I did a lot of research prior to our Alaskan cruise leaving from Vancouver, and there seemed to be an obsession among cruisers with staying at the Pan Pacific. And obsession is not an exaggeration. Every forum, board, and FaceBook group was filled with people touting the wonders of the Pan Pacific Vancouver. I tried not to play into the hype and kept an open mind while I thoroughly researched all hotels in the area.
But after all my research and price comparisons, we ultimately we ended up at the Pan Pacific. When push came to shove, the convenience factor was so high that we decided to book there. That being said, we did not settle for the rack rate, which is insanely expensive. I searched almost daily for months, watching as prices rose and fell. When we saw a crazy good deal come across their website for the Cruise Package ($220 a night for a city view room with free breakfast), we jumped on it.
I snagged that deal in March, some 5+ months before our cruise. Other family members missed that chance so they booked a fully refundable room at a higher rate (just below $500 a night) and continued to watch prices. They ultimately rebooked in June through Orbitz for about $340 a night (room only, not a package). So if you feel strongly about staying there, book a refundable room whenever you see a price you feel comfortable with and continue to monitor prices. They will most likely dip down again closer to the cruise.
So did it live up to the hype??? I would have to say yes. It was a great hotel in a great location and boarding our cruise from there could not have been easier.
The hotel is actually attached to the cruise terminal. Canada Place is a mishmash of venues all rolled in to one. A convention center, hotel, office building, and cruise terminal are all housed in this complex. It has multiple entrances and can be confusing at first but basically all entrances will eventually lead to the hotel escalators. (The convention center occupies the first two levels of the complex.)
The rooms themselves were nice, although the bathrooms felt slightly dated. We had a city view room with 2 double beds. Double beds seem to be the standard in Canada. In all my research, I think the only hotel I came across in the city that had 2 queens was the Hampton Inn (a US-based chain). So keep the bed size in mind if you are booking for a family. It worked for ours but might be tight if you have older kids.
We had a curved room with big windows looking out on the city. While the curve and windows were neat, I suspect we lost some square footage because of it due to the way the furniture had to be arranged. Not a huge deal but I think other rooms probably had slightly more usable space. We had a significant amount of luggage for our 11 day, dress-in-layers trip so it felt a little tight.
But the kids’ favorite feature was the bathroom door. The bathroom had a separate room for the toilet and in a feat of engineering genius, the door was hinged so that you opened it from the main bathroom entrance and at 90 degrees it closed into the toilet room entrance. So one door for two openings. While this feature blew everyone’s minds at first, it ended up being a little logistically challenging – you really couldn’t have someone in the shower while someone was in the toilet room because only one of them would have a closed door. So not quite ideal for a family but still neat. (Note that we were the only ones among our 4 rooms who had this feature so again I think it had something to do with the specific location of the room.)
My parents sprung for the harbor view room and it was amazing. The room was larger and nicer, and they had a view of both the harbor with the mountains in the background and the pool with the city in the background.
At the end of the day, I’d say just being in the hotel is more important than having a specific view or room. Yes, the harbor view was fantastic but I don’t think our experience was diminished at all by not having it. There are plenty of public spaces in the hotel to enjoy the views. We have no regrets about our room or its location and would happily stay there again.
In terms of the amenities, my husband and our youngest son used the pool once. (More accurately, my son used the pool and my husband used the hot tub because it was cold!) It is a nice rooftop pool with great views of the city and harbor.
We used the concierge service for restaurant recommendations and reservations. They also provided us maps, directions, and a schedule of the shuttle buses to Grouse Mountain and Capilano Suspension Bridge. Every time we stopped by they were extremely friendly and helpful.
We had the cruise package, and the buffet breakfast at Oceans 999 Restaurant was included. It was fantastic. They had everything you could possibly want for breakfast and it was all so, so good. If you are a breakfast person, it is well worth the $35 CAD (about $25 USD) if it isn’t included with your room.
The cruise package also included free luggage transfer to the cruise terminal. The morning of our cruise, they picked up our bags in the room and took them straight down to the Disney terminal, and we never saw them again until we were on the boat and they were delivered to our room. This service was wonderful, but it is a bit misleading. As far as we could tell, they will do this for anybody staying at the hotel, whether you have the cruise package or not. Simply call downstairs and arrange it before 11am. So while this service is great, it is not unique to the cruise package. The real value in the cruise package is the free breakfast.
But the absolute best thing about the Pan Pacific is its location. Canada Place is central to lots of tourist sites in Vancouver. We walked to Stanley Park and to Gastown. We arrived on the SkyTrain from the airport and used the SkyTrain again when we went to Science World. There is also a constant line of cabs so we were able to easily grab one when it was raining or we didn’t feel like walking. There are free shuttles right outside the hotel for Grouse Mountain and Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. As a launching point for exploring Vancouver, it is in a great location.
And being at the port is really amazing when you are anxiously awaiting your cruise. We all loved coming downstairs in the morning and seeing the Disney Wonder pulling in. It really helped build the excitement to have the ship parked right next to us.
And of course nothing could be more convenient than literally taking an elevator downstairs to board your cruise. No shuttle rides or jockeying with luggage. Just head downstairs with your carry-ons and you’ll be on board before you know it.
After 3 nights pre-cruise at the Pan Pacific, I can see why there is so much hype about it. The location was fantastic, the service great, and the rooms comfortable for a family. If you can catch a decent rate, it is definitely the ideal place to stay before your cruise.
