I stayed at the Sutton Place with my wife and 10 year old son in mid October for 4 nights while in town volunteering for We Day. Took a chance on a 4.5 star 'mystery' hotel on Expedia. The rate was great for downtown Vancouver, at $106 a night.

We arrived at 9:00 PM by car, and as I checked in I got a surprise. The room available for us had 2 twin sized beds. The only way to accommodate my son was with a rollaway bed. I hadn't seen twin sized beds in a hotel since I was in Europe - so I was not impressed. The front desk 'manager' showed no sympathy - but did offer upgrades at significant additional cost. His attitude matched what I have read about in other reviews of this hotel - that people booking on Expedia are treated as second class citizens.

We did settle into the room, and apart from the sleeping arrangement it was quite nice, tasteful though reminiscent of the late '80s when the hotel was built. Renovations are underway. Well soundproofed, nicely furnished and comfortable. It was an unusual shape and quite large. It also had a dynamite view of downtown, although it was over an alley :-) My wife did have one issue the first night though - a squeaky bed kept her up - but it was fixed promptly by the staff.

The pool and hot tub are nice enough, but oddly placed. You need to traipse across the whole lobby (for those who don't know, in your robe), up an elevator, then down stairs to get there. Also odd that it closes relatively early at 9:45 PM.

Parking is massively expensive at $40 a night, and staff are very good at not suggesting other places to park. Surface parking in the area is reasonable overnight, unfortunately you need to plug the meter again around 6 or 7 for most spots. Best suggestion is tp park at the nearby Scotia Theatre complex with underground safe 24 hour parking - It was around $12 overnight.

Bottom line - this hotel is well worth the money if you get a deal on Expedia, Hotwire, etc - but be prepared for snobby service.

Readers of Sutton Place reviews must be confused: Either great or very disappointing.

The reason is simple. Sutton Place Vancouver is two different hotels. Both share the upscale lobby, the snappy attendants at every turn, and one of the best locations in Vancouver for area shopping and dining.

The problem emerges when one does not specific book the premium rooms of the hotel, if that is what you are after.

Be aware that the hotel is OLD, although the externals do not look so. It went through an entire previous cycle as a Meridian hotel. Current management is engaged in a renovation cycle that appears to be fairly slow paced. While upper floors and rooms have received upgrades, many more on lower floors have not. These rooms, mainly with twin beds , have very tired carpets, decor, TVs, and unbelievably old and hence less than hygienic looking comforters.

Let me be clear: the rooms appear to be meticulously kept. Old does not equal dirty. The problem is that old sometimes LOOKS dirty and can impact an otherwise enjoyable stay.

With our fifth floor queen room, the card key box was rusted, the carpet and comforter were well past worn, the door of the TV cabinet had to be propped open by a chair. The bathroom, amazingly large with a full size tub, and equipped with great lotions, notions and towels, didn't have a safety bar to aid entry and egress from the tub. The room did sport one of the better night lights we have seem.

The king bed had a very firm mattress, which would appeal to some. Too few pillows with fresh pillowcases to prop up for watching the old non flat TV. The remote did work, unlike that of many reported on this site. Lots of old comfortable furniture. Excellent digital control thermostat.

Many on this site have complained about the room obtained when booking through Hotwire.
To do so, one should assume an automatic assignment to one of the old twin bed rooms on a lower floor. We were offered an upgrade to a 'renovated ' king room on a top floor for $40.

But if you did this, and paid for parking ($40), and for internet connection ($15), the Hotwire bargain begins to slip away. Perhaps better to peruse the hotel internet site for inclusive bargains.

Conclusion and Advice:

One of the best locations in Vancouver for shopping and entertainment. The hotel can be a 3+ or 5 star hotel depending on what you request and what you pay for. Top floor, renovated king rooms are likely, in conjunction with the top quality 'front end' of this hotel, genuinely 5 star. The bulk of the older rooms, mainly lower floor, and most often twin bed rooms, render a 3+ or at best 4 star experience for guests.

Still, if you get a good enough deal either directly with the internet or with a discount site like Hotwire, this may still be the best deal in town.

Friendly and comfortable, though very 1970's in style and decor - could do with a total redesign and revamp. Breakfasts were rather unimaginative and wifi a little slow, but on the other hand, staff were very friendly and conscientious, lunch and dinners were good, location excellent. So overall, I think I'd stay there again (though I might just search for something a bit more exciting)!

We stayed at the Sutton Place Hotel in Vancouver. We were celebrating our 30th Anniversary, we were greeted every time we entered the hotel, doors were held open for us and everyone on staff was very, very polite, as we entered our room, 4 Chocolate covered Strawberries were on the table in honor of our Anniversary. Very nice surprise.