Moda Hotel, Vancouver
Moda Hotel is in the central business district, several blocks from two of the airport trains stops, and well within walking distance of most of downtown. The entrance is fairly small and we almost walked past it, mistaking the door for the attached restaurant. Check-in was easy enough, but our staff person wasn’t nearly as descriptive as the one checking in people next to us, so we would have missed out on several things if we hadn’t overheard.
Housed in an older building, the hotel retained the old elevator that fits 2-3 people with bags, so except for the two times we were moving our bags we took the stairs! We did notice that hallways on floors 2 and 3 had a slight musty smell too.
Our king suite room was large, with dual sinks plus a separate shower and tub in an updated bathroom.
The bedroom had a large closet space and a very comfortable bed. We were quite tired the one night we stayed, so the city noise didn’t bother us, but there was a good bit of street noise coming through our 3rd floor windows. The sitting area featured a couch, a flat-screen TV, and a desk big enough for two.
The size of the this room was overkill for our one night stay, but it could be quite nice for a longer stay; we would ask for a room facing away from the street on a longer stay though.
Ginger Giraffe, Comox
Proximity to Strathcona Park initially drew us to B&Bs in the Comox Valley, and we eventually booked the Ginger Giraffe in Comox itself. As a B&B, we were staying in the owner’s house, and on this stay we had the entire walkout basement to ourselves.
We prefer dark rooms for sleeping, so we choose the Safari room with a Queen bed as it had one small window, compared to the Oasis room which featured a King-size bed and patio door to the backyard. Our room had a walk-in closet (great for getting luggage out of the way) and a very comfortable bed. We also found two chocolate giraffe lollipops to try- we can happily report that they were quite tasty.
Besides the two bedrooms, the basement had a public living area with a large TV and a small refrigerator stocked with water bottles and complimentary mini-bottles of sparkling wine. Unsurprisingly, we tried those too! :)
nightcap with the giraffe
Breakfasts were quite good, even inducing Eric to eat some veggies! Each morning started out with fresh cherries, yogurt and granola, plus fresh muffins. This was followed by a different entree each day: turkey-bacon-wrapped egg frittatas with peppers, a french toast souffle with fresh berries, and lastly, a breakfast burrito. All were very tasty and filling. Lloyd and Nancy were also willing to whip up a fresh latte for Leandra each morning, so she was thrilled. As usual, everyone thought Eric’s lack of coffee intake to be strange…
a french toast souffle with cream cheese and fresh berries
Our hosts had breakfast with us each morning and we quite enjoyed the conversation, receiving several tips on places to hike, eat and shop for wine. We also learned that their black and white cat, Moo, can perform tricks for treats [side note: Leandra is especially allergic to cats and had no problem here as the cats are not allowed in the guest bedrooms].
We originally planned to stay just two nights here, but after reviewing the drive to Victoria, decided to stay an additional night. Thankfully, the room was available!
Days Inn Vancouver Airport, Richmond
Chosen for proximity to the airport, free parking, and a relatively low price, the Days Inn served our needs with a minimum of fuss. Breakfast opened at 5:30a, great for a hotel serving the early flights.
The hotel is a little sign happy, with printouts taped to surfaces admonishing guests to keep the doors closed in the breakfast room, reminding people of the dog policy in the elevator, etc. but the rooms were clean and quiet. The parking here is limited, but there is street parking available for those who don’t make it into the lot. You just have to have your parking pass from the front desk.