The Perks of a City Staycation

In the spirit of supporting local and the need to stay close to home, we recently packed our bags for a city staycation at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre. It was so nice to get out of the house and go “on vacation”. Read on for our experience and the perks of a hotel staycation.

*This city staycation blog post first appeared on Destination Vancouver’s Inside Vancouver blog as part of a marketing tactic and contest. Thank you to the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre for hosting the Brit and I!

While 2020 has been the year of sticking close to home, sometimes you’ve got to get out of the house! A city staycation can give a chance to celebrate a special occasion, show some love to the city, and not have to worry about cooking for a couple of days.

After staying home since March, The Brit and I recently had a city staycation at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre — which was much needed.  My parents are immune-compromised, so we’ve mostly stayed hyper-local since March. But we also work from home and, pre-COVID, we used to go out and about a fair amount. (Enter cabin fever.) So it was amazing to pack a little suitcase, drive into the city, and check in at a hotel for a city staycation.

There were definite perks:

1. Sparkling clean hotel rooms and public areas

COVID-19 obviously has businesses on hyper-alert for cleanliness and the Wall Centre is no exception. The hotel is strictly adhering to Marriott International’s Commitment to Clean, with rooms completely cleaned and sanitized between guests.

Health protocols are in place in public areas, with regular cleaning and mandatory mask-wearing for both guests and staff in public areas.

2. VIP dining experience

Restaurants are looking very different these days, with staff wearing masks and at least two metres between each table. Cafe One at the Wall Centre has the advantage of the space to accommodate this and it actually made for a cozy experience — perfect for a date night dinner.

The staff was friendly and Chef Kai and his team are on their game. We had an incredible multi-course meal made and served to us by Chef himself. An a la carte meal from the menu will have you feeling just as VIP.

3. Cozy breakfast in bed

Sure you’ve been ordering takeout this year, but when was the last time you had breakfast in bed? Order breakfast or whatever meal on the Marriott Bonvoy app or over the phone with the front desk. Delivery to your room is contactless and the meal will be charged to your room. All containers are compostable in the provided green bin in your room.

4. Central location

The Wall Centre is in a prime location that is both slightly more secluded, but also centrally located to so much in the downtown core:

• Cineplex Scotiabank Theatre (5 min walk)
• Pacific Centre (5-10 min walk)
• Shopping on Robson Street (5-10 min walk)
• Sunset Beach Park (10 min walk)
• West End restaurants (15-20 min walk)

5. The spectacular view

The view from the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel is always photo-worthy. Photo: Yasmine Hardcastle

If you’re okay staying on higher-up floors, the view from your room will not disappoint. Whether it’s the view of English Bay, the mountains or the cityscape, it’s all a postcard, baby. If you’re more comfortable staying on a lower floor, put in a request to stay on the west side — the grounds of the hotel are gorgeous. (And the leaves are starting to turn to that fiery autumn colour palette that we all love!)

6. Convenient and customized experience

While the pandemic has made it so hotel rooms only have the strict necessary, amenities (robes, slippers, coffee machine, etc) are available upon request pre-check-in or throughout your stay. (These can be requested via the front desk or on the hotel app.)

Be sure to download the Marriott Bonvoy app a few days before you check in. This way you can enter your contact and payment details. The app also has a feature to have your key on your phone, so you don’t have to visit the front desk unless you need to sort out your parking. But go visit the front desk anyway to say hi and thank you, because we all need and want to see friendly ‘smizing’ faces these days!

7. Local rate for BC residents

Pssst! Did you know that hotels and attractions have almost all always had a special rate for locals looking for a nice staycation? The Resident Rate at the Wall Centre includes a 30% discount, free parking and late check-out.

We had a really lovely time, and it was so nice to have a staycation to abate our cabin fever. Have you had a staycation throughout the pandemic? What was your experience?

A big thank you to the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre for hosting us!