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Review of the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel Vancouver
Aug 15, 2010
What the ads/website doesn't tell you is that:
a) there is a nightclub attached to the building that has live "music" 7
nights a week... we were there for 2 nights - Monday and Tuesday - and
each night the "music" played until at least 1:00 am
b) "free parking" - there is a small lot (approx 20 cars) that is locked
up at midnight each night; on our second night there, we arrived back at
the hotel at 10:30 pm and it was locked; the desk clerk said the lot was
full; our room overlooked the lot and there were still a number of spots
empty; we ended up having to park in a deserted public parking lot
across the street that was unlit and untended - needless to say my
husband and I both had nightmares of a stolen/vandalized vehicle
c) "complimentary breakfast" - is served in a long closed down dining
room; you are provided with stale bread (honest) for toast, corn flakes
or cheerios, orange juice, coffee/tea; the furniture is in horrendous
condition - the fabric worn through to the foam core, exposed staples,
pins, nails
The photos on the website are from it's better days - truly not accurate
of the property today...
While the neighborhood to the north/east/west is okay, the immediate
vicinity is quite dodgy... as mentioned the nightclub with the hard
pounding music nightly, many homeless/street people (so many that the
lobby is also locked at midnight)... when we arrived back one night,
there was a guy in a rage over some issue who was swearing, throwing
things at the wall and stomping on something... we stayed in the car in
the vacant parking lot until he was leaving - it was only then that the
"security guard" came out to see what the commotion was about...
While the price was "reasonable", it truly was not a comfortable
experience for the two evenings... better to pay more and feel safe!
Review of the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel Vancouver
Jul 28, 2010
I stayed for 7 days as i was visiting friends. i had booked and paid for
the upgrade. when i checked in i was given the normal queen room. the
next day i went down and requested I be put in the upgraded room and the
staff member tried to tell me that my reservation had been cancelled.
turns out he had made a mistake - no apology though! i was given the
upgrade at that time. the original room was small and stuffy and didn't
really have a good view of the city. the bed rolled away when i went to
sit on it. the sheets were old and un-ironed. the upgraded roo was
bright and had a nice view of the Rockies! it had a flat screen TV, the
sheets were new and ironed. the bed didn't move! the room was much
better quality for an extra CAD$35 for the week. the upgrade also has a
microwave and mini fridge! the free breakfast was pretty poor. the one
day i went for it at 9am most things had run out.. i wouldn't recommend
it. internet connection was good. it is not very close to downtown. its
about 2 bus rides away. 1 to Cambie st then one from there to downtown -
still only takes about 15 mins to get downtown. or from Cambie st you
could walk. its only 1 bus to the amtrak/ VIA rail/ greyhound station
from right at the hotel door! there are some nice cafes and shops right
near the hotel and a bar just behind it on prince Edward st where live
bands play. there is a small shopping centre nearby. it felt like a
pretty safe area. i walked back late on my own from the bus stop late at
night most nights with no problems at all. i wouldn't recommend eating
at the hotel bar. it was pretty average food. you can walk down the road
and get heaps better food. if you want to stay downtown then i would
recommend looking elsewhere. but if you are not fussed about that and
want it to be cheaper in price then i would recommend this place. it was
a lot cheaper than the
Howard Johnson
Hotel Downtown Vancouver
Review of the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel Vancouver
Jul 20, 2010
The room was small but very nice. The continental breakfast was very
nice - it included eggs and toast which was a surprise. However, we were
charged $3.00 for Internet usage which did not happen and unfortunately
only noticed the charge upon our arrival home.
Review of the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel Vancouver
July 4, 2010
My stay in the Hotel was absolutely ok. I think their rate is really low
for what you get and you are close to downtown with the bus just out the
door. Rooms are clean and staff helped me out a lot. I also liked the
free internet in the rooms.
Review of the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel Vancouver
June 20, 2010
Stayed for a month here, and i chose this hotel as it was the cheapest
in all of the Vancouver area, almost half the price! The cleaning
service was terrific, very friendly and helpful. The hotel itself is old
and has awkward layouts, needs alot of improvements. My biggest
complaint is that there is a nightclub in the basement, and staying on
the 6th floor wasn't far enough, be prepared to hear loud music until
2am every night! The walls are thin, and you can hear your neighbors
conversations. Also you have to get a code to use the internet everyday,
and asking everyday for that code at the desk was very annoying.
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