Cambie Hostel - Gastown

The Cambie Hostel in Gastown offers a central location and a loud party atmosphere evenings, sometimes continuing until two in the morning. Its best feature is the large pub with a good bar tapping a number of beers at reasonable prices.

Getting there is easiest from the Waterfront Skytrain ans Seabus station; walk out between the pillars, cross the street and head east for two blocks. From the Greyhound the same instructions apply, but first you have to board the Skytrain at the nearby Main Street Station, and then take it to Waterfront. From the airport, bus it to the Skytrain similarly. If you need to park a car, this place is not for you.

The central location–near downtown, Chinatown, and in Gastown–is good for sightseeing, but the point of staying at this place would be to party in the pub and sleep in as long as the road noise outside allows. The rooms have very large windows overlooking trolley lines and other old buildings, and the traffic builds up from five in the morning so a light sleeper will have to scrap that plan for the sleep part.

Amenities are found: internet, kitchen, laundry, bedding, and showers. But the toilets cannot be described as clean; dripping and pooling water add to a less than satisfactory atmosphere in the dark area where the sinks and bowls are found. The operative word for them is usable. In hallways–somewhat swaybacks–the hardwood is kept waxed, and cleaning efforts are obvious, but the smell of age cannot be got out. A fat little mouse met us down that hallway once. Lockers in the rooms are supplied, own lock needed, and a keying system for building security exists in the form of low quality or "funny" locks. For instance the first key going upstairs jiggles in easier if you've had a couple of drafts in the bar; or so it seemed to me.

The area around the Cambie Gastown is not safe at night for a person alone; daylight hours one can even walk to Chinatown by way of Pender Street, but if unsure of a good route bussing is better. Breakfast is available and included, but if you only get up in time for lunch. The Vocational School two blocks up across Victory Square is the best. They have dinner around five too, when classes are on, and that is weekdays most of the year. Kent's Kitchen in Chinatown is good for price–Keefer, east of Main–and it gives the traveller a sense of being Vancouverite.

In the event that a brief change becomes desirable, here are three half day trips from the Cambie Gastown which would supply something of a change in venue: ( i) a stroll down Robson Street for more upscale shopping, (ii) a ride on the Seabus for marine action and the market at Lonsdale Quay, and (iii) Granville Island for the Market, Plays, or just more beer direct from the factory.

-- Exclusive Hostelz.com Review