Granville Island Hotel

Rooms and decor

Picture a small island in the middle of False Creek, right in the heart of Vancouver — a patch that was once a district of steel works and shipyards before it was reinvented in the 1970s into the city's liveliest arts-market community. That is where the Granville Island Hotel sets itself down as the one and only hotel on the island: a small waterfront building of about 82 rooms in wood and brick, classic Pacific Northwest in style and blending into the old boat sheds around it rather than shouting for attention like a glass tower downtown. The rooms do not chase luxury; they go for the warm feel of a waterfront house run by a family for generations — honey-toned wood furniture, earthy curtains, exposed concrete ceilings in some rooms that still hold the old-warehouse character. The thing that matters most, though, is the view. Most rooms face False Creek, so you open the curtains in the morning to sailboats large and small lined up, a Harbour Air floatplane touching down nearby, and the downtown skyline standing across the water. At night the building lights reflect off the water so well that more than one reviewer said they did not want to close the curtains. Some rooms have a small balcony to sit out with a glass of wine; some are two-storey lofts that suit families with several kids.

Food and amenities

In the hotel itself there is Dockside Restaurant, an open kitchen serving western Canadian food, fresh seafood, BC steak and a wallet-friendly kids' menu, paired with Dockside Brewing, a small in-house craft brewery that on some days lets you peek at the fermentation tanks — the standout pours are a Pilsner and an IPA brewed right on the island. A babysitting service is another point families single out in reviews, since parents can slip out for a quiet dinner over in Yaletown and come back to find the kids asleep. The real draw, of course, is everything just outside the door — see below.

Location and getting there

The genuine charm of staying here lives outside the room. Walk under 3 minutes and you reach the Granville Island Public Market, the stop everyone makes in Vancouver — rainbow-painted fruit stalls, fresh-baked bread from Terra Breads, BC farm cheese, Pacific seafood, JJ Bean coffee and all manner of sweets. A little further on is the Kids Market, a bright three-storey building of toy shops, candy stores, an indoor playground and small rides, with a Water Park outside for kids to splash around all summer. Past that sit the Arts Club Theatre, potters' and jewellers' studios, and shops selling work made in the city. Getting around is easy — the Aquabus docks out front, 2 minutes to Yaletown or carry on to Science World; it is about a 5–7 minute drive over the Granville Bridge to downtown, with Stanley Park a short drive too.

Things to know before booking

To be straight with you and help you decide — the thing reviews mention most is that the rooms are not new or plush. The hotel has been open a long time and renovated in stages rather than gutted and rebuilt, so some rooms have wood furniture or carpet that has clearly seen use, and a few bathrooms are classic rather than modern; if you are expecting the sleek look of a 4-star downtown, come for the atmosphere instead. Second is parking — Granville Island gets very busy by day, especially weekends and in summer, public parking on the island is scarce and slow, and the hotel's parking carries a per-night fee (check the rate when you book). If you drive, plan to check in morning or evening and skip the midday crush on the bridge onto the island. Third is noise — the Granville Bridge runs directly over the island, so rooms facing the bridge can catch some traffic noise, mostly by day; ask for a bay-facing room and it is much quieter. On festival days such as the Vancouver International Children's Festival or the Folk Music Festival the island stays lively into the evening, so check the calendar if you want quiet. Last is distance to the SkyTrain — there is no station on the island, so you take the Aquabus or an Uber out to Yaletown-Roundhouse Station, which is less convenient than a downtown hotel if you rely on the train.

Our take

Having read through hundreds of real reviews, the Granville Island Hotel sells the charm of being the one and only hotel on Vancouver's most fun arts-market island, and nothing else in the city competes with that. If your mental picture of the trip is taking the kids out at dawn to walk the market for warm bread, letting them run loose in the Kids Market all day, riding the rainbow Aquabus over for a waterside dinner in Yaletown in the evening, then coming back to watch the sun drop behind the downtown skyline from your room — this is the most fitting base for a family trip in Vancouver. Couples who like an artists'-community feel and a craft beer at Dockside will fall for it too. But if you are after a new, plush room, easy parking all day, or a downtown spot you can walk everywhere from without a boat, a big-brand hotel downtown may suit you better. Overall we give it 8.7/10, best for families with young kids and couples who fall for Vancouver's waterfront city.