PRICE:
Frommer's Recommended

If the Sylvia were being built today, all its rooms facing onto English Bay would have balconies and probably be outfitted with luxurious appointments. But balconies were rarities back in 1912, when this venerable and much-used hotel appeared in the relatively unpopulated West End, so all you can do is stare out the windows at what is one of the loveliest views in town. Lots of folks love the Sylvia, mostly for its fabulous location, and many are eager to recommend it, but pretty as the old girl is from the outside, inside she's a bit of a wreck: Tatty carpeting lines the corridors, rooms sometimes smell musty, and in some the mismatched furniture hasn't been updated in decades. The public spaces are the ugliest you're likely to encounter in any Vancouver hotel, lost in a kind of garish 1950s lounge style that is so awful it isn't even camp. Still, you're not going to find waterfront accommodations anywhere else at Sylvia's prices. If you do stay, the best rooms are located on the higher floors facing English Bay. The suites have fully equipped kitchens and are large enough for families. The newer low-rise annex rooms are no better, and offer less atmosphere.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Vancouver & Victoria 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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