Residence Inn Vancouver Downto

I spent 2 nights at this hotel while in town for a concert. It was a very mixed experience. Everything seemed fine to start, until I had a shower and within minutes the water started backing up and I had to rush to get out quickly out of fear of it flooding the bathroom. I also noticed that when I used the sink, I could hear gurgling in the shower drain so I knew something was up with the pipes. Later in the evening, I noticed a foul smell from the hallway. A mix of garbage and sewage. I messaged the front desk and they said they’d look into it, but the smell lingered for the remainder of my stay. Miraculously, the smell managed to stay mostly in the hallway but there was a faint odour within my room by the door. In the morning, a large and loud fan was placed outside my door, and another door leading to what I think was the stairwell was propped open. Thankfully the fan didn’t bother me in my room, but it was quite loud in the hallway. On my final morning, there was a leak in the hallway outside my neighbour’s room, so obviously there is some sort of piping issue happening causing pipes to back up, leak, and odours to arise. I’m not one to complain so I didn’t raise anything beyond the smell to the front desk, but am certain others wouldn’t have let these issues slide. The bed was comfy, the hotel felt safe, and the breakfast was fine. Would I stay again? Maybe in a pinch, but for the price I felt the quality of my stay was not up to par.

My family stayed 16 nights in the Penthouse suite. At over 800 square feet, it is certainly spacious. The suite also offers partial views of the water and evening sunsets, although much of the outlook is now obstructed by the newer building directly across the street. Beyond its size, however, the suite is fairly basic for a Penthouse at this price point. The full kitchen is its biggest advantage, but surprisingly there is not even a powder room or second toilet for guests using the living area. The much bigger issue, however, is its location. The Penthouse wraps around all three guest elevators and sits directly beneath the elevator machinery. Every elevator movement is clearly audible throughout the suite, day and night. This was not occasional noise. It was constant mechanical noise, 24 hours a day. We reported it on our very first evening. The only alternative offered was two separate standard rooms, each less than half the size of the Penthouse. That simply was not a practical option for our family with a 12 year old daughter, so we stayed where we were. I appreciated that the overnight manager tried to help by bringing us a white noise machine, but it could not solve the underlying problem. After several days, we approached management, hoping they would recognize the impact the noise had on our stay and offer a reasonable solution. Unfortunately, that conversation became the most disappointing part of our stay. During those discussions, I trusted the information I was given about the hotel’s parking charges and chose one compensation option over another because of it. A few days later, while reviewing an interim bill, I discovered that the hotel’s own published parking policy did not match the explanation I had been given. I could have accepted an honest mistake. What I found difficult to accept was that every new fact I uncovered afterward only made the explanation less convincing. By the end of our stay, I could not shake the feeling that I had been deceived. To his credit, once I submitted a formal complaint, General Manager John Gallacher responded personally. In his written response, he acknowledged that the management team had failed to provide “clear and consistent messaging,” agreed that guests should never have to question information provided by hotel management, confirmed that he would formally address the issue with the staff member involved, removed all parking charges, and offered an additional goodwill credit by way of an apology. I genuinely appreciate that Mr. Gallacher took ownership of the situation and worked to resolve it appropriately. However, by that point the damage had already been done. No amount of goodwill could undo weeks of uncertainty or restore the confidence I had lost in the information I had been given. I would also like to recognize Cynthia at the front desk. Throughout our stay she was consistently professional, patient, and genuinely helpful. She treated us with kindness and empathy during every interaction and stood out as someone who truly cared about helping guests. Would I stay here again? No. Not because the General Manager failed to resolve the matter. He ultimately did. Rather, I left with something I never expected to take away from a hotel stay. A lingering sense that I could no longer trust the information I had been given. The elevator noise eventually became background noise. That feeling did not. If you are considering the Penthouse, understand exactly where it is located and expect continuous elevator noise throughout your stay. If adjustments, fees, or compensation are discussed, I would encourage you to ask for everything in writing before making your decision.

Location was great. Room was good.