one of the 1-bedroom units on the ground level next time.
WHISTLER: PAN PACIFIC WHISTLER VILLAGE
May 2007
Louise & family (baby 15 mos.)
We stayed for 2 nights in a one bedroom suite in May 2007. We were traveling with my 15-month-old son and he was well catered for. A crib was put in our room and it was a proper wooden crib (rather than a travel cot/playpen thing) complete with a selection of baby toiletries!
It was out of season so the hotel was really quiet. The staff were friendly and very attentive. The valet parking was great. The breakfasts were fab – included in the price of the room. The gym is good too. It’s certainly a nice place to stay and close to the village. Not sure how it would fare in peak season but it suited us.
WHISTLER & QUADRA ISLAND
Gillian & Family (baby 9mos.)
My husband and I, and our two sons, 9 mth and 4 years, had a fabulous holiday in British Columbia a few years ago. We travelled from Sydney – so some people thought we were mad considering such a long trip with small kids, but it was the best holiday ever. Some kid friendly highlights include:
* Not rushing – we spent 5 – 7 days in each location. The kids settled in, we could relax and really enjoy where we were. We could get into sensible sleeping patterns and my husband and I had turns at staying in while the Mitchell, the 9 mth old, had an afternoon nap. Lots of quality time with each kid, together and individually, and we even had time to sit and read a good book, or have an afternoon siesta while Mitchell slept. That is what holidays are about!
* Whistler in the summer time. My children hadn’t seen snow, and, I am not a skier, so the thought of going to a ski resort in winter, with little kids, left me cold. However, Whistler in summer is fantastic! Sunny, warm, swimming pools, activities, shops, forests. AND only a gondola ride away from glaciers, snow capped mountains and the Best Hot Chocolate in the world (according to my son). The ride up the mountain was so much fun we did it three times. Building snowmen at lunch time, but warm sunshine and a dip in the pool before dinner. Magic.
* House Swaps. We spent a week at Quadra Island, off Vancouver Island. Very small village – lovely people, forests, beaches, sea kayaking. And we didn’t pay a cent. We used the HomeLink web site, but there are few groups that offer house swaps. House swaps can be hosted (ie you stay with the owners) – which is what we did. We stayed in their guest cabin, on the water front. We keep in touch, and one day, we will host them in Sydney. You have to be very trusting and easy-going ….. but what a great way to see the world, meet great people, and not spend too much money.
WHISTLER: SUNDIAL BOUTIQUE HOTEL
April 2006
Mike & family (baby 4mos.)
The Sundial is a relatively new hotel where it was completely gutted and renovated. The hotel is nicely appointed and well designed. My wife and I brought our 4 month old baby with us on this ski/snowboard trip and the staff at the Sundial were awesome with all of our “baby” requests – i.e. playpen, stroller storage, bath needs, etc.
As for location, there are probably 4-5 hotels within 50 yards of the main lifts at Whistler Village – and Sundial is one of them! I can’t tell you how great it was to snowboard to the bottom of the village and walk less than 50 yards to the hotel and change into some jeans and be back for après at one of the bars – all within 10 minutes!
We highly recommend the Sundial and will definitely be back this winter!
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