VANCOUVER - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 95

DOWNTOWN
Under $50
As you may imagine, the only downtown accommodations in this price range are backpack-
er lodges. For those on a budget, they are a great way to stay in the heart of the action and
to mingle with like-minded travelers from around the world.
HI-Vancouver Downtown (1114 Burnaby St., 604/684-4565, www.hihostels.ca ; dorm:
members $35, nonmembers $39; private room: $92-102 s or d) is typical of the new-look
facilities operated by Hostelling International, the world's largest and longest-running net-
work of backpacker accommodations. The complex offers a large kitchen, library, game
room, public Internet access, a travel agency, bike rentals, bag storage, and a laundry. The
dormitories hold a maximum of four beds but are small. Rates include a light breakfast and
wireless Internet.
HI-Vancouver Central (1025 Granville St., 604/685-5335 or 877/203-4461,
www.hihostels.ca ; dorm: members $37-47, nonmembers $40-52) is renovated hotel com-
plete with its own downstairs bar. As you'd expect, it's more of a party atmosphere than the
HI hostel on Burnaby Street, and a lot more so than the hostel at Jericho Beach in Kitsilano.
Privately owned backpacker lodges in Vancouver come and go with predictable regu-
larity. Many should be avoided. One exception is Samesun Vancouver (1018 Granville
St., 604/682-8226 or 877/972-6378, www.samesun.com , $32 dorm, $90-100 s or d), which
is excellent in all respects. Typical of inner-city hostels the world over, rooms in this old
four-story building are small, but each has been tastefully decorated, and the communal
lounge and kitchen areas serve guests well. Other facilities include a separate TV room and
a rooftop patio.
C&N Backpackers (927 Main St., 604/682-2441 or 888/434-6060,
www.cnnbackpackers.com , $25 dorm, $60 s or d) has undergone some improvements in
recent years, but conditions are still sparse. There's a sink in every dorm room and other
bathroom facilities on every floor. The location is central to Pacific Central Station, but the
neighborhood is among the worst in the city after dark.
$50-100
Dating to the mid-1990s, the YWCA (733 Beatty St., 604/895-5830 or 800/663-1424,
www.ywcahotel.com , $73-90 s, $90-145 d) is popular with those who don't want to spend
a fortune on accommodations but don't like the “backpacker scene” at regular hostels. It's a
few blocks from Vancouver's business core, but the modern facilities and choice of nearby
restaurants more than compensate for the walk. More than 150 rooms are spread over 11