One of the world’s most liveable cities, Vancouver, a thriving and very-easy-on-the-eye west coast seaport in British Columbia, is one of Canada’s most cherished urban areas. A firm visitor’s favorite, Vancouver is blessed with vibrant cultural andculinary scenes, as well as plenty of options for outdoor activities framed by dramatic vistas.
It also has quite the ever-growing hipster scene with trendy neighborhoods filled with yoga-loving residents, vegan restaurants, thrift stores, and microbreweries. Want to eschew sterile chain hotels and make your stay even more interesting? From quirky boutiques to shiny modern high rises, here are the best cool and unusual hotels in Vancouver, Canada (in no particular order)…
1. Fairmont Pacific Rim – an architecturally stunning, trendy and very Instagrammable waterfront hotel with a rooftop pool and fabulous views
This amazing glass tower hotel is located on the water’s edge and offers stunning views of the mountains behind. The 5-star much-loved Fairmont Pacific Rim is a contemporary hotel that still manages to retain a cozy and friendly ambiance in the heart of downtown Vancouver.
Bedrooms at this hip Vancouver hotel are chock full of high-tech luxury including remote control room temperature, lighting and drapes, as well as Stearns & Foster beds and oversized furnishings, while the marble bathrooms are bigger than average and offer vast soaker tubs and walk-in showers.
Upgrading to a suite gets you cool touches like a customizable vinyl collection and a record player. The Raw Bar serves sustainable sushi, while the Giovane café delivers hearty Italian fare. There is also a champagne bar – The Botanist – offering innovative cocktails and plenty of fizz.
2. Paradox Hotel Vancouver – a trendy, sleek and sexy upscale design hotel perfect for partying Millenials and Gen Zs
This stylish downtown hotel offers a quiet place of your own in the heart of the city’s Golden Mile, close to Stanley Park and the hip Gastown neighborhood with exciting shops and restaurants.
The rooms are designed for comfort and convenience, with hardwood floors, oversized beds, leather and chrome headboards, 55″+ Samsung flatscreens, multilingual touchpads and well-stocked minibars. Floor-to-ceiling windows have views of the Vancouver skyline and each room has a workstation with USB outlets and ergonomic chairs. Some rooms and suites have balconies.
Mott 32 is considered one of the finest Chinese restaurants in the world and the Mansion Club is one of the stars of the city’s nightlife, popular with residents and travelers alike. There’s also the Karma Lounge which serves fresh local food that you can order via room service. Other on-site amenities include the state-of-the-art gym, the Xylia Natural Spa, and the swimming pool and jacuzzi.
3. Hotel Blu – a hip, chic and trendy new Vancouver boutique hotel which mixes luxury, technology and sustainability
Located in the heart of the Entertainment District, the 4-star exceptionally rated Hotel Blu Vancouver offers modern boutique-style accommodation with funky split level lofts and plenty of designer touches. Urban elegance aplenty can be found in the two-storey New York style suites featuring high-level beds with living areas below, whilst bathrooms are sleek and sophisticated.
Many of the suites also have their own patio terraces overlooking the Vancouver city skyline, and all rooms come with iPad tablets and smart HDTV’s.
The cool and unique Vancouver hotel only offers the one eatery, The Azure Lounge, which serves breakfasts every day, but visitors can easily step outside to find a wealth of bars and restaurants on nearby Robson Street and beyond.
4. Hotel Belmont Vancouver MGallery – a fun, funky, Instaworthy and lively hotel located in Vancouver’s Downtown Entertainment District
Funky futuristic decor and a naughty but nice party feel welcome you at the Belmont Vancouver MGallery. The gorgeous boutique hotel in the heart of the Entertainment district is close to BC Place Stadium, Granville Island, the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre, the University of British Columbia, the Waterfront and Gastown.
The bright rooms with modern decor and quirky artwork have large windows, luxury accents like wood detailing, designer pillows and padded headboards, and all the tech accessories you need.
With names like the Living Room, the Den, the Basement and the Kitchen, the lounges and restaurants invite you to make yourself at home, get a morning coffee or evening drink, watch your favorite sports team, play arcade games and generally kick back and relax. The funky decor and bright colors will help you get the party started.
5. Versante Hotel – a trendy, creative and fashionable new boutique hotel that offers complimentary bikes to explore the city
This new boutique hotel near the airport is full of Instagrammable details like the views of the Coastal Mountains and Fraser River from the terrace garden, unique artwork with koi fish, octopi and phoenixes against a background of Asian-inspired florals, and freestanding soak tubs with stunning views.
Intriguing artwork by local artists and clean modern lines make for restful spaces. The luxurious rooms and suites have floor-to-ceiling windows that let in natural light to keep your inner clock synched, and come with designer furniture, bathrooms with rainforest showers and heated floors, minibars and many other amenities.
The hotel also has a year-round saltwater pool and jacuzzi and a 24-hour fitness room, and the Bruno restaurant serves up dishes made with fresh local ingredients from land and sea. The hotel offers free transfers to the airport and you can get the Skytrain to downtown Vancouver from Bridgeport Station.
To book, check prices or availability for Versante Hotel
6. The Burrard – this fun and funky refurbished motel with cool retro decor motel makes a great base for partying Millenials and Gen Zs
Close to the vibrant bars and restaurants on Davies Street, this trendy hotel is a converted 1950s motor inn with plenty of retro touches. The exceptionally rated Burrard Hotel offers good size bedrooms that have a strong sense of design, mid-century styling, and bright modern bathrooms.
The Burgoo in the lobby area is a cozy city restaurant that serves up comfort food inspired by flavors from all around the world including New Orleans–style jambalaya, whilst the Elysian Coffee House offers snacks and freshly brewed coffee from local suppliers.
The retro-cool Vancouver hotel also has a pretty, palm-tree filled courtyard with lounge chairs and seats set around a stylish central firepit.
7. Opus Hotel – Vancouver’s famously fashionable boutique hotel located in the Yaletown neighborhood with a fun, trendy design and tongue-in-cheek art
At the heart of trendy Yaletown, the 4-star exceptionally rated Opus Hotel Vancouver offers upscale boutique accommodation that is popular with local fashionistas and international celebrities alike.
Surrounding by many of the city’s most popular bars, restaurants and clubs, this trendsetting Vancouver hotel really is at the heart of the action.
Bedrooms are bold with brightly painted walls, and dramatic, oversized artworks and plenty of contemporary furnishings, whilst bathrooms offer walk-in showers, heated floors and fluffy bathrobes.
La Pentola restaurant serves up great quality North Italian-style cuisine and the Opus Bar is popular with local workers and is always busy late into the evening.
8. EXchange Hotel Vancouver – a gorgeous high-design upscale boutique hotel located in Downtown and housed in a glass-panelled skyscraper
Invite yourself into the home of the original Vancouver stock exchange and be thrilled with its transformation into a luxury playhouse at the intersection between hospitality and culture.
An iconic building symbolic of wealth and success, the EXchange hotel is one of Vancouver’s most exciting restoration projects.
At the EXchange hotel, style, culture, and elegance are key features of their hotel experience, and you will be delighted to find each room outfitted with diligence to detail and the best luxury amenities.
The Exchange Hotel in Vancouver is a hub of culture, wealth and prosperity in the heart of the city.
9. Loden Hotel – an award-winning ultra-chic upscale hotel with a contemporary design and only a short walk to Vancouver’s Waterfront
The timber and rain-patinated copper exterior of the 5-star exceptionally rated Loden Hotel sets it apart from other hotels across the city.
With a Pacific Northwest theme throughout, including Buddha statues on the patio and yoga mats in the bedrooms, The Loden is a trendy downtown hotel in Vancouver that attracts a hip and trendy clientele.
Bedrooms are chic and contemporary and offer floor-to-ceiling windows with views out across the North Shore, muted interiors in shades of brown and charcoal and huge sumptuous beds, whilst bathrooms have deep soaker tubs and rainfall showers. The Tableau bar is a hearty French bistro offering dishes created using sustainable ingredients sourced within British Columbia.
10. Skwachàys Lodge – a creative all-suite boutique hotel with a native art theme, unique furnishings and an art gallery featuring Indigenous artwork
With a Pacific Northwest look and feel, the exceptionally rated Skwachàys Lodge is heavy on the artistic heritage of the region. With a 40-foot totem pole, striking carvings and a lobby gallery displaying Aboriginal art, this is not your ordinary downtown hostelry.
Each of the bedrooms at this creative Vancouver boutique hotel features unique and unusual themed artwork from well-known tribal artists and offers top-of-the-range comforts including high-quality linens and walk-in showers.
The lobby area houses a huge communal table where laid-back guests commune over coffee and porridge or gather to enjoy local craft beers and wines later in the day.
11. Moda Hotel – a cool and creative Vancouver mid-range hotel housed in a restored 1908 hotel perfect for hip Millennials and Gen Zs
A trendy hotel with a European ambiance, The highly rated mid-range Moda Hotelis just a 2-minute walk from the Vogue Theatre’s Art Deco event space and a wealth of bars, restaurants, nightclubs and live-music venues.
Bedrooms are vibrant and modern and carry the funky Vancouver hotel’s red and black theme throughout, whilst bathrooms are bright and airy.
The hip hotel also has a chic and very popular Italian restaurant called the Cibo Trattoria that uses locally-sourced fresh and organic ingredients to create authentic, rustic Italian cuisine, alongside an extensive wine list. Guests and locals flock there to enjoy great food in comfortable, laid-back surroundings.
To book, check prices or availability for Moda Hotel
12. L’Hermitage Hotel – period features and flamboyant touches transform this historic downtown hotel surrounded by great shopping and entertainment
A fantastically flamboyant Vancouver hotel set in a stunning downtown location, the 4-star exceptionally rated L’Hermitage Hotel combines suspended sculptures with period features and contemporary touches.
Guests can sip cocktails on the patio, or swim in the saltwater pool in this unique urban oasis.
Bedrooms are eclectic and cool with electric fireplaces, floor-to-ceiling windows and fabulous Art Deco touches, whilst bathrooms are swathed in Italian marble and offer separate deep soaker tubs and showers.
The L’Orangerie offers light bites and meals all day long, as well as lavish afternoon teas and an extensive bar menu that can be enjoyed on the outdoor sun patio.
13. AC Hotel by Marriott Vancouver Waterfront – a chic and modern hotel that overlooks the picturesque Columbia River
Vancouver’s waterfront is the soul of the city and what better way to experience it than at the new AC Hotel by Marriott, with spectacular views over the river and proximity to all the excitement, shopping, wine tasting and dining in the area.
European design and sleek modern lines define the interiors with comfort and style. The spacious well designed rooms have plenty of handy outlets for all your devices plus reading lamps.
Start your day at the breakfast bar at AC Kitchen with the signature fresh sliced prosciutto and pastries, and relax in the evenings with tapas and cocktails at the AC Lounge with the Vancouver Waterfront as the backdrop.
14. O Canada House Bed & Breakfast – a beautiful, unique and romantic historic-styled guest house to stay in Vancouver
Only minutes away from some of the city’s best-loved attractions and endless dining adventures, the O Canada House Bed & Breakfast is a wonderfully unique historic hotel located on Barclay Street in downtown Vancouver.
Being first built in 1897, here Ewing Buchan would put to paper one of the first English versions of Canada’s National Anthem in 1908.
Preserved to its natural glory, this historic house with a lavish interior this location has been rightfully awarded a Heritage Award of Honour for its memorable impression on the city.
15. Listel Hotel – Vancouver’s most “art-full” eco-friendly boutique hotel with original artwork, fine dining and a great downtown location
The 4-star exceptionally rated Listel Hotel is an art-inspired hotel with original modern and indigenous artworks displayed in the bedrooms and communal areas.
Designed for the eco-conscious traveler, The contemporary Vancouver accommodation is ‘zero waste’ boutique hotel that offers refillable carafes from the water stations, recycled toilet paper, and solar panels on the roof. Bedrooms are plush with quality linens and high-end furnishings, while the bathrooms are sleek and modern.
The stylishly quirky Vancouver hotel is centrally located between the beautiful Stanley Park and English Bay and the heart of the city high-end shopping districts.
The Forage restaurant serves up high-class cuisine, while the Timber gastro is a fun and buzzing gastropub with a huge local following.
16. West End Guest House – a cute and charming historic bed and breakfast built in 1906 features vintage-chic decor and a West End location
A quaint little guest house on the outskirts of downtown Vancouver, the 4-star much-loved West End Guest House offers cozy and genteel accommodation for visitors to this beautiful city. Built in 1906, the current owners have refurbished the building to reflect its important heritage.
Each of the 7 bedrooms have been uniquely styled and named, and range from the lush garden level Parisian Suite through to the cosy attic rooms called the Pair and the Spare.
All of the rooms feature plenty of original features and traditional furnishings as well as ensuite bathrooms with modern facilities. The guest house offers gourmet breakfast in the lobby area, as well as a rather wonderful “Sherry hour” that gives guests an opportunity to get together and mingle.
The elegant and unique Vancouver abode also offers bicycles for guests who want to get out and explore the area.
17. St.Regis Hotel – a chic and elegant polished hotel located in an updated 1913 building in a great central location
The 100-year-old exterior of the building belies the thoroughly modern interior of this very-up-to-date hotel. With stylish bedrooms, dotted with modern art, the 4-star exceptionally rated St.Regis Hotel is a sleek and elegant place to stay. Bathrooms come with walk-in showers or big modern tubs, as well as big windows that let in plenty of natural light.
The St Regis Bar and Grill is a tavern that serves up huge burgers and imaginative salads. The American-style sister restaurant Gotham Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar offers a varied menu and an extensive cocktail menu.
Locally known as Hollywood North, the bars at St. Regis are often frequented by celebrities and film crews visiting the city.
18. Victorian Hotel – an elegant newly renovated boutique guesthouse with quirky touches housed in a beautiful brick Victorian-era historic building
This quirky Vancouver hotel is right on top of some of the city’s very best bars and restaurants, and is housed within a converted former Victorian guesthouse.
Bedrooms offer a heady mix of antique furnishings and cool modern decor, and benefit from original hardwood floors, chandelier lighting, and beautiful bay windows.
There are 6 shared bathrooms available in the Victorian Hotel, although some of the rooms do have their own en-suite facilities if you choose to upgrade. Breakfast is served in the hotel’s casual restaurant with an open kitchen, that offers classic European dishes and Continental breakfasts.
19. Barclay House Bed and Breakfast – a cute and cozy historic boutique B&B located in a quiet upscale area in the West End of Vancouver
Offering refined boutique Vancouver accommodation in a building that dates back as far as 1904, the Barclay House Bed and Breakfast is close to the famous Robson Street and all of the fabulous shopping and dining that can be enjoyed there.
The bedrooms are homely and welcoming with stylish decor, custom-made furnishings and bold chandeliers, whilst bathrooms are beautiful with claw-foot bathtubs and period features.
Continental breakfasts are served in the chic rustic bistro-style eatery, and guests have full use of the lounge or communal games room.
20. Sonder at Revival – a cool and modern all-suite apart-hotel close to English Bay Beach, Sunset Beach and Coal Harbour perfect for longer stays
A contemporary all-suite aparthotel set in the center of the city of Vancouver, Sonder at Revival is a well-sought-after location close to Sunset Beach, English Bay and Robson Street. Impeccable minimalist styles rooms with multiple attractions in close proximity.
An excellent choice for the avid sightseer, families or longer stays with luxury contemporary style rooms to rest your head after a day adventuring through the city.
A stone throws away from prospect point lighthouse, coal harbor, and Christ Church Cathedral and only six miles from Vancouver international airport, Sonder at Revival is the perfect launchpad for your city adventures.
My first true adventure began as a six month voyage around South East Asia as a fresh faced backpacker and ever since I’ve lived a semi nomadic existence, clocking up visits to over 40 countries. I’m a lover of US Road Trips, deserted beaches bathed in warm glow of a sunset, Cuban mojitos, travel destinations far away from the tourist crowds and all things Scandinavian – from cloudberry liquors to Nordic noirs. When not wandering the world and running Global Grasshopper, you’ll find me walking my rescued Greek street dog in leafy South West London, strolling around the Brighton Lanes on random day trips, hunting for photogenic landscapes or daydreaming about my favourite places; Havana, Copenhagen, Italy, Laos, California and the surreally beautiful landscapes of a wintry Iceland.
Wow..I loved the view of the hotels in Vancouver…It looks breathtaking…I am still in awe!!!