This is a different kind of post from my usual, but I decided to write about it and share some of my money saving tips!
My husband was gifted Free Canucks Tickets for Saturday’s game, so we arranged an overnight at Grandma’s for our kiddos and went into planning mode!
A friend of mine told me about Hotwire for booking hotel deals and I had never used it, but after looking at hotel prices for Downtown Vancouver, I downloaded the app and started searching!
They have what they call Hot Rate Deals – you choose the amenities you want – pool, free breakfast, etc. and it shows you by hotel rating what deals you can get – but it doesn’t show you the hotel name!
I know what you’re thinking – how does that work?! Well, their deals are so good they can’t advertise them with the hotel name! So, once you book, you get an email telling you what hotel you are staying at!
I lucked out and we scored a hotel downtown on Burrard Street for $150 taxes in! We paid $17 for parking (half the price of parking at the arena!) and we were able to walk everywhere we needed to go.
Our room was larger than we expected and we were surprised to find a kitchenette too!
The downside was that we were right across the hall from the elevators, so my husband was awake most of the night listening to the constant humming and dinging – but they did include ear plugs in the bathroom amenities!
When you book through these apps, you can expect to stay in the less desirable rooms, but we really only needed it for a place to sleep, so we weren’t picky!
We walked down to the Amsterdam Cafe and had some delicious drinks (I had coffee, my hubby had a milkshake-yum!) and then from there we walked to find somewhere to eat dinner.
Normally, I would search Groupon for Dinner Deals, or try to find a Game Night Special, but since this was a little last-minute, and my husband is more of a “wing it” kind of guy, so we just decided to walk until we found/agreed on a place. We settled at St. Regis Bar & Grill and shared some yummy appetizers before strolling down to Rogers Arena. It wasn’t a long walk to the arena so it worked out perfectly!
These seats were awesome, despite being surrounded by Calgary fans while the Canucks were losing! They were all great, fun people and we had a great time.
The next morning, I woke up early (as I always do, even when I don’t want to) and walked down the street in search of a quiet coffee shop.
I walked past St. Paul’s Hospital – I love the architecture! Then I found a Starbucks and enjoyed coffee, water and my book. After awhile, I started walking again and explored down Davie Street. Loonie Toonie Town looked like a pretty cool store, I was sad it was closed and I couldn’t explore it!
All in all, it was a quick but greatly enjoyed trip to the city of Vancouver!
As always, thanks for reading!