I have 4 nights in Vancouver. I did have a very late arrival and early departure which led to me having a hard time deciding where to stay. Hotel prices in Vancouver were through the roof and I wasn’t expecting the rates to be this expensive here. In the end, I decided to stay at Hilton Vancouver Downtown for the first night. I will be shifting to the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre for the next two nights. Given the high prices in town, I turn towards a stash of Marriott Bonvoy points I had slowly collected over the years. It is quite worth it given the cash rate during my period of stay. The Sheraton is one of the largest hotels in Vancouver with two separate wings.

Booking Process & Pre Arrival 

I booked directly with Marriott for this stay. The hotel was going for around 480 SGD a night and a redemption night cost 43,000 MB points. I rarely stayed at Marriott and this seems to be rather good value. I managed to get around 1000 SGD of value from these points. My base-level room was even upgraded to one of the high-floor rooms during check-in. Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre have two buildings and this is one of the largest hotels in the city. They feature 733 guest rooms and suites spread across 11 categories. This is also the third-highest hotel in the city. You can find the breakdown below. Click here if you want to book it. 

RoomsClub AccessBathtub Room Size
Guest – Low FloorNoYes36 Sqm
BalconyNoNo36 Sqm
CornerNoNo41 Sqm
Guest – High FloorNoYes36 Sqm
FamilyNoYes62 Sqm
DeluxeNoNo47 Sqm
Junior SuiteNoNo38 Sqm
ClubYesNo36 Sqm
Club Junior SuiteYesNo38 Sqm
Club One Bedroom SuiteYesNo47 Sqm
Club Two Bedroom SuiteYesNo81 Sqm

Checking In

I arrive at the hotel at around 1.30pm. It was a simple walk away from Hilton Vancouver Downtown. Where I was staying the night before. It took me around 10 minutes or so. The Sheraton is on the main avenue and it is very easy to get around. You have Granville on one side and the cruise terminal on the other end. The public transport is very efficient but with the weather being this amazing, a stroll is perfect. I struggled a little to find the hotel entrance. They have two towers, separated into North and South. The south tower is the main one and where my room is.

There was no one in line when I was here and I could check in straight away. My room is already ready despite the early arrival. The check-in process was brief and efficient. They also extended a late check-out till 12.30pm and I was told to check again the night before. This was further extended till 1pm on the day of checkout. 

High Floor Guest Room 

I was assigned a room on the 30th floor. Room 3004 to be exact. Rooms above the 20th floor are classified as high-floor rooms. While these are more or less the same as the base-level rooms, the views are better given the location. The room is a short walk away from the elevator and is located in the corner. I believe that the corner rooms are slightly better in terms of configuration. Upon entering, you have a small little L-shaped entranceway. Immediately to the right of the entrance, you can find a full-length mirror as well as a little bench. I appreciate the little bench. This might seem small but it can be so handy especially when putting on your footwear. It would be nice if they had some hooks here on the side for your outerwear. 

The bathroom is immediately found to the left after entering near the entrance. It comes with a single sink in the corner. All sorts of necessary amenities are included such as towels and hairdryers. The bathroom comes with a standing shower and this is single-handedly the most disappointing aspect of the entire room. It only comes with a wall-mounted showerhead. I hate this configuration. Do people in this part of the world not wash their lower extremities? Water pressure and temperature control are very weak. This is an aspect that they should improve on.

Amenities are from Gilchrist & Soames in large pump-size bottles. I love the woody and oaky scent of them. They could have more racks and storage areas in the bathroom. 

The wardrobe is spacious and comes with everything that you might require for your stay. There is a safe, an ironing kit and plenty of hangers. A portable luggage rack is left here for guest’s usage and I love that they provided an umbrella which is handy given how unpredictable Vancouver weather can be. 

Next to it is the minibar area. It comes with some counter space. It comes with an ice bucket, glasses, coffee machine and tea. The mini fridge below is left empty for your use. 

The main space of the room is in a squarish configuration. I love the look of the place with those huge window panels. It brings in plenty of natural light and the view is good. I love that you can also open up a small panel for some fresh air. This is awesome when the air in Vancouver is this good. 

The king-size bed takes up most of the footprint in the room. On both sides of the bed are nightstands. Outlets are within reach and nicely designed. They even have USB ports here. The mattress is pretty good and has a nice balance. I am a person who prefers a firmer bed. The sheets are high quality. Do note that the lighting here is not centrally controlled and the switches are not by the side of the bed. You do have to manually switch them off one by one. 

Opposite the bed, you can find a large smart-screen television mounted on the wall. It comes with plenty of both cable and local TV channels. It is great for movie nights. I caught some of my favourite TV series here. 

To the side, you can find a working desk. This is great for getting some work done. It comes equipped with an armchair that provides decent back support. Power outlets are within reach and you can easily connect to the Wi-Fi here. The connection is good.

Left on the table is a welcome amenity consisting of a personal message and some macaroons. Thanks for making my stay so sweet. 

Near the window, you can find another armchair. The single-seater feels slightly out of place and awkward. I would prefer that they just remove this. An ottoman in front of the bed will be better.

Now, let me come to the view! How lovely is this! This is one of my favourite aspects of this room! The view is awesome! You can get a really lovely view of the city with the surrounding mountains and the waters given how high up we are. I got a nice picture here by dangling my phone out of the 30th floor. That probably isn’t the best idea but wow! Electronically controlled blinds and sheers will be a good addition here. 

Fitness Centre 

The facilities are located nearer to the North Tower. It is located on the third floor. You can access it via the walkways if you are coming from the South Tower. The gym is open from 6am to 11pm. The gym is very well equipped and consists of a lovely room with plenty of equipment. This is one of the better ones that I have seen. There are even rooms dedicated to cardio. Everything is well maintained and the high number of equipment will be very handy for a property of this size. 

Pool

The pool is similarly located on the third floor. It is just beside the gym. The decent size indoor pool as well as the jacuzzi is open from 6am to 11pm daily. This is more of a pool for exercising than relaxing. The regular size shape is very conducive for getting laps done. The place is well maintained. To be honest I found the place much more accessible through the street entrance rather than the linkways inside. Although it might not be the best idea in the cooler season. 

Conclusion

This has to be one of the better redemptions out there given the cash rate in Vancouver. Sometimes it is good to play the miles and points game to have an alternative. It is also worth looking into acquiring points rather than paying cash straight as this can at times be cheaper. I had a nice room and the view was pretty good. Vancouver has a pretty gorgeous skyline, the views are marvellous when the weather is good. You can see the mountains in the background and the harbour too. I love the amount of greenery here. My main complaint here will be the showers! Do book this hotel if you like it.