I normally stay at the Hilton around the corner from this Holiday Inn Express, but decided to stay here after hearing of the recent renovations. This is the second time I have stayed at this hotel (I stayed in 2005 on a family vacation). This time I stayed for 7 nights for business in early March and found my stay to be very comfortable and enjoyable.
What I like about the Holiday Inn Express Metrotown is that it simplifies everything. To begin with, they offer plenty of free parking in their own underground parkade. With the exception of a few spaces, guests can park anywhere they like. It's one of the most headache-free hotel parkades in Vancouver.
Next, they provide a free breakfast bar 7 days a week (from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m., if I recall correctly). I find that foraging for food in the morning is such a chore (and can get quite expensive when it's for an entire family), so I really appreciate that they offer this complimentary breakfast bar. You're probably thinking, "Well, how good can it be if it's complimentary?" It's actually great! They offer fresh fruit (apples, bananas), bread and bagels (with a toaster), yogurt cups, delicious warm cinnamon rolls that are baked fresh daily, a variety of cereals, coffee, tea, juices, water, jams, butter -- and I believe I even saw hard boiled eggs. It's a great way to start your day. A tip to keep in mind: If you can, get there no later than 6:45 a.m. because if there are any school groups staying at the hotel, they invade right around 7 a.m. and you'll have to wait in line.
There are several room types to choose from in this hotel. The regular rooms (with 2 double beds) are a comfortable size for a family. For this stay, I was staying in an executive room with a king size bed. The room was a very nice size. I booked online on the Holiday Inn's website and for a rate of $109 (Can) per night I got the king size bed, mini-fridge, microwave, working desk and desk chair, and also a cozy armchair with a nice little table that was perfect for working on my laptop while watching TV. It was also a nice place to enjoy my evening meals.
As noted on the Holiday Inn website, they have revamped their beds. The new bed linens are a big improvement over the old ones they used to have. I can't say that their beds are as comfortable as the Hilton's, but they are very clean, soft, and cozy. The bed came with four comfy pillows.
The bathrooms in this hotel are a nice size. Not the biggest in Vancouver, but not as small as many hotels. The tubs are on the older side, but are still clean and maintained. What I really like, however, is the shower curtain set and the design of their curtain rods. They curve out, away from the tub. This means NO hotel shower curtain sticking to your skin repeatedly while you shower! The hotel chain would probably prefer that I rave about their nice shower heads (and they are quite nice), but the curved shower curtain rod is my favourite part about those bathrooms. What can I say...
If you're in Vancouver on vacation, you have one of the largest malls in Canada attached right to the hotel via the skywalk. There is also an asian-themed mall right around the corner, next to the Hilton, that has an excellent food court (check out Hana Sushi if you like sushi). Also noteworthy is the National Car Rental office in the Hilton, should you need to rent a car. It's a two minute walk from the Holiday Inn, so it's very convenient.
Connected directly to the hotel, you'll also find Station Square (instead of crossing the skywalk when you exit through the doors on the second floor, turn left toward the small movie theatre). There is a FutureShop electronics store if you proceed through the doors by the movie theatre. (This is vital knowledge if your camera's memory card runs out of room and you need to buy a new memory card quick.) There is also a Save-On Foods directly across the parking lot from the FutureShop, should you need anything like shampoo, razors, food, etc.
Once you've explored Metrotown, you can then take the SkyTrain, also accessible directly from the hotel from the skywalk. If you're in Vancouver on vacation, the SkyTrain can take you to many of the tourist destinations and great shopping venues on your list. It's cheap, fast, and easy to use. If you're in Vancouver on business, you may well be able to take the SkyTrain directly or close to your business destination. My daily commute into the city took approximately 20 minutes via SkyTrain, with a short 5 minute walk from the station. It sure beats sitting in traffic and looking for expensive parking downtown.
Other hotel amenities of interest:
-The outdoor heated pool: I didn't use the pool during this stay, but our family used it quite a bit when we stayed in 2005. It's a simple, rectangular pool, without a slide or diving board, but it's tons of fun in the summer. The whole deck is very nice to lounge on while the kids are in the pool, and there are numerous comfortable chairs and tables available. When the summer sun comes out in Vancouver, this is a great place to be.
-Movies and games: The TV comes with pay per view movies -- tons of them! There were at least 30 very recent movie titles, and some were actually still playing in the mall at the Silver City Metropolis movie theatre. There are also 30-40 Nintendo 64 games available for $6.95 per hour via the TV. (Only one controller, though, so the kids may not be entirely pleased.)
-Self-serve laundry: There is a washer and dryer on-site on the third floor, if you'd like to do your own laundry. It's coin operated and requires quarters ($1.50 for a wash cycle, $1.50 for a dry cycle, and $1.50 each for detergent and dryer sheets). If you don't have quarters, just go to a pop machine and insert a few loonies or toonies and you'll get quarters back. One note of caution, however: The laundry room is located at the end of the hall, next to the stairwell. A hotel card key is required to get in, but you cannot lock the door once in. Solo female travellers may not feel 100% safe in this room because the room itself is small, with only a small window on the entry door, and no alternate exit to use should a situation require one. Although I would rate the hotel as generally quite safe, I wasn't crazy about the set-up of this room.
-In-room internet access: I was a little disappointed with this amenity. The only option the hotel offers for internet access is wireless. There are still a number of guests out there who may not have a wireless modem, or (like me) prefer not to access wireless public/hotel networks in large cities because of significant security risks. When I've stayed at other hotels, I have been able to opt for a room with wired access which allows for more secure access, but it wasn't an option at this hotel. So, if you plan to bring your laptop, make sure your firewall is in working order!
With the exception of those couple small issues, I think it's pretty obvious that this is a great hotel for the price. The location is excellent, the staff are nice, the amenities and convenience are excellent, and the very reasonable prices are the icing on the cake. I would highly recommend this hotel to business travellers and to families on vacation.
