Places of stay could be a big challenge in a trip and could turn everything upside down. We generally stayed in good, not excellent hotels and had a few places but it could have been much better, if we have had organized. One reason that I didn't book any hotel in advance was that we did not what we wanted to do on each day. It pretty much depends on the situation. How well you slept last night, how busy the place that you are going to, is. If there is long line, there is no way that I go. So we pretty much stayed day by day. The other thing was that our first stay would be in the weekdays so we did not have to be worried about rented out rooms. The only time we felt a bit of pressure was the time that we got close the long weekend of B. C. Day.
Anyway here is where we stayed and pros and cones:
Nigh One - Kamloops EconoLodge - Quiet place, no breakfast, close to fast food and Highway No. 1 and easy to go everywhere in the town, big issue with the damn bed making noise when tossing and turning. Not recommended for the people who might have problem with a noisy bed. Cost $101.67 to be exact.
Night Two - Port Coquitlam POCO Inn & Suites - We were given a room in the back which was not facing a major road. For that reason it was quiet. Clean and nice with a good bathroom and other things available, no breakfast and 10 minutes drive to a major shopping centre but far away from Vancouver and other places that you might want to see in Lower Mainland, mostly. Cost $133.38.
Night Three to Six - Coquitem BestWestern Chelsea Inn - I guess it was Chelsea Inn first then the owners decided to go under BestWestern umbrella somehow, there were a few problems with this hotel but it became a base for us because of two advantages:
1- Close to Highway No. 1.
2- Breakfast. It was OK.
3- Quiet for sleeping.
4- Internet access in the lobbey.
There problems were:
1- Damaged head shower which not get fixed until the day we left although we told the reception people.
2- The little refrigerator kept most of the things frozen instead of cold. Might not be an issue for me but was for us because we had fruit and salad. We didn't even bother telling the hotel staff.
3- We were in the third floor and if someone walked in the room above, we could here it. This issue emerged once or twice only because we spent most of our time outside. Four night stay cost us $443.52 or $110.88 per night. Parking not bad but you might have ended up parking outside and in the morning when you wanted to go out the car felt like oven before you take your Thanksgiving turkey out!
Night Seven - Surrey Compass Point - Nice and clean place. Nice King size bed and luxury restaurant we never went to. We found this place the second night but we didn't go to because the available rooms were facing King George Highway with lots of traffic until late night and the other one back of the building where all the air conditioning or similar machines make annoying noises all day long. That night we got a room on sixth floor in the back at the north eastern side of the building which was quiet and we had a good rest. Cost $139.03, the most expensive one during the trip. The hotel has a very friendly and helpful receptionist and they speak good English because I have talked to idiots who barely understand a word. What Compass Point dishonored himself with was the local telephones that we had. The cheapskates charge us $0.35 for every local call we made even the ones that the other side of the line didn't pick up! While everywhere else they did not charge us a single penny. I made phone calls both from the EconoLogde and BestWestern and cost nothing. These guys better think twice before handing a bill to their customers, if they want them back. Parking is around the building for free but we had to display a ticket on the dash issued by the reception which was fine.
There were a few places that we checked but decided not to get a room for a reason. I name a few of them here:
1- BestWestern Downtown Vancouver a little expensive for us plus they charge some extra $15 to $20 for parking! I was gonna burst in to laughter when the lady receptionist told me that but just left.
2- There are four hotels at the corner of Capilano Road and Marine Dr. in North Vancouver just right after Petro-Canada gas station and we tried them all and decided not to get any of them due to the following:
Available rooms were all facing the road and we knew we could not sleep all night long. There was a Comfort Inn and we asked to see the available room. It was one in the back. F. F. used the opportunity and used the bathroom and that was where we realized that the flush did not work! Then I opened the window to see what's in the back and saw a shopping cart and I said Oh my goodness we will have company in the middle of the night from the homeless of the neighbourhood! I don't know what kind of fucking management that is which does not check in and around the rooms at least once in two days.
In Grouse Inn there were two East European girls as receptionist and very polite but when she was showing us the room we realized that one asshole has put all his dirty cloths on the railing and I said what a nice guests they got there. The room smelled like a skunk! I'm just exaggerating! Then we went to the adjacent Travelodge. We had a bad experience with the franchise but said let's give it another try and that was the last one in that corner. There was an Oriental woman with ugly cloths, something like an underwear that men where and a very loose pants, dirty hair which looked like that had not been washed in the past 3 or 4 days. She showed so much passion in her work and was trying to encourage us to get a room but I barely understood what she was trying to say and looking at her made me so discouraged to spend the night there. Rather than that all the two rooms that she showed us were ugly, small and not likable plus noisy.
So by reading above you can see that we are not people who accept to stay in any place easily but that's how we are. We don't accept any dump! Next time if I'm going somewhere I'll be more organized and careful about the places to stay.
(Photo: POCO Inn & Suites lobby in Port Coquitlam. I guess I was here once when Hodani visited me and he had to spend a night there)
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