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Review of the Sylvia Hotel in Vancouver
15 January 2012
My wife and I stayed there for a little "stay-cation". A fantastic view
of English Bay greeted us in the morning when I went out to Delany's for
our coffee. The hotel is very pet friendly and all staff who encountered
our two Labradors offered them cookies and gave them some love. A nice,
quiet bar downstairs is ideal for having a couple of cocktails at the
end of the evening. We will return in the future!
Review of the Sylvia Hotel in Vancouver
13 January 2012
My wife, her parents and I stayed in two rooms at the Sylvia over
Christmas 2011. The hotel is right across the street from English Bay,
giving many rooms a view of one of the most scenic spots in Vancouver.
Stanley Park, plus many good shops and restaurants are very close, and
downtown can be reached by a very short bus or taxi ride, or even a
pleasant walk through the West End's residential streets. The nine-story
pre-WWI hotel is a Vancouver landmark, its vine-covered brick walls
giving it the comfy look of an old dowager. I've stayed at the Sylvia
many times over the last few decades (!), but was surprised this time at
how good the rooms looked. They seem to have been spruced up with new
furniture and paint, but without clashing with the building's style.
Without going into too much detail, we made some heavy demands of the
catering staff during one of their busiest times, and they amazed us
with their kindness, thoroughness and efficiency. The hotel staff seem
like one big family, and the decorations throughout the lobby and
restaurant made the place seem even more homey.
During our stay, we overheard a guest complaining rudely to the front
desk that his room was not as large as one he had on a previous stay,
and he demanded a larger room. The desk clerk quietly and professionally
filled the man's request, despite the fact the hotel was likely full. It
reminded us to take with a grain of salt any negative reviews we see for
properties that seem to get generally good reviews. Some people are
harder to please or simply have a bad day - these things should not be
allowed to damage a good hotel's reputation.
Review of the Sylvia Hotel in Vancouver
13 January 2012
The Sylvia is a friendly older hotel with loads of character and in a
superb location. They do a great job at looking after their guests, and
the rooms are clean, comfortable, and well appointed. And it's
surprisingly quiet from adjoining rooms and the street. If this kind of
property tickles your fancy, you will love the Sylvia.
Review of the Sylvia Hotel in Vancouver
29 December 2011
We've stayed at the Sylvia for at least 20 years and usually I ask for a
room away from the elevators which are old and very noisy. When I booked
for this Christmas (I booked last February), I forgot to ask to be
distanced from the elevators and so our stay was somewhat spoiled by the
constant noise of the elevator mechanicals - I felt I was on a tramp
steamer headed for a past time Singapore and my partner felt he had
spent 4 days with a washer going 24 hours each day. The hotel apparently
keeps no records of past request of the guest. Of course, the staff in
the lounge and restaurant were and always are, terrific. Perhaps the
front desk ought to alert guests about the excessive noise of the rather
elderly elevators. |
