HI Vancouver Central

I am a lifetime member of Hostelling International and have stayed at many hostels across the U.S. and Canada. This was my first visit to Vancouver, so it only seemed natural to check out one of the HI locations. I only stayed a couple of nights, but had a pretty good experience overall. Here are some comments:

1. The best thing about my room was the great bed and comforter. Hands down, this may have been the best hostel comforter I've ever experienced, and everyone else who has stayed there knows exactly what I am talking about.

2. The four-bed room is ideal for travelers and I liked the in-room sink and lockers. It is super convenient with the bathrooms and showers down the hall.

3. The WiFi is HORRIBLE. The only place where the signal is strong is the reception area on the first floor. Otherwise, you are basically playing Russian roulette with the signal strength, and areas where it should be strong like the tables near the kitchen are actually weak.

4. I also understand that elevators are not always necessary, but the stairways from the 2nd floor up are small and really difficult if you have a suitcase or god forbid, more than one.

5. I was always gone early in the mornings so never took advantage of the free breakfast, but the kitchen area was well stocked and clean, and the large fridge made it easy to store your own food.

6. Lastly, this hostel is conveniently located near tons of good restaurants, clubs, and bars, but when it is full of drunk people, it's not so much fun if you are not the partying type ... or over 30.

Without a doubt this was one of the worst hostel experiences that I have ever had, if not the worst (and I've stayed at a lot!).

Positives:
- elevator
- price
- staff was able to fix a situation
-they along with their sister properties do run some cool activities which are either free or low cost (their saving grace IMO)

Like many lodgings in central Vancouver, there are a ton of homeless people in front. Not taking away stars due to that since it's very common. Despite this I never felt unsafe outside since it's in a lively neighborhood anyway so you are never truly alone.

Complaints?

I was told ahead of time by their staff that their bedrooms have AC. Most of their bedrooms do not have AC, rather they will give you a tiny desk fan (so you are f***ed if you are the top bunk!). I was beyond pissed because I deliberately chose this hostel due to it stating that they have AC which is a must for me since I didn't have a humidifier with me, as well as it separating rooms by genders (a must for me since I want to change in my room and well, men are slobs and fart).

I went down and said to please refund me if they cannot place me in a room with air circulation and that I would be finding new lodging. They did find me space, however I had to ask for a partial refund (instead of just getting it...) since I went from a 2 person dorm to a 4 person one.

Their keys regularly stop working so for 1 night stay I think I had to change my key 3 times (if not more). I thought I was the problem until I saw that others had this issue on here and Tripadvisor as well.

My experience gets better LOL.....At around 2AM the girl I met prior who shared the dorm with me screamed after seeing a plump, naked elderly, Frenchman in what I think was supposed to be her bed. This was a female only dorm. Naturally there was no one at the front desk, and no one answered the phone. My roommate (not sure how to word that) looked everywhere for any employee and found 1 somewhere. He had to escort the man to another room. I kind of felt bad for the French guy because he told me that he was there before me or the girl checked in which honestly might have been true.

Afterward, my roommate and I laughed this off and I thanked her because I was fast asleep apparently when the guy came in (it was my first day in Vancouver and was a long day so I was out).

I had the free breakfast in the morning which I thought would be similar to the free breakfasts in Europe. From what I can recall it was just toast, bagels with very little cream cheese left that people scrapped off from the dish (there was an attendant there too), juice, coffee, and I think apples. I'm not much of a breakfast person but thought it would be a bit more than that (they have a better selection in prisons). The kitchen wasn't the cleanest and there really isn't any cooking facilities aside from a refrigerator. I believe there was a microwave though.

The hostel itself is very bare bones. Looks like a homeless shelter and there are few outlets to plug in things in your bedroom (I think mine had 2). The bathrooms were single bathrooms with a toilet and a shower and while I wouldn't say they were dirty, they weren't that clean. They also were gender neutral, so girls get used to seeing toilet seats not put down, and pubes on/around the toilet.

Staff although nice, seemed to not know what they were doing...How do you mess up the genders in a dorm room meant for 4 people?!? Check in seemed to take awhile as well despite there often being at least 2 people at the front desk.

After 1 night I stayed at the Hyatt LOL.

Cannot recommend. You have been warned.

Stayed at a shared female dorm this time. Great they have lockers and a sink, nice to have A/C and knowledgeable staff. Appreciate the tag system they have for luggage room and that breakfast is free and there's lots of outlets in the lounge. Even though breakfast starts at 8, there's already food out when I went at 7:45.

I don't understand why the prices fluctuate so much. One day it could be $43, the next day it would be $48, for the exact same room.

Also, when I went, there were problems with the washroom locks, they weren't locking. hopefully they're fixed now!

Mind you, the internet sucks. If you have problems connecting like I did they have to help you out to find your way around it.

I had a 24 hour layover in Vancouver and at the last minute decided that instead of spending it in the airport that I would explore the city. Hi Vancouver Central was extremely easy to book and relatively cheap for something I booked on the fly.

I had a little accident here where I left my stuff in the wrong room (the door was open because it was being cleaned) so I couldn't get in when I returned but the staff were extremely understanding and made sure I was who I said I was (so no worries in any security breaches!)

Shared bathrooms with the floor but no problem at all because it kept very clean!

Minus one star because while I was there the elevator kept breaking down (I was only there for 20 hours at most but no joke that elevator broke down at least twice) and carrying my luggage up and down those step narrow stairs with heavy doors every floor was not fun.

Hostelling International (HI) has a solid reputation in the hostel industry. I was a fan of several HI hostels in the US, so I recently booked HI again, this time in downtown Vancouver for one night. It is directly across the street from the SameSun Backpacker Lodge. Both hostels are popular amongst travelers because of their desirable location - in close proximity to Granville Street's nightlife district, Robson Street's shopping area, and only a 2 mile drive to Stanley Park. The nearest SkyTrain station is only a 5 minute walk away.

A week prior to arrival, I reserved a two bed dorm on hostelworld.com, but when I checked in late at night, the confused receptionist assigned me to a four bed dorm. Their reservation system appeared to be useless and disorganized. It was probably first come first serve and my "reserved" two bed room was already taken. Bad impression, but at least the four bed room is a bit cheaper ($37 vs. $45).

There were four co-ed floors of bedrooms. I was fortunate to be assigned to the least noisy region - fourth floor facing away from Granville Street. My room was equipped with an individual locker, sink, closet for storage, and 2 sets of bunk beds. You can turn on the A/C but it is extremely noisy. The ambiance was basic like a motel or dorm room, but most important to me, the bed was more comfortable than the one at St. Clair Hostel. I was able to sleep for 7 hours interrupted. One interesting aspect is that restroom access requires a keycard to be swiped before entering, just like a dorm. The shower inside was clean and functional. WIFI is fair, not good enough for a Facetime call but OK for checking email. The WIFI password is ridiculously long.

HI-Vancouver Central is a hostel that I would recommend for anyone staying in Vancouver on a budget, and is simply looking for a comfortable night of sleep plus a place to shower. Why stay at a hotel and pay over $100 per night when you'll be traveling and sightseeing most of the day? Book this hostel instead, and save your money to spend on food or souvenirs in Vancouver. If you're young and into the nightlife scene, the hostel is only 1 to 2 blocks away from dozens of popular clubs and bars.

I really likes this place, Was better that I expected, good option to stay and very organized, definetly recommend to my friends and family. Here is laudry ($2 cad each machine) 2 and 4 ppl shared rooms and private also. Very clean and includes breakfast from 8 to 10 am daily, they give you great advises and Victor was very cool in the front desk, I mean all of the guys are cool at service but he in particular , maube because he talk to me in spanish.

Such a beautiful experience. Everyone in staff was so helpful and kind. Having open access to a kitchen at all hours was so helpful!

Sooooo glad I decided to stay here.

I had not stayed at a hostel in a few years & I am not a kid anymore. This wasn't my first rodeo & other cliches about age & experience. Naturally, I was worried about being the creepy old dude (36) at the hostel. It may have less to do with age & more to with not acting creepy. There were a lot of younger people, but also a couple of families and a few people older than me.

The staff were extremely helpful. Friendly too, but helpful when I really needed it. The reception is 24 hours. You can stow your heavy bags for the day before you check in or after you check out.

It's in a great location close to Vancouver's city center, the subway and a night bus stop. Plenty of restaurants, bars, clothing stores, people watching, shops of kitschy crap to buy for the folks back home, etc.

This is a fairly laid-back hostel. It's not crazy-party-time-24-hours. I'm sure there are guests staying there partying like any hostel. Vancouver Central is definitely a place you can rest that is peaceful without drunken animal noises at 3:30 am.

Bunk bed set-up, which is pretty standard. Bedrooms were clean. Common areas & kitchen were clean. Bathrooms were clean.
*****Always had hot water*****

Wifi? Shit! I didn't get on a place for 8 hours to look at a computer screen! That said, it worked fine in the common area.

After a delayed flight & being bumped on my connecting flight, I was worried that my room might be gone & I would need to beg to sleep in the common area for a few hours.

Got to the hostel at 3 am. Terri (sic?) at the front desk said the room was still there and she even put me in a 2-person dorm I had booked where it was just me. Aaaaahhh. I was very grateful for that after the long journey.

When I left I had a flight leaving at the ass-crack of dawn. Laurie (sic?) called a cab to be there for me at 4 am. Even gave me a wake up call and hustled my ass out so I wouldn't miss the cab, which is the the only way to get to the airport that time of day. People, don't book no 6 am flights.

It was definitely the great people working here that make this hostel a place I'll remember.

THE...END

I've stayed here twice and the second time, I was there for a conference. This is a top-notch hostel. I've stayed in hostels in Japan, Greece, the U.S., Italy, Thailand, and other countries. This hostel was very clean and operated efficiently while the front counter staff were friendly and helpful when you need their assistance.

There are 4 people in a room, several private bathrooms (showers, no tubs) in the hallway, lockers in the rooms, free wi-fi, full kitchen (although not as big and industrial looking as in other hostels), free breakfast (it's pretty good), and the usual towel & linens.

Also, the location is great, just steps away from Granville station, lots of shops, and a nice walk to the water. It feels safe and at night, there are a lot of young people milling around because there are quite a few night clubs and restaurants open very late.

Finally, there is a bar on the ground floor that has loud music but the people booking your room over the phone are quite open and honest about it and will warn you about it if the only room left is a room on the second floor. I was nearly booked on the second floor the first time I stayed here but they managed to get me a room on a higher floor by the time I checked in. Oh yeah, make sure you book the room and don't gamble on just walking in and hoping you'll get a spot.

I am a fan of HI hostels and when I needed a place to stay, there was no question that HI would be my first choice. I would have liked to stay at the Jericho Beach location but I need to be in the West End. So the Vancouver Central location was perfect.

I reserved a private room with a bathroom attached for about $80+tax and it was a great price for downtown I think. The room was very clean but a bit on the older side. It felt like I was staying at a dim looking dingy motel. Aesthetics aside, it was truly a great deal. Price of room comes with make-your-own-breakfast with plenty of options from bagels to toasts to cereal. No bacon and eggs though.

Their service was super courteous and the front desk was very helpful when it comes to suggesting things to do in the city. The location was also great. It's a few minutes walk away to Robson and Skytrains and it's close to Granville Island, the beaches and shops at Granville Street and Pacific Mall. There's even a bus stop right in front of the hostel! The location is prime.

I would highly recommend this place for those budget minded people looking for a place to stay in expensive Vancouver. Save your money here and spend it on something else better. Why pay a premium on fancy hotels when you should be out all day enjoying the beautiful BC outdoors? =)