Hotel Sylvia Reviews

Beautiful historic hotel with a stunning view of English Bay. The hotel staff were friendly and helpful. They were very accommodating for our large dog as well. We were only supposed to stay one night at the Sylvia Hotel, but ended up staying for three since it was so comfortable and welcoming.

Wow. Bad place. Elitist. They saw my last name and refused to honor my reservation. Kept asking me where I am from.... really.i gave them my passport I am from Canada. "Sir you dont look like your passport picture or your drivers license" are you kidding? Really the goal is to bring back 1912? You will get flushed down the toilet like Trump. After I sat in the parking lot they have 3 walk ins a room. While I tried to pack my car with my pregnant wife.

Wednesday night. Went with some friends. Awesome night, with great live music from "Spirit", who was live-Looping some awesome music. Eagles, Paul Simon, Maroon 5. Snacks and food were awesome! Drinks too....

The plus point of this place is the beach next to it. Rooms are ordinary. No microwave oven and mini fridge was available. We asked for both and only got a mini fridge. Overall experience was okay not great though.

Regarding the restaurant - It's a lovely place and the food is excellent, but if you're a beautiful woman, be careful of the waitresses there, because they're jealous and they'll hurt you.

Awesome Wednesday night.
Live music at Sylvia was Spiritcool. Incredible musician. A must see!
Everything is right about this boutique hotel.
Dinner and margaritas!

Year after year, consistently terrible. Cold food, small portions, poor value, bland flavors, forgettable service.

It was an amazing experience! we had breakfast at the restaurant and stayed in the one of the top floors and it was just stunning and the food was wonderful too!

Generally good food and prices. Last time, the server had way too large a section so he was run off his feet trying to look after all the tables.

Excellent friendly service. The food was general but tasty. Large outdoor patio. Great restaurant for people watching. $$

Great live music, atmosphere, location and service.

First off, it's charming. Second, comfortable. Third, convenient even though it's in a congested part of a congested city. Fourth and not the least important, the staff were very gracious and helpful.

Popped in for brunch. Historic building with rich history and lots of archival shots of Vancouver. On site parking that is handy as street parking hard to find. Food a bit disappointing but service attentive and friendly. Great views. Overall a nice experience.

Was nice and pleasant. Good restraunt. Room was cold, but it was decent.

Cozy and well-run hotel in absolute top location. Stanley Park, Downtown and the city beach (English Bay) are virtually on the doorstep. From the airport in 30 minutes by taxi (35 $) to reach. It takes a bit longer with the Skytrain ($ 8). Rooms are not all modernized, but everything was clean and well maintained.
Breakfast for an extra charge in the hotel, but there are also in the numerous shops in a direct environment.
Service and contact at the front desk absolutely great!

Beautiful hotel. Excellent roast beef and the entertainment is top notch.

Great lunch and a terrific view. Had a Cobb Salad, very fresh and tasty. Excellent service, very attentive and refilled my water often! Would definitely recommend

A lovely old independent hotel that doesn t pretend to be anything it s not. Good service, decent rooms, but the location is what makes it a real gem. I feel very much at home here.

I love the fact that this hotel is not exclusive and is accessible to all. For its location, a drink or some food, with its lovely views of English Bay; you can t beat it. Also the creeper on the outside walls are stunning in fall.

Food was ok. Found a hair in my food. Front desk staff were rude.

Some construction going on, but otherwise our favourite go-to hotel in Vancouver.

Went during busy pride parade which may explain hurried and lackluster service. We ordered the Cajun salmon sandwich and fish and chips. Salmon sandwich was not very tasty, while the cod fish and chips were a little pricy for what was given. Personally I would avoid if looking for a good meal, but the location is beautiful and the place is very clean.

Love the ambience This is a must visit every time I visit Vancouver Great drinks food scenery staff

Great hotel, great view of the bay short walk to various eateries or dine in.

Stopped at the restaurant while biking around Stanley Park. Service was friendly and polite, our food came quickly and was good. They put a full put of coffee on the table which is nice, no chasing wait staff for a refill. All in all a nice meal and pleasant atmosphere.

Comfy bed and clean, safe rooms, in a great location. The staff in the hotel were amazing. I called for an early check-in and they had the room ready when we arrived 3 hours before regular check-in. Also loved the super fast taxi service because it can be hard to get cabs in Vancouver sometimes. We got a great rate for the location and would definitely stay here again for the night.

However, the restaurant was a bit disappointing: the first time we went, the restaurant was closed for a private function and just the lounge was open. The staff let us wander and stand around awkwardly for several minutes before telling us it was self-seating. (No signs indicating that.) Once seated, we were served by the bartender and he was excellent. The Spanish Banks martini was excellent. The next morning, we had breakfast in the restaurant and sat for a good 10 minutes before the server even greeted us. We then only saw her again when she dropped off our coffee, food, and the bill. She didn't check on us. The food itself was good (not amazing) and the views were stunning, but the neglect tainted our overall experience.

Classic "Old Vancouver" restaurant. Lots of charm.
Dropped in for lunch and had the best crabcakes ever! Worth the visit.

The beautiful and iconic Sylvia Hotel. I've been lucky enough to stay on one of the upper bay-side suites in the Sylvia on a number of occasions and my wife and I had another fantastic time there over Valentine's Day, 2019. What an awesome hotel! Combined with our fantastic room, the breakfasts served downstairs are perfect. Although I would prefer not to have the competition upon booking my next visit, I highly recommend this historic and nicely renovated hotel; close to walks on the beach, Stanley Park and many excellent restaurants and shops. This place is awesome!

The bar is a lovely space to to enjoy a cocktail. The kitchen closes quite early, but the drinks are well crafted. They could use an update to their beer list.

we just stayed for 1 night, but we can say the staff was nice and the rooms are decent. amazing location, close to the beach and downtown...

A real Vancouver landmark on English Bay, old but stylishly refurbished hotel. Best location in city for walking and enjoying the sea. Restaurant is accessible separately to public, great place for a scenic breakfast or lunch, haven't tried the dinner.

Worst Christmas dinner..2015..1hr behind on the first seating ..felt bad for people waiting for second seating ..I'm not a fan of Macdonald but it would of been alot better than the cold uneventful meal that they serve. .!!!

Decent hotel with historic charm. Had the corner room, so that was nice, but rooms could use a bit of updating.

The view is amazing from the bar, perfect for a sunset pint. The particular waitress we had tonight was really rude though and kind of ruined the experience for me

One of the my haunts in Vancouver. Great views and service. I enjoy the live music although not always to my taste in music. Food is good. Had the hamburger on my last visit which was awesome. Other meals in the past haven't been so memorable.

The location was perfect for our time in Vancouver. It also has spacious rooms with a kitchen and a nice staff. It is a little older than most hotels but made it quaint for us. We'd stay there again without hesutation

Enjoyed the view of English Bay and the food was above average with good service

We stayed at the hotel after it was suggested to me by my mother (who visited 30 years ago). I wasn t totally convinced it would still be cool - but it was lovely! Clean rooms, great view (even when English Bay was shrouded in wildfire smoke). Staff were friendly and very accommodating. And it s very affordable for the location.

The Sylvia Restaurant is my go to place in the West End. I take all my family and friends there for a unique dining experience many times, as I have been there 4 times this month, and every time has been a enjoyable evening, with outstanding service, and high quality food, with excellent a excellent menu.
I especially enjoy the martinis.

Location is great, everything else is pretty good but not 5 stars.

Excellent location and good food in your restaurant

Beautiful building, I absolutely love this heritage filled place. Fun and old fashioned. Though that being the case there's no air conditioning, but I don't know if you there's a more lovely place to stay in English Bay.

Was initially put in an older room that had a broken heater, smelled, had poor lighting, was noisy because it was above the lounge, and had thin walls. The lobby smelled horrible upon arrival. Service was good though, after two attempts to resolve the heat issue, they moved us to a room that was exceptional because it was in the newly remodeled side of the hotel. The initial room should never be offered to any guest.

We were first timers, good & service we're great! Certainly works go back again!

What a gem! For those who follow my reviews, I can be picky about hotels. Not how fancy it is but what they deliver. These guys deliver excellently. This is a historic hotel. Yet while old and could use updating, it is not tired . It is well maintained. The service has been exceptional throughout our stay. Everyone goes out of their way to help you. The location is perfect. Everywhere is an easy drive or you can walk to most places. Even better, it s across the street from the beach. Last, and check the photos, our room was HUGE!! We will definitely come back to stay here again. We will probably never stay at another hotel here again.

Great atmosphere, great location on English Bay and the Hop & Off stop

Such a beautiful hotel with a great location in the WestEnd right overlooking English Bay. Great place to go for brunch.
PS: Yukon the Bartender makes great a Caesar

The staff is amazing and helpful, they love all the dogs and are so kind to them. Loved being able to leave them in room so you could do a little sightseeing. The rooms are clean, the restaurant is wonderful and so is the view. We will be back.

A west end institution. Fantastic service - great food. Live music regularly. Great view of English Bay and the seawall.

Slow service. Cocktails and dessert were good, though.

Beautiful location... by the Stanley park. Though old its self sufficient and meets basic needs.

Nice room, good view, friendly staff. Overall a fun stay.

The rates were great and they didn't charge any extra fees for my 3dogs.

Wifi very slow, the connection always fail, room status good, the heater very small

The Sylvia Hotel is not only an iconic Vancouver building, but also special to me personally; my mother's name is "Sylvia" and she married my step-dad here five years ago in a beautiful ceremony we'll hold in our hearts always.

The Sylvia is Friendly, Clean & Beautiful.
The rooms are large, beds heavenly, bathrooms/room emasculate. The staff are warm and helpful. The restaurant is equally matched. The servers we had was amazing. The food is exceptional & beautiful presented. The local is right across from the beach. Close to great shops.

We love the Sylvia Hotel for it s old world charm and character. The rooms are large and adequately appointed. The location is unbeatable on the edge of English Bay. Having said that there are some minor things that Irritate. We were relying on the kitchen facilities to avoid eating out all the time. The kitchen is fairly poorly appointed with two really dismal coffee machines and the coffee poor quality and weak, so we were doubling the number of pods we used per cup.
I mention those things mainly because they may address them as a result of my review. We would however definitely return as the upside greatly outweighs any shortcomings. As a small business owner myself I would encourage the current owners/manager to give the staff training at make eye contact with every guest, wish them a good day and looking like the guest is the reasons for them having a job. They were not rude but they did lack that sparkle which makes a business stand out!

Friendly and helpful staff. Rooms were cozy and great location. Visitors must try the restaurant/bar.

A small iconic hotel in the West End with a great location & a few steps away from English Bay. It has a street-level canopied entrance reminiscent of the 60's leading to a cozy but efficient restaurant/cafe/bar with views to the sea & tree-lined sea promenade.

The Sylvia is by no means new or fancy but this historic hotel is ideally located. It's also dog friendly which made it our go to hotel when visiting Vancouver. Very fond memories of walks around English Bay and playing the par 3 course in Stanley Park while staying at the Sylvia.

The restaurant is a great breakfast spot with incredible views and a very underated destination to enjoy a quiet drink after work.

Iconic heritage hotel on English Bay. Amazing views, great staff

I didn't stay at Hotel but ate at the restaurant. Good service and delicious food with a great view of English Bay from the patio.

Great location and great views in this historic room. Good deals for happy hour and overall well priced especially considering the location. Service was friendly although slightly slow. Great place to have a drink and people watch with a view to English Bay. Will come back.

Great location and still one of the best views in the city at ground level. Had the classic breakfast and champagne for a great Sunday. Staff are so friendly! Made as feel like we were right at home.

A beautiful, historic building on the outside, and a simple (somewhat dated) hotel on the inside. The staff here is excellent and is very helpful. The rooms are old and you can tell. Very small rooms, with lots of creaking. We didn't mind it too much (knew what to expect from other reviews) but keep that in mind. The best part about the Sylvia Hotel is the location - its very convenient to just about everything except for the SkyTrain (which requires a quick bus trip or a long walk). The on-site restaurant is so-so.

Like the story about the cat "get to go". But, it seems never see it. A wonderful place to have a small snack and watching the English bay.

A great spot for apres beach or seawall journeys. Great seating areas for all kinds of meetings. I really liked this place. The beautiful interior is reminiscent of its former glory days, which I find amazing that the designers in charge kept the vibe and style.