Recommendations for Anchorage & Vancouver

Col200sx

Will be there for 3 weeks in June, and looking to book a hotel in Vancouver and Anchorage.

Has anybody been? Any recommendations please?

Not looking for anything 5*, just something nice, trustworthy and in the city too please.

Also is there anything that's a "must-do" while there.

Thanks a mil:)

spurious

Don't miss the Granville Island Market in Vancouver.
I really liked the aquarium in Stanley park too.

mikedragon32

I stayed in the Coast Plaza in Vancouver. It's just beside Stanley Park and within easy walking distance of the city. The rooms are quite basic, however they are big and comfortable.

There are some great coffee shops and bars in the area around the hotel too.

LiamMc

Boutique hotel in Downtown Vancouver

The Victorian Hotel, Homer Street.
http://www.victorianhotel.ca/hotel_tour.html

Summer Rates
http://www.victorianhotel.ca/rates_summer.html

It's just in a townhouse, rooms vary in size. Of the two rooms our group used, the large double or king-sized bed took up most of the room in one of them. It's like being a guest in someones home. Breakfast is just on small tables in the lobby. Freindly staff, no problems.
Chinese area and Gasworks(?) nearby, that last area is horrendously touristy (I am not too familiar with North America cities). It is older area chock-full of souvenir shops, better for the last day than the first when I was there.

There's a park in the south of the city near a river where there is walking, cycling and other movements.

Vancouver Island is nice, there are wilderness areas. Victoria town is an English planned town so there are gardens that can be visited. Again, well catered for tourists, although it gets more workmanlike on the top of the hill. Warehouse of 'outfitters'.
It can be done in a daytrip with a tour bus, pick-up from selected Vancouver hotels.

(I realise COL200sx may be flying between cities) However if you have any time getting out on the water is recommended.
Tours of the Puget Sound archipeligo should be interesting, the water around there is Ocean depth so up along British Colombia there is plenty of wildlife (Whales and seals) bears on the land.

B.C. Ferries run services all over that area
http://www.bcferries.com/ . It's possible to go all the way up to Alaska and connect up with another great ferry company Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/index.shtml the service is treated like buses to get people around the Alaska South East region. They have National Forest Park(?) or other State organisations giving nature lectures on these boats. The AMHS connects with the south of the main part Alaska, Valdez and that area.

Because the ferry routes run between the islands and less on the open ocean, it tends to be a very gentle experience. There is nature all around.

I have not been to Alaska proper (just S. E. Alaska, Kethikan, Juneau etc) but I would say there is organised kayaking, walking and other outdoor activities anywhere you go. The summer season is very short for everyone, it necessary to book berths on Ferries and hotel beds around now if you are going in the summer.

It you are returning from Anchorage by plane to somewhere in North America, chances are other passengers will be checking in the fish they have caught on their trip. That was happening on an Air Alaska Juneau - Seattle flight I was getting on.

Col200sx

@ LiamMc: Thanks a mil, that's plenty of info there. Fair play. Will check out those websites:)

We're actually staying in Vancouver for few nights, then boarding a cruiseship sailing to Seward.

Will check out Anchorage before flying back south.

And to top it off, renting a car and driving through the Rockies:D

spurious wrote: »

Don't miss the Granville Island Market in Vancouver.
I really liked the aquarium in Stanley park too.

Oooooooh cool, an aquarium. Will definitely check that out. Every time I'm in a city with one, I always check out the aquarium. Thanks for that:)

mikedragon32 wrote: »

I stayed in the Coast Plaza in Vancouver. It's just beside Stanley Park and within easy walking distance of the city. The rooms are quite basic, however they are big and comfortable.

There are some great coffee shops and bars in the area around the hotel too.

Perfect, just the kinda thing we're looking for. Not too flash, but also where there's a bit of life too. Thanks:)

littletiger

In Anchorage 4th and 5th street is where the shopping district is located. All the chain hotels around that area are pretty much the same - just look for the best price. The sheraton and marriott are probably most popular.

You will probably need a car to get around. It's a pretty sprawling city.

There are lots of lodges outside the city on the Seward highway and all around. They can be a little hit and miss.

As a city Anchorage is not a pretty place.
If you want to see Alaska you need to get out of Anchorage and head North but if yo only have a few days you should go south to somewhere like Seward and do a Kenai Fjords trip and visit Exit Glacier. It's touristy but well worth it. Seward is about a 2.5 hour drive from Anchorage and the scenery on the trip is lovely.