Oct 3

Oct 3 Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel Review

Although I had only recently been to BC, I had to use my vacation up and decided it was still (relatively) risk free to go back to BC for another socially distanced holiday. After landing our late landing in Vancouver I decided to stay in Richmond for a cheap night at the Sheraton Vancouver Airport, thanks to the StayRichmond promo that I had previously used to stay at the Westin Wall Centre Vancouver Airport. How did they compare?

Sheraton Vancouver Airport Booking

I booked this hotel through the StayRichmond promo, which meant that I was entitled to a $125 gift card on completion of my stay. The rate was just under $200, which meant that I qualified for Bonvoy points on that $200. After getting the confirmation from StayRichmond, you can phone the hotel to add your Marriott Bonvoy number. Although I could have used the gift cards to pay for the stay, I earn 10x the points on Marriott stays through my American Express Bonvoy card and therefore used that card to pay for the stay.

After getting the confirmation from StayRichmond, you can phone the hotel to add your Marriott Bonvoy number

Arrival

After landing at the quiet Vancouver International Airport, I was able to call the hotel to pick us up in their shuttle, which is shared with the Marriott Vancouver Airport. The shuttle came promptly and picked us and a WestJet crew.

The hotel is located beside the Marriott and the Hilton, and across from the Richmond Mall.

The front desk was friendly and let us know that we had been upgraded to an Executive Suite. As we were travelling as two, it was better for us to have the separated rooms, but in the end, I believe the Jr Suite’s were recently renovated, and therefore may actually be better options (As Ricky covered in his review).

While the staff were friendly, the room was dated, unfortunately looking like it hadn’t been updated in at least ten years. There was a table for four, perfect for ordering food and catching up with friends, which is what we did.

There was also a sitting area with a weird mish-mash of furniture. I guess the leftovers from the other rooms renovation? At least the TV was new.

The bathroom could be described as “Sheraton Chic”, or like a regular business hotel bathroom. It was attached to the bedroom, so if the second person sleeping on the pull out wanted to use it during the night, they had to walk through the room.

The bed was comfy and there was a desk in the bedroom for those of us who need to do work when they get back to the hotel.

It was nice that there was a balcony, with easy access to the pool. In all honesty, this would be perfect for a family travelling as it was so close to the pool.

Amenities

As I am a Marriott Platinum Elite, I typically get breakfast and an evening snack in the lounge, but due to COVID, the lounge was closed. The replacement from the Sheraton was more than generous, as they offered an appetizer and drink as an evening snack plus a full breakfast in the restaurant.

The Sheraton Vancouver Airport restaurant, Harold's Kitchen & Bar, menu read as follows:

We ordered Chicken Wings and Dry Ribs, along with a beer each, which hit the spot before ordering DoorDash for dinner.

In the morning, we went back to Harold’s and had breakfast, which was as follows:

I ordered the BLT and my friend had an omelette. The breakfast was what you would expect at a diner, it was fine.

The setting for breakfast was awesome, as we were able to enjoy the late summer day in a socially distanced manner.

Typically there is a Starbucks in the lobby, but that was closed due to COVID. Instead, Harold’s offered a “pop-up” coffee stand in the lobby that was staffed by the waiters in the restaurant.

The pool was also open while we were there, and the record heat made it an awesome option for some mid-day sun. Compared to my previous trip to BC in August, and our stay at the Hilton Whistler, it was nice to be able to have some space to enjoy the pool.

The gym was also open, but don’t expect to get a strength workout in as all the weights were removed due to COVID.

The Point.

Overall, this hotel mostly has what you need for an airport hotel: it’s close to the airport, service is friendly, and the breakfast is decent. Although the services offered by the hotel have adjusted due to COVID, management has exceeded the standards set out by Marriott which is much appreciated. I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again if I was in town and there was another StayRichmond promo.