HI Vancouver Downtown

The heat in the room is unbearable. It was close to 30 degrees (celcius) in the room. Worst night of my stay in Canada. We were also charged additional costs when checking in. 2 stars for the wifi and ability to store our luggage.

I'm so thrilled that Hostelling International (HI) Vancouver Downtown is open again! I visited twice during the month of June after it (partially) opened on June 1, and you can really tell the team is working hard to complete renovation and make this place a warm, homey hostel. As of my writing, their renovation is going well but not yet complete. I imagine it will be more complete by the end of the summer 2023.PROS:Overall, the hostel was a great experience, and I think it will soon be set up to feel really nice and secure. The rooms and public areas were thoughtfully laid out and the staff was really welcoming. Like with many urban hostels, the dormitory room I stayed in was fairly small and had four bunk beds, but they've been thoughtful in having full dividers between beds, really sturdy structures that don't make noises, and power strips above your head that allow you to charge your devices.The kitchen is large with plenty of seating space for eating, and I expect and good set of spaces for storing food.CONS:There were several things I would improve about this hostel, which I don't think will necessarily be solved just by completing renovation alone:1. The shared bathroom is fairly small for the number of rooms on each floor, and the syncs have no countertop for facilitating your belongs. That's a big miss in a shared bathroom. The showers also had no shelving or hooks.2. The dormitory rooms have no lockers, and at least in the two different dorms I stayed in, there didn't appear to be space for lockers either, so it's not clear they're planning to install them. I think this is a must-have at any hostel, especially an urban hostel where there's less guarantee that people are staying for common reasons. I would encourage some sort of under-the-bed solution if there's not space.3. The power strip on their brand new beds has an energy-saving button to turn on the power, which is awesome. However, the problem is the button has a big bright red light that then makes it hard to sleep. An easy solve could just be providing a cover for this button.

The heat is unbearable. think I would have been more comfortable sleeping on the beach

Would have been solid 5 stars but the elevator needs a boost - and the front door light isn't left on at night!The place is in renovation, and probably will be for another six months or so. It's coming along very well, though the new floors squeak when stepped upon - good for security alerts, but terrible for sleeping! Natural Ventilation seems to go down the hallways and not cross into the rooms; showers at each end of the hallways, 4-bed dorm has ensuite sink.No storage / lockers in rooms yet. The bunks are great as they have personal lights, are framed solidly (no squeaking when climbing up or down), and feel like a room with the ends covered by a board for privacy. I hope they install curtains across the bed so that light can be limited as well as for privacy. By the bed light are outlets for charging via plug or USB.The front desk check in area is very clean and neat; kitchen same and the dining room area is super big and bright yellow!; several areas for working quietly, courtyard still in progress, den / sitting area; laundry in basement ($2.5/wash or dry, $1 detergent) uses only coins; Rent-A-Bike Mobi by Shaw Go three blocks away. Quiet neighborhood, treelined street but also close to major streets. No breakfast though - yet. Also, didn't see any freezer which would have been nice. Storage in kitchen for your dry stuff (small lockers). It will be up to the staff to ensure the place stays clean!I had to extend my stay for two more days, and though it's a bit pricier than some hostels, the cleanliness and large rooms, solid bunks, huge kitchen - it's worth the price for a downtown-ish Vancouver stay.I just hope they don't hang shower curtains in the shower stalls - they'd just get in the way and start smelling!It's all a good restart and promising. I will return.

This hostel deserves a solid 4 stars. It was at a quieter location but super short walk to bus routes and food places. The rooms and facilities are modern and were extremely well-kept. I liked how there is a library room, rec room, and movie room. The staff were also professional and approachable. Lastly, I felt very safe.Despite the almost daily events between the two Vancouver HI locations, I felt like there was little engagement besides what you see on the wall. I honestly felt like you had to work hard just to make friends here, and this is days after I checked out of an unnamed competitor hostel a few minutes walk away. That other hostel just had better engagement and helped foster an environment where I could make friends quickly.Other constructive criticism include the need to have better coffee as it was just too awful and better access to plugs from the top bunks.Other than that, I'm happy HI has many, many locations. I will gladly check into this hostel again in the future.

The hostel is very convenient and has great price-quality relationship. It is in a very suitable location, very close to the beach, dining and shopping areas and public transportation.Breakfast is quite complete and has lots of options and coffee is great!I would only highlight 2 minor downsides: the WiFi signal is not that great, especially in the rooms, and the bathrooms are somewhat small in terms of the people they can take. I’ve been to other HI hostels where there are individual shared bathrooms, which are great for privacy and convenience, and this was not the case here.Aside from that, this is a very cool place to stay. The have excellent activities on a daily basis and the staff are very friendly!If you happen to be there on a Tuesday or Friday, do take Erik’s tours - offered in the hostel. Erik is an inspiration and his tours are the best!

I had a great stay at Vancouver Downtown whilst in town for a concert two weeks ago. Super friendly staff, hardworking housekeepers, and very exciting to see the vision that is being built there.

This is not a hostel anymore.. It is a shelter owned by the Feds. Full to capacity and a waiting list with B.C. housing. I have been informed that this place is going to reopen as a hostel in June 2022. Update: January 31, 2022. This place is EMPTY now, when are they reopening? I heard that they were renovating, but no sign of life. Great location so I hope they do something with it.

Top notch service and location. But there's no A/C. There was no coffee or free juice.

This is an excellent hostel for central Vancouver. It is located between English Bay and downtown, so is in easy walking distance from Stanley Park, the ferry to Granville island or downtown Vancouver. The rooms are clean and comfortable. The breakfast is excellent and the facilities are very good. 2023 update: the refurbishment is making the place look tidier. I missed the breakfast, but the kitchen is well-equipped and the are shops and cafes nearby.