I was in Vancouver in early January 2008. I walked passed this hotel and went in to enquire about a room. First of all let me say that this hotel is cheap (about CDN 40 a night for a single room with own bathroom) - in fact a local (who is a travel agent) advised me that this is probably the cheapest hotel in Vancouver. The location is also excellent. However, I did not end up booking this hotel for a few key reasons:

1) As a woman travelling alone, it just did not feel safe. I felt fine walking around the streets at night, so it was not the area. The hotel is dark and old and had a seedy atmosphere.

2) The ambiance of the hotel was bleak and depressing. If you are a traveller who will just use your room to sleep and have a quick shower, you will probably find this OK. But if you are a traveller who likes to relax in your room, watch TV, have a leisurely bath etc do yourself a favour and go to either the Listel or Blue Horizon up the road.

3) The gentleman at the front desk was most peculiar. He had a very fussy manner and did not exactly put you at ease. When I inspected the rooms, I tested the hardness of the bed by sitting on it and he chucked it and spent about 2 mins smoothing out non-existence wrinkles - you think he was running a 5 star joint the way he carried on.

Also, one of the rooms I saw had the sink bedside the bed (eventhough there was a separate bathroom) - I find this kind of strange.

I would definitely not recommend this hotel for women travelling alone or for anyone who requires a decent hotel to enjoy their holiday.

stained carpets, dodgy cistern, cracked roof wall, tele with bad reception and no remote, sqeeking bed, no locks/bolts in the toilet are some of the problems. street in noisy at night and you wont get a good sleep if window is facing the street. I forgot to take the travel voucher and they nearly turned me away at 10pm! oh there is no microwave. shower was not bad and room was fairly spacious for the money we paid. dont use their internet for $2.00 for 20 minutes. there is japanese shop down the road lot cheaper. toll free numbers not allowed from room but there is one in the lobby and no lift if you are carrying heavy luggages upstairs. you cant beat value for money as you only get what you paid for.

We stayed at the Barclay Hotel on arrival in Canada for a two week fly drive vacation. There were four adults and we had booked a suite. This was found to be large, spacious and clean and contained a double sofa bed and two queen beds. The bed linen was all spotless and the beds new. There was a bathroom with bath and shower, toilet and washbasin. In the living room, we found a fireplace, TV, writing desk, fridge and large leather sofa. We felt safe and secure for the two nights we spent in Vancouver before we picked up the hire car.There were also tea and coffee making facilities. Breakfast was available for a small charge and not free as I believe was previously stated on the website. The reception desk was also manned 24 hours.

I must admit that after making the booking and then seeing the amount of negative reviews, I was rather apprehensive and even a little worried about what we would find on arrival. I do not know what people expect when they pay for a budget hotel. I can honestly say that I would recommend the Hotel. I am 46 years old and I am an avid traveller. I started travelling when I was 17 years old and have now been around the world twice, staying in hotels of all classes from Budget to First Class/5 star. I have flown in Economy and First Class.

Our two night stay in The Barclay Suite cost us the grand total of £138. That is £69 per night for the room which worked out to £17.50 each [although the room could have accommodated two more if you did not mind doubling up and therefore make it cheaper] An absoloute Bargain !!! We were close to restaurants , shops and bars and within walking distance to Stanley Park and the Skytrain.

Pros:
* Great location in downtown Vancouver with loads of restaurants and shops close by
* Very good value for money (we paid 95 CAD per night excluding taxes, SMTW)
* Water pressure for the shower was excellent for our ground floor room

Cons:
* Fixed shower head (ladies bewarned)
* Could be noisy for some
* Rooms could be considered as small for some, especially the bathroom (shower only, and no room for the sink which was located in the main room)

Overall:
Great find for a budget tourist hotel!