Good: 1) Staff are nice and helpful Bad: 1) No air conditioning, room was very stuffy at night 2) terrible location (although there is a great Persian restaurant called Cazba nearby) 3) 1 men's bathroom per floor, only 2 small sinks, VERY small and crowded with multiple guys in there, not all the toilets have hooks on the doors, and one of the 3 showers was not operational for 3 days 4) very expensive for what you get. Simultaneously the worst and most expensive hostel I've stayed at. But I hear high prices are true of Vancouver accommodations generally. read more

Definitely a great value for inexpensive lodging. It may not be for everyone, though, if you're not cool with sharing a dorm style room (private rooms available for higher price, I think) with up to 3 people. The bunks were decent enough, but climbing above is sort of a pain. Bring your own lock if using a locker. Small lavatory in room, but might as well use the restroom down the hall which has better space for crap and can shower. Also, anyone who's anyone can stay here. I've seen young to *gasp* old senior nude men in the restroom doing whatever. I like the improved awareness for being green and conserving. Free towel use. Stuff there include: Self-serve kitchen TV/Theater room Games room Internet room Library room Organized events Rooftop patio 2 things that stuck out during my stay were value and culture (I heard french and german each day I was there)... the blackboard behind the counter with several different languages is awesome, too. Korean and Thai food within 1 block. More stuff not included in this review. read more

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First time trying a hostel, not bad. HI-Downtown was fairly clean, provided breakfast in the morning & access to their rooftop. Its location is perfect as it's right by Davie (which for LA kids, is Vancouver's WeHo) and is pretty close to the seawall. The location is probably one of the best qualities of this hostel because it's centered and easily accessible to explore the rest of the city. We stayed for one evening & it was a solid $26/each for both my friend and I. Such a money saver compared to the hotels offering a one night stay for $90-$150. Hostels can always be an interesting experience but if you really want to use your money wisely, HI-Downtown is a good starter to try out. They're also resourceful and provide you with towels, a pillow & blanket. The beds are bunks and you are given lockers in your room as well. You can ask for a private room or you can stay in gender selected floors. Just think.. College dorms. That's the best way to describe them. Tinier but super easy & tolerable for a quick night's stay. Heads up(s): - Bring your own padlock to lock up your locker. - Always be set with toiletries. (You can always buy them there but a little pricey) - They have a rooftop deck which was one of the reasons why we chose this place but it is only open between 9AM-9PM! We missed seeing it.. But there's always next time. read more

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I really like this hostel. Good neighborhood, relatively quiet, nice staff and decent price. They had a lot of activities to do, although i was busy with a conference and didn't get to do them. I felt completely safe here, and I was travelling alone. The bunkbeds aren't super comfy, but they definitely are not the worst bunkbeds I've slept in. It would have been nice to have a bench or additional shelf in the shower section, right by the door. just someplace you could put your bag or clothes on without them getting wet. The paper towel dispenser in the women's washroom on the 2nd floor frequently didn't work. And the elevator was rather slow. Some small issues but on the whole this was a great place to stay in Vancouver for a few nights. read more

I stayed for 3 nights end of June. Rooms were really hot, only when the door and window were open it's cooled off a little bit... I stayed in 4-persons dorm and liked that the 2 bunk beds are at the same wall and the put something between it to create more privacy in every single bed. Located close (10-15 min walk) to downtown and gran villa island. Lot of options for breakfast. Different bagels, granola, fruit, tea/coffee and juice. Wifi sucks in the room, but was oke in the dinning area read more

Magnetic key cards are generally a great thing... they're easy to carry, small and unobtrusive, and often times a good card to hand to a taxi driver as you try to find your way home. They can also be bad... Like when you stay at a hostel and it won't open your room door upon returning from the shower... (thank heavens for flip flops and bathrobes!) The idea of hostelling is relatively foreign (for lack of a better term) to me. But upon arriving in Vancouver on a cheap school trip last fall my peers and I were directed to stay here at for our 4 day adventure. It's by far the best hostel I've stayed at, and is in a great location near downtown. The rooms are small but nice... they include comfy bedding on bunk beds, lots of outlets to charge your phone and camera, a desk, lockers, and a vanity. Plenty of room for 4 girls to temporarily move into for a few days. A small typical continental breakfast is in the kitchen in the mornings, and could probably be skipped for a coffee and local flavor instead. The staff is great and friendly, they have lots of resources on things to do and places to see depending on what your interests may be. And they didn't even bat an eye when a girl with her head wrapped in towel and juggling bottles of shampoo and conditioner showed up at the front desk looking for a new key.... read more

Prime location, helpful staff, free breakfast, awesome kitchen, clean rooms. This place has a TON going for it as a hostel. I really enjoyed my stay and the staff certainly helped me get around. When I landed coming in from the States I didn't even know the cross roads of the hostel. Just got to Davie and asked around. It worked! And I found my way around just like that during the rest of my time in Vancouver. This is really a great place to stay when traveling alone. read more

The Hostel itself was clean and suitable but the wifi was terrible and overall attitude of the staff was appalling, because of this I would certainly not recommend/return. I have stayed in numerous hostels before, and was feeling confident about HI Vancouver after having a great experience at HI Portland. Unfortunately, it disappointed. I can of course only speak about the four staff members I encountered at reception but all of them were either completely rude, or at best, had lacklustre approaches to their jobs. Firstly we arrived at the hostel, tired from travelling, to discover the room we booked in advance (a four bed dorm for four people, all under one booking name) was no longer available. Instead we were split up, three of us in one room with a stranger and one of our party sharing a separate room with strangers. This frustrated us because we had purposefully booked a private room for the four of us. Furthermore, to add insult to injury, the woman working at reception held absolutely no sympathy for our situation, refused to admit that they had made a mistake in their system, saying 'that is just how things work' and did not offer any solution to the problem, when we asked for one. We conceded and went to bed with the view to fix the problem in the morning. The following morning the solo traveller in our room agreed to switch, solving our problem, so we went down to reception to get names/key cards swapped. A different woman on reception was once again uncooperative and unwilling to help sort the situation. She accused us of not trying to resolve the issue earlier (even though we had tried to when we arrived). The whole process ended up taking about 30 minutes and we felt treated as a hassle rather than as guests. Her difficult attitude was completely unnecessary, especially considering we were only trying to fix the mistake the hostel had made. After lots of huffing and puffing on her part and angrily tapping at her computer she did eventually agree to switch us and said that during the day our sheets would be changed. Returning in the evening we discovered our sheets had not been changed as promised, so we returned to reception to make our third complaint of the trip. When we asked why they had not been cleaned no answer was given and we were told we had to do it ourselves because the cleaner was busy. We refused on the understanding that the hostel told us a service would be provided, so therefore we expected that service. The man on reception during this exchange finally agreed to do it himself but only after insultingly calling us 'ladies of leisure' (If we were such ladies of leisure why would we be in a hostel?!). The entire staff experience at HI Vancouver left us very deflated and unimpressed. I don't feel as though we were unreasonable guests or expected too much, just courteous and helpful staff. All the hitches we encountered could have been easily dealt with and made much smoother with a friendly smile and apology. In the future we recommend that HI Vancouver reevaluate their hiring process. read more

I stayed at this place about two years ago. It was fair priced. The counter person did throw in a "rented" padlock so that you can put your belongings in a safe (sealed) place. The hostel is rather cheap. The room has two beds set as if it had been always bunks on a ship. The bathrooms are nice. There is always a breakfast set out with a general cafeteria air going on. The place does have a recreation room. There is a great view of the city from the roof. I never got to the roof but the windows to the rented room offered a view nonetheless. There are movie nights. There are free tours of the city done by a former bus driver. The place does foster an air of community. That is nice. I got over my fear of hostels thanks to the HI-Vancouver Downtown. It's a slice of Europe transplanted in Downtown Vancouver. Since it is a hostel, there is parking everywhere, but one does get there by taxi. The taxis can get you to the airport or the train station. It's a nice place. read more

Okay, Canada, let's talk about your hostels. I've stayed in a hostel before...in San Francisco and in Seattle. I've never really been a fan of the dorm-style living when it comes to the bathrooms and showers. I just don't like knowing that every single person on my floor has probably sat on the same toilet or rid their body of sweat, blood and tears in the same shower. I like variety...I like stalls...I like seeing the cleaning staff on a regular basis because it makes me feel better about my hygiene. This place was that. A women's' bathroom...with three toilets...multiple shower stalls...multiple sinks. VARIETY. And like clock-work, there was the cleaning staff. I also really enjoy the fact that the most a room will fit is four because the less time I have to spend with strangers the better. I'm not an introvert, it's just that I've had my share of problems when sharing a room with other people but I'll save that for another post. I also really like the fact that you don't have to RENT the towels...they just hand you one. Not to mention the amount of items they have for you to buy or rent...shampoo, toothpaste, locks, etc. It was so convenient. The staff was really friendly too except for this one girl but I'l chalk that up to a bad day. Parking was also a piece of cake...they have free parking in the back. Well, five spots at least and we got one. This place is also within walking distance of a lot of amazing places; it was the perfect "quiet" place but not so quiet that you felt you couldn't act like you were on vacation. If ever in Vancouver again, I would choose this hostel. Only thing: Canada, where your toilet seat covers at??? read more

Very clean hostel. I also came in February which is not a busy time but I think that it is well maintained and there wasn't a time that I did not see a cleaning person wandering the halls and checking the bathrooms. Good location because it is quiet but not too far from things. Short walk down the hill is the beach walk and you can take the ferry to Granville market or rent a bike be easily get to Stanley park. You can take a bus to other areas. We took a taxi to gastown and it was about $8 USD. There are about 5 free parking spots but they were all occupied. Instead we paid $11 for gated parking which was fine with me. I expected to pay for parking anyways and this was extra safe and secure and no fear of being towed. Staff was friendly once they got engaged in a convo with you but a few smiles and initial greetings would help. Stayed in a mixed couple 4 bd dorm. I really like that the bunks were both on the same side of the wall. I hate it when they face each other. Gives a little more privacy. We will stay again! read more

Okay hostel. The staff aren't very enthusiastic -- not as friendly as the other hostels I've been to. I found the private rooms stuffy with no A/C or window netting, but the washrooms were clean, and had a decent kitchen and amenities. Breakfast is standard white bread, muffins, oatmeal and juice/tea/coffee. read more

Accomodating staff and GREAT location. There is another HI location directly on Granville Street, but this one is directly between Yaletown and Stanley Park - great for anybody visiting without a car. It's decently quiet, with an alright breakfast (continental, of course) but I found the bathrooms a little cramped. Definitely book here if you'll be hosteling - great basecamp for exploring Vancouver. read more

Not great for a summer stay. The dorm rooms were sweltering hot, and the tiny windows produced no air flow whatsoever. In the morning, walking down the hallway of dorms, it smelled like a homeless shelter - dirty, sweaty bodies that had been trapped together in an airless room for 10 hours. Yuck! Stayed there for a couple weeks - I was healthy when I got there - developed a bad respiratory infection halfway through. Not surprising at all. I'm not sure why people are raving about the breakfast - consists almost entirely of bread and bread products. Carbs, carbs and more carbs. I'd prefer they lower the price and make breakfast an opt-in thing. I'd rather spend my money on fruit in the mornings. Most of the staff were very competent and helpful. Seriously though - $37 a night (with a membership) for what I experienced was not worth the money. read more

Stayed in this hostel for 6 nights. TERRIBLE WIFI! I was on the 4th floor and it constantly dropped out and was terrible the whole time, and even when I was on the bottom floor it was bad. I relied on the wifi because I didn't have a sim card, like most travellers and it was very annoying. They also don't have power outlets for each bed in the dorms. Every night I had to plug my phone in to the power outlet that was on the other side of the room away from my bed, which was very annoying. Other than that it was okay, one of the male staff was very rude to people and dismissive tho read more

I stay here whenever I come to Vancouver for up to a week at a time. The locations is one of the best thing about it because it is within walking distance to pretty much everything in downtown but is on a quiet residential street so you can get a good night's rest. You have the option of dorm or Private rooms. I have only ever stayed in Dorms which have 4 beds (2 bunks) to a room along one wall and lockers, hooks and desks along the other. The lockers are quite big so I can usually fit quite a lot in them. Bathrooms are down the hall and if they happen to be cleaning one you can just pop down the stairs opposite and go to another floor. The Hostel has decent wi-fi throughout and I have never had any problem connecting no matter what room I'm in. You also get a continental breakfast which is one of the best I have had in any Hostel with Muffins, Bagels, Scones, Porridge, Fruit, Cereals, Juice, Hot Chocolate and Coffee. Only problem with it, is that it is only offered from 8-9.15 and there is not always room to sit in the dining room. There is also a large kitchen, games room, roof top patio, TV room and library here. They also offer activities and tours almost everyday of the week. One of the better hostels I have stayed at in the world and my pick for Vancouver only problem is that if you are not a HI/YHA member then you have to pay like $4 extra a night. read more

I stayed at the HI for 3 nights... I decided to book a private room....hardly private as it shared a toilet with the room next door; and the said washroom (between the two rooms) was secured by a simple hook...neither secure nor ensuring the appropriate level of privacy. Additionally, on day 2, my cardkey happened to be demagnetized, I asked the receptionnist to reactive it. She went ahead and reactivated it, WITHOUT checking my identity (and she had never met me before). Seriously, you give a cardkey to anyone? Security is an issue. Last, I enquired how to adjust the temperature in the room, and I was told it was not it is not possible. So it was rather chilly throughout the hostal, and I had to borrow two additional blankets to be able to sleep at night. The wifi was very, very slow. The breakfast and the locations were good. I don't recommend this place. read more

Great location, poor customer service, loud bunk beds, hot rooms with small window, smelled like weed. Breakfast was good but make sure you get there when it opens otherwise none left for the heavy sleeper. Bought false creek ferry tickets there, but it would have been better for my pocket if I had known day passes existed. Staff were not very helpful when checking in, nor for directions around town. read more

Very rude staff doing the checking in and out. Despite dealing with international travelers who may not know the system and working in hospitality, the front desk staff were not patient and were curt and sometimes almost demeaning with their responses to questions. They were also not helpful with helping to direct us around Vancouver or to give recommendations. It is noisy at night, with room windows looking right out over the patio and people up talking all night and early in the morning.The hostel is in a good location though, and has a decent breakfast in the morning and good overall atmosphere. read more

One of Hostelling Internationals three Vancouver hostels (the others being Vancouver Central on Granville Street and the summer-only hostel at Jericho Beach in mainland Vancouver). This one is housed in an unremarkable brick building on a quiet street just one block away from the vibrant Davie Street district. Most rooms contain two bunk beds (i.e. four people) and cost around $24-30 (£14-18) per night. The rooms contain a locker for each person and a small sink in the corner. There is a bathroom on each floor containing toilets, sinks and showers. Other facilities include a laundry room, a TV room and a common room, which has an original sit-down Pacman machine (which I set a new high score on while I was there!) There is also a self-service kitchen although a free breakfast is served (which generally includes bagels, wholemeal bread and fruit, muffins too if you're lucky). It's no palace but for those prices what do you expect? It's not a party hostel either, you're better going to Vancouver Central or the SameSun hostel opposite on Granville Street which both have their own dedicated bars. You'll get a quiet(er) night at Downtown, unless you're unlucky enough to be sharing your room with a particularly loud snorer like I was! It's not bad, and good for a first night in town when you don't know the city. read more

The best part about this hostel for me was the location. It felt safe and was a 1/2 mile walk to the beach. The staff were friendly enough, although they didn't go over and beyond by any means. I guess I could've felt more welcome, but I didn't necessarily feel unwelcome. Decent selection for breakfast in the morning, although it was pretty crowded. The bed was comfortable for a hostel and it was quiet at night. My roommates were all respectful and cordial and each person gets their own locker in the room, so I felt like my stuff was safe. Public transportation in the city was great and the hostel is definitely within walking distance of restaurants and a drug/grocery store. I would stay here again in a heartbeat. Can't beat the price versus a hotel. read more

The worst part about this hostel is the price. Don't forget that Canadian tax is 12% - so its definitely feels not worthy of the price tag.

My go-to place to stay in Van. About 30 bucks a night for a prime location, quiet but still close to everything, with complimentary breakfast. Knowledgeable and helpful staff (changed my reservation a few times without issue), and the events coordinated with the HI Central hostel are great for those just discovering the city. read more

This was our second time staying at this hostel. Great location right off of Davies Street, close near lots of restaurants and a little grocery store to pick up provisions. Just a few blocks to the water as well. Our private room was a little dingy, but the shared bathrooms were clean. This hostel offers free breakfast, including bagels, fruit, cereal, juices, coffee, etc. The folks staying at this place represented a wide range of ages. Only bummer was a family across the hall from us with crying toddler that yowled intermittently through the night. Normally this would annoy the crap out of me, but I appreciate that this young family was still getting out there an traveling, even with a wee one. read more

Stayed here for two nights in mid-March in a room with two others on the second floor (a private room since we knew each other). Not the best hostel I've stayed in and it was a little cold during the day, though the blankets were a lot warmer than I expected. The breakfast was the real highlight--lots of stuff to eat ranging from oatmeal and bagels to fruit and muffins. read more

Quiet enough,clean, good location and resonable rate. I stay there every time in Vancover. read more

Stayed here one night in June. Free breakfast, private room was quiet and comfortable In the heart of downtown and close to the water (just a few blocks away). I'll stay here again! read more

I have mixed feelings about this HI. On the one hand, it had everything that a hostel needs to have, well-equipped kitchen, clean rooms, and a couple of common areas. I guess I felt that the whole place was a little too large. It had a very institutional feeling to it, like a large college dorm. It also did not strike me as an easy place to meet fellow hostellers. The staff varied from being quite friendly to being incredibly apathetic. One evening there was a problem with the fire alarm. The staff person didn't want to just come upstairs with me to check it out until another person came down with the same complaint. My other comment is that the cleaning staff on the day we were supposed to check out came into our room without even knocking. Check out is at 11, and they woke up our fellow travelers at 9 by walking into their private room to ask if they were checking out... Seems a bit odd and a violation of privacy to come into a room 2 hours before check out. The location is pretty ideal, not quite in the center of town like the other HI, close to the river, and nearby to plenty of attractions. The hostel is adequate, and I would stay here again, if I found nothing else to be better. However, the next time I go to Vancouver, I think I'll try the HI Central first. read more

I stayed there 11.23.14 - 11.27.14. They send you an email confirmation, and at the bottom of the email are directions from how to get to the hostel from the airport. The directions are as clear as day, and I got there with no issues. Upon arrival, the front desk offered me their membership, and I would be able to stay the remaining nights for a lower rate, and there would be no additional charge for the membership. I had the top bunk, and yes the rooms are very small, however it's no problem if you get along with the other mates. They serve breakfast: bread, jams, oatmeal, muffins, orange juice, apple juice and coffee with creamers. Note: the juice machine is promptly turned off at 9:15 am and you are to wash your dishes after breakfast. They do offer free luggage storage, and earplugs, they sell tickets to the Ferry to Granville Island, $2. The Wi-Fi goes in and out, but it helps if you leave the door open. The hostel is conveniently located blocks away from Granville St, Robson St, and there are coffee shops incl. Starbucks within a 2 block radius. Overall, it is a great place to stay, the bathrooms are clean, and there are never any lines, to shower, however be careful, the water temperature tends to range from freezing cold to searing hot. read more

Overall a pretty good hostel. It is not very new, and some parts of the building need to be updated, but it is good for the price. I stayed in a 4 person female dorm, two bunk beds, bathroom down the hall, lockers in the room, and sink in the room. The breakfast was breads, muffins, cut fruit, oatmeal, coffee, juice, tea. The downtown hostel is in a nicer part of town than the Central hostel. But it is till one block from Davie street which has plenty of places to eat and go out. If you have the opportunity, definitely go on one of Eriks tours! The Capilano tour was one of the highlights of my trip! read more

This hostel was very nice. It was quite, mostly clean, the staff was extremely reasonable and helpful. It is in a good area close to stuff too! read more

A great, social place to stay. The staff and volunteers are helpful, and made me very comfortable staying in a new place in an unknown city.

Lovely little hostel, we got a private room and it feels luxury. If you're three people traveling, get a private room, same price but more privacy! read more