First things first - Vancouver is an expensive place to stay. I travelled with two friends as a group of 3 guys in their late 20's and stayed in the city for 3 nights before embarking on a Canadian road trip from West to East.

It was extremely difficult finding both a hotel which suited our budget and one that had decent reviews on Trip Advisor. (I will only stay at places that average a score of 4/5 ). The Sands by the Sea solved our problem and we were very glad we stayed there having passed a few of the hotels in the same price bracket in the city which looked pretty run down.

The Lobby, Restaurant/Cafe and Bar were tidy and service was excellent. The room was average - nothing to write home about, but equally nothing to complain about. We had a room at the rear of the hotel looking the car park so it wasn't interesting, but it was quiet.

The surrounding location was lovely. 1 minute away from the Western facing English Bay beach which meant a stunning sunset every night, 2-3 minutes away from Stanley park, and it was about 5 minutes from the top end of Robson street, 15 minutes from the harbour area so certainly not a huge walk away from the hotel areas charging 3 or 4 times the amount we paid.

Very vibrant area, no seediness about it that I've read can be the case near some of the other hotels in the price bracket. Plenty of bar/grills where you can get good food and have a drink at sunset and a huge variety of international cuisine available on the same street. Personally I like being able to drink and dine close to a hotel I'm staying at when I stay in a City and the area was both full of choice and felt safe.

The best way of putting it (which the three of us agreed on) is that we'd get away with bringing our girlfriends here! Decent rooms, excellent and safe nightlife and not too much walking!

I stayed at the Sands in late June. First of all, the best thing about the Sands is the location. It's a block from English Bay and an easy walk to Stanley Park. Many of the fun activities (walking, biking, kayaking) in Vancouver couldn't be closer. Also, the neighborhood has a wide assortment of cafes and restaurants that should appeal to everyone. Now the downside of staying at the Sands. The property isn't aging well. The rooms need serious work. I encountered numerous problems in my room (i.e. the bathroom fan didn't work, the water in the shower alternated between very hot and very cold, the knob for the air conditioner came off in my hand.) Clearly, the management has done very little to keep up the place, and it shows. But for the location, I would give the Sands two stars. The rooms are just not in good shape. If you're not prepared to rough it a bit with worn rooms, the Sands isn't the place for you. On the other hand, if you're willing to put up with an older facility that needs some work, the location can't be beat.

I had a wonderful stay at this hotel. I was visiting in order to race the Triathlon World Championships, so comfort was very important. Eddie gave me a great rate and Mr. Grant made sure I had oatmeal for breakfast on race day. All of the staff were so very helpful.
The rooms were clean and quiet (except for the construction across the street). And my room had a partial ocean view. The hotel is right in center of all of the beach activities.
I would definitely stay here again and recommend this property to others.
Thank you.

June 6th.'08.
Rosemont.PA.USA

My friend and I have just spent a few days at Best Western Sands Hotel on Davie Street in Vancouver.B.C.
We were very impressed with the friendly and efficient service from the moment we arrived.
Our room was clean and well appointed,with a balcony overlooking the beach at English Bay.
The restaurant was exceptional and the staff were cheerful and very helpful.
We will certainly use the Sands Hotel on all future visits to
Vancouver's fair city We thoroughly recommend it.

Eileen Cahill/Tove Sorensen

Guests from May20th -May 23rd 2008.