Queer travel expert Jack Kenworthy turns 250+ city adventures into your guide for safe, vibrant, and inclusively fabulous global journeys.
Set firm as the most populated city in British Columbia and also as one of the most important and famous cities in the entirety of Canada, Vancouver is a flaming hotspot for the country’s tourism and incorporates strong international flairs that are sure to make it interesting and intoxicating for even the most seasoned travelers.
It’s when it comes to queer matters and the city’s attitude towards gay travelers, however, that Vancouver truly shines. This city is, without a doubt, one of the most liberal and welcoming locations in the entire North American continent, and that fact is very clearly demonstrated by both its public and cultural affinity with queer people and their needs.
Vancouver is a tourist’s dream – melding an amazing culinary scene with a unique and multi-faceted sightseeing experience to make it one of the world’s most powerful city experiences. Aside from its famous galleries, cultural sites, and parks, Vancouver also has many other queer-specific attractions.
These include amazing opportunities such as its very own pride parade every August, a large and healthily expanding number of gay bars and clubs for late-night socialization, and – perhaps most importantly of all – an open and calm atmosphere that enables every one of the city’s guests to explore and enjoy the city without having to worry about their safety for a single minute.
The city is known for its wide-ranging appeal and general kind-heartedness; as such, it would be a crime to view it purely through the lens of where its best gay hotels in Vancouver are. Although there are some truly wonderful places in the world for queer people to explore, with Vancouver being one of them, things that appeal to gay travelers aren’t always necessarily marketed toward them.
We know that, and therefore we’d like to note that the hotels on this list follow the same logic. Most of these wonderful hotels have been listed as accommodating and unjudgmental towards queer people in general and highly rated by previous guests and critics.
The centrally-located Davie Village in the city’s west end is known as the city’s largest hotspot of queer establishments, but that’s not to say that gay activity is limited to this area in the slightest.
There are queer and queer-leaning locations throughout the city’s downtown, and other clubs and food spots around the city are anything but devoid of their sense of style, forward-thinking creativity, and modern grace.
With all that said, it’s about time for us to move on from whetting our appetite for travel and get to the true heart of Vancouver’s queer scene – here is a list of the best top eight gay hotels in Vancouver! No matter what the quirks of your taste are, Terminal City has something for you and is just itching to make your stay there one of the most pleasurable gay travel experiences you’ve ever had!
In this article we will cover...
Sandman Suites Vancouver
Middling in price and topping out in performance, the Sandman Suites Vancouver serves as a perfect introduction to this list and an amazing fit for those looking for a good yet affordable gay hotel to make their stay in the city.
This hotel truly delivers upon its promises of luxury and exclusive location with a picturesque, tranquil outlook over the coastal line of Vancouver and the span of the city as a whole, and the benefits don’t end with just aesthetics and views either.
The Sandman suites are located directly in the middle of the Davie Village gay neighborhood we mentioned earlier, allowing them unparalleled ties to the city’s queer community and all of its best nightlife locations. There’s no better location for gay tourists enthusiastic about Vancouver’s LGBTQ+ scene.
Some of the many classy and convenient on-paper benefits that the Sandman Suites have to offer to both new and returning guests include its convenient and coveted parking spaces for those arriving with cars, a fitness center for those enthusiastic about exercise, a reservable event hall, and an outdoor pool for enjoying your time in the sun while things are still warm.
On top of all of that, the Sandman Suites are also home to their very own bar and grill by the name of Moxies Davie Restaurant, and foodies will be happy to learn that this eatery is rated just as highly and consistently as the hotel itself – boasting a sterling reputation and a position of pride amongst the local culinary community.
Individual suites at the Sandman building are well-designed, modern, and convenient to check in and out of, including luxuries and comforts such as king beds, expansive and useful kitchenettes, and hot tubs built into the classy bedrooms of some.
Riviera Hotel on Robson
The Riviera Hotel on Robson can be summed up in three words – simple, stylish, and brave. Although it only has two stars to its name, the online ratings left by the hotel’s previous guests and their general satisfaction speak volumes about the strength of its quality and the care it gives towards its accommodation experience.
The hotel is nestled comfortably upon the city’s West End coastline and rubs directly up against the Davie Village and its wide range of queer hotspots and gay bars. There’s also a wide range of public transport opportunities nearby, including not one but two bus stops within no more than a minute’s walk from its front door and a large parking lot for those who look to arrive in Vancouver by car.
The Riviera Hotel is also the only hotel on this list that allows pets to be brought inside its rooms, so if you’re traveling with a four-legged companion, then this is certainly one of the best locations for you to take them along without having to worry about extra provisions or separate lodging.
The most important things that must be said when it comes to the individual rooms of the Riviera Hotel on Robson are that they are certainly better than one might expect when their affordable prices are taken into account and that they take advantage of every single inch of space they have.
The downstairs section of the hotel is home to the Riviera Hotel’s very own breakfast bar and dining room, which is later attended in the evening by its excellent restaurant. The hotel is also quite proud of its proximity to several fresh grocery stores and the fact that it offers full kitchens with included cookware in a wide range of upgraded suites and larger rooms.
Pan Pacific Vancouver
Shooting straight up from two to five stars with no question whatsoever, the Pan Pacific Vancouver boasts everything from a next-level accommodation experience to a naturally-earned status as one of the city’s most important hotels.
This aristocratic establishment stretches out over the city’s harbor like a pillar of luxury and refinement – boasting a jaw-dropping service record and an equally impressive register of services. For starters, this hotel’s rooms and suites are undoubtedly the best on this list and have views that top even those of the Sandman Suites at the beginning and the Century Plaza Hotel at its end.
Even though it’s a few blocks away from the heart of Vancouver’s gay triangle and the Davie Village, the Pan Pacific Vancouver is officially marked online as LGBTQ+ friendly, and this is just one aspect of its strong commitment as both a hotel and a community center towards queer rights and comfort.
The general Downtown Vancouver area is well known for its wide range of bars, clubs, and nightlife centers that rise to contend with even the glitz and glamor of the Davie Village’s queer clubs, but there’s also a strong daytime atmosphere in the district’s urban streets. Plenty of practical and thrift stores interest you, including many top-shelf fashion chains and other department stores.
The very least that can be said about this hotel is that its five stars are very well earned, and this fact is nowhere clearer than when it comes to the Pan Pacific’s very own spa facilities, its large, comfortable common areas, and – of course – its impressive pool with absolutely stunning views and a position of pride at the very pinnacle of the famous Canada Place.
Cambie Seymour Hostel
Now this is a down-to-earth, grassroots gay hotel to die for. Suppose the last location were a bit too big of a fish for you. In that case, you’d rather come back down to modest proportions with something a little more community-orientated, or if your wallet isn’t deep enough to accommodate five stars, then this might be the perfect alternative.
The Cambie Seymour Hostel embodies practicality and affordability, but that doesn’t mean it loses the touch of industrial turned modern that the West End of Vancouver is so famous for.
There are private rooms and shared dormitories available here, and the latter sections of the building contain their very own kitchens and living areas to make the boarding and accommodation experience just that little bit more customizable, convenient, and special.
There’s also breakfast and dinner served downstairs in the comfortable dining room if you’d like to spend your evening hours at the hostel, and a crew of friendly and accommodating hospitality staff that are well known for making it their mission to make everyone feel as welcome and catered to as they possibly can.
Just as we were discussing while covering the Pan Pacific Vancouver that came directly before it, Cambie Seymour’s location in the Downtown district of Vancouver means that it has a perfect balance of access between queer and general-appeal nightlife locations, and this factor serves as the ideal leeway for those who would like a bit more of a broad spectrum to be presented to them upon visiting the city.
Aside from that, there’s also a great variety of eateries and formal restaurants nearby, so no matter your culinary taste, there is bound to be something close for you to indulge in and have the time of your life.
Skwachàys Lodge Indigenous Hotel and Gallery
Although – given that we’re on the search for the best gay hotel in Vancouver – we are rather understandably focusing upon the culture and acceptance of the gay and queer communities throughout this list, it is our absolute pleasure to be able to include this rather different location amongst the hotels here.
The Skwachàys Lodge Indigenous Hotel and Gallery is the perfect hideout for those interested in both culture and contemporary, modern accommodation styles, and you needn’t worry about missing out on queer acceptance and being able to feel comfortable as a queer guest while staying here either.
Although its side-focus is upon serving as the highly-rated and much-appreciated boutique hotel that it undeniably is, what makes this location unique is the Aboriginal cultural spotlight and art pseudo-gallery it houses.
An amazing experience to make your way through, at minimum, and even better as a touch that truly takes this location and makes it something else entirely than just a regular hotel. On the service side, breakfast is free here, the rooms are comfortable, and staff attentiveness is top-notch.
On top of the unique style of the Skwachàys Lodge, there’s more than just the contents of the hotel building to boast about when it comes to this region.
Skwachàys Lodge Indigenous Hotel and Gallery is located much closer to the stem of the West End and its connection to mainland Vancouver than most of the other hotels on this list, and this puts it within the warm and interesting reach of the Chinatown district and its large range of culinary and cultural offerings.
The Asian street food and vendors in the region are nothing short of legendary throughout the entire city and are worth a visit or two during your holiday.
Barclay House
Built up within an early 20th-century mansion in one of the calmer and more tree-shrouded avenues of the West End, the Barclay House may seem fairly unassuming and perhaps even residential on the outside, but the truth is that this location is one of the best-designed, most comfortable, and most modern places of accommodation on this list.
The Barclay’s list of useful amenities and service factors is just as expansive as that of the rest of the hotels on this list, if not more so, and it is this alongside many of the other aspects of this hotel’s dedication to quality accommodation that has driven it through so many years of business with incredible success on to forging an excellent relationship with both the LGBTQ+ community and the tourism of Vancouver in general.
Breakfast at the Barclay House is just as free and expensive as it is at the DOUGLAS directly after it, and while it may not have five stars, this particular location has one step up on that hotel in the fact that it has free parking and a much greater array of dining and snack varieties.
The Barclay House is also a lot closer to the Davie Village gay quarter than the more expensive hotels that we’ve listed, second only to the establishments such as the Sandman Suites that are located within its borders.
This location is a unique and powerfully managed treat that redefines accommodation norms and what exactly makes a location luxurious by combining calm, genuine hospitality with exquisite quality and a need to please its guests in just about every way that it can help with the materials it has at hand. The Barclay House is worth trying, even based on the merit of its rating and previous reviews alone!
The DOUGLAS, Autograph Collection
Autograph Collection hotels are very well known for their positive and welcoming attitude towards queer crowds and their impeccable accommodation quality, so if you’re looking for an upper-shelf experience that isn’t quite as forbiddingly expensive as the Pan Pacific earlier on this list, then this could be the perfect fit for you.
The Douglas is mainly famous and accredited for its proximity to the BC Place stadium, over which it has a direct view, but while this is sure to be an amazing advantage for any sports fans visiting Vancouver, you needn’t worry if you’ve come to the city for other reasons.
The queer scene of the Davie Village is just a few roads’ worths of walking away, and if that’s too much, then there’s always the city’s wonderfully functioning bus system to take you where you need to be with zero fuss involved.
The DOUGLAS has a full five stars to its name, just like the Pan Pacific Vancouver back a few entries ago on this list, but unlike that hotel, and even though it has all of the bells and whistles of a luxury establishment, the DOUGLAS is neither as expensive nor exclusive.
Its roster of available services includes an entirely complimentary daily breakfast buffet, parking spaces and valet services open for guests with cars, a fitness center and gym combination for those looking to keep their workout schedules in one piece, and – perhaps most importantly – a quaint spa and pool space for deep relaxation and truly letting the feeling of being on holiday sink in.
Suites and individual rooms are accentuated by their included hot tubs, kitchenettes, and attentive room and laundry services – factors that all work towards making your accommodation experience at the DOUGLAS as comfortable and worry-free as possible.
Century Plaza Hotel
Sharing the same wonderful views and surroundings as the Sandman Suites that we started this list off with, the Century Plaza Hotel takes us back to our roots in the Davie Village gay neighborhood with its three-star luxury, excellent common spaces, and attentive service.
This officially queer-friendly place of accommodation boasts just about everything that we like to see in a hotel; things only get better once you look past the individual stylish and comfortable rooms.
The Century Plaza Hotel is cited by its previous guests as being one of the best locations to stay at in the entire city for those looking to hook as deeply as they can into Vancouver’s nightlife and queer scene, and its reviews from the queer community as a whole have been high and strong over the entire duration of its service.
There’s no better way to enjoy your time soaking in the unique atmosphere of another city than with a hotel that is both confident in what it is doing and armed to the teeth with both convenient and luxurious amenities, and that is precisely what the Century Plaza Hotel sets out to be.
The hotel’s services include a large pool for aquatic relaxation of the best kind, a daily breakfast spread for your morning hunger, a fitness center for workout fans, and even a casual bar for late-evening hangouts and socialization.
In addition to the hotel’s coffee and snacks bar and well-kept streetside sitting area, there’s also an amazing in-house restaurant by the name of C|PRIME Modern Italian Steak and Wine, so if you’re interested in a little curated culinary bliss, then that is yet another aspect of the Century Plaza Hotel that you absolutely cannot miss while on your holiday in Vancouver.
Gay Hotel Map Of Vancouver
Feeling a bit lost while planning your journey to Vancouver? No worries, darling! Our detailed LGBTQ+ tailored map is here to guide you. We’ve pinpointed all the vibrant gay-friendly bars, exhilarating clubs, extravagant parties, cozy hotels, relaxing saunas, and soothing massage parlors to ensure you find the perfect spot.
And these aren’t just any spots; we’re talking about the creme de la creme of locations in the heart of the city’s vibrant gay scene. Think panoramic views, easy access to nightlife, and all the amenities to make your stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.
But hold on to your feather boas! These hot spots are fabulous; they vanish quicker than a drag queen’s five o’clock shadow. Don’t delay; book now to secure the best deals and locations. Remember, the early bird catches the best deals in Vancouver! So, pack your rainbow flag, and get ready to experience the ultimate gay-friendly holiday in Vancouver.
