Holiday Inn Vancouver-Centre (Broadway) by IHG — Attraction in Vancouver

Review: Mostly Positive Stay with a Serious Restaurant Concern

My recent stay at the Holiday Inn & Suites Vancouver Downtown had many positive aspects, particularly regarding the staff and room quality, but was marred by a deeply unpleasant experience in the restaurant due to an inappropriate conversation allowed to continue.

The Positives: Exceptional Staff: The reception team truly went above and beyond. They were incredibly accommodating, facilitating both a very early check-in and a late check-out, which was greatly appreciated. The housekeeping department was also notably friendly. A special thank you to the gentleman who quickly prepared my room to make the early check-in possible – his effort did not go unnoticed.

Clean and Functional Rooms: The room itself was clean and well-maintained, equipped with all the necessary amenities for a comfortable stay. The price point felt appropriate and fair for the type of hotel and its location in Vancouver.

The Major Concern - Restaurant Experience: Unfortunately, my experience in the hotel restaurant was unacceptable. While attempting to have breakfast, another guest dining nearby was loudly expressing extremely hateful views in conversation with the server. This guest was speaking offensively about a group of people, using terms like "abominations" and "disgusting" during their exchange with the staff member.

What compounded the issue was the server's response. They continued this conversation, listening and engaging with the guest, rather than disengaging, walking away, or indicating that such hateful talk was inappropriate and unwelcome in a public setting shared by other guests. While the server didn't voice hateful opinions themselves, their continued participation in the conversation effectively allowed the offensive and disturbing rhetoric to persist loudly in the dining area.

Feeling deeply disappointed that such vocal hatred was permitted to continue unchecked in their restaurant, I felt comfortable enough to confront the man directly, telling him he was being hateful and should keep his opinions to himself. I then left the restaurant, as no guest should have to endure that kind of environment. A public dining space within the hotel should be a comfortable and respectful environment for all patrons.

I subsequently spoke with the morning manager at the front desk to report the incident. I explained the situation, emphasizing the nature of the guest's comments and the server's failure to shut down the hateful conversation. I strongly recommended that the hotel implement training for all staff on how to handle such situations appropriately – specifically, how to refuse to participate in or allow hateful conversations and how to maintain a welcoming atmosphere for everyone. The manager was attentive during our conversation, and I sincerely hope they take this feedback seriously and act upon it. Overall: While the core hotel services – reception, housekeeping, and room quality – were very good, the disturbing incident in the restaurant significantly impacted my overall impression. The staff's friendliness and helpfulness outside of this event were commendable. However, the failure to prevent or stop a guest from loudly expressing hateful views in conversation with staff is a serious issue that needs immediate attention...

Not Worth the Price – Poor Service for IHG Members

We checked in on May 20, 2025, for a four-night stay at Holiday Inn Vancouver-Centre (Broadway), located at 711 W Broadway at Heather St. We are long-time IHG Rewards members and have always chosen Holiday Inn whenever we travel. We’ve stayed at Holiday Inn properties in Hawaii and other U.S. cities, as well as in India, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, and South Korea, because of the consistent service and hospitality we’ve come to trust from the brand.

We booked a 1 King Standard High Floor Balcony room on the 15th floor, paying a total of 1,844.31 CAD for our stay. At that rate, we expected the same level of thoughtful service and care we’ve experienced elsewhere—but this turned out to be the worst Holiday Inn stay we’ve had.

When we arrived, we found two complimentary bottles of water in our room. I have a medical condition that requires me to stay hydrated, and I was also suffering from severe sniffles, likely aggravated by the cold Vancouver weather, which felt especially harsh coming from a warmer climate. My husband requested two more bottles, and they were given without issue.

The next day, no water was replenished in our room, so we asked nearby housekeeping for two more bottles, which they kindly provided. That evening, my husband went to the front desk and asked a receptionist wearing a black mask for a box of tissues—which he was given. When he also requested two more bottles of water, he was told they would now cost $3 each.

On our third night, my husband approached a different receptionist (not the masked one), who looked up our room number and again said bottled water would cost $3 per bottle. Frustrated, he walked to a nearby convenience store and bought water for $1.

We understand your policies on bottled water, and we know each property may operate differently, but why not simply provide a self-serve water dispenser in the lobby, like other Holiday Inns do? In Hawaii, we were greeted with infused waters—cucumber, orange, and apple—readily available for all guests. That’s the kind of hospitality we remember and appreciate.

To add to the disappointment, this location does not offer complimentary breakfast, which we’ve come to expect from IHG. Holiday Inn is known for promoting its breakfast experience—especially those famous cinnamon rolls. While we now understand this is a feature of Holiday Inn Express, the distinction wasn’t clear at the time of booking. At nearly $500 CAD per night, we expected more transparency and hospitality from a trusted brand.

We should have followed our gut and stayed at a different hotel.

At hotels known for excellent service, we usually find ourselves wanting to extend our stay. But here, we honestly couldn’t wait to check out.

Yes, we will be writing to the IHG corporate office about this experience. We’ve remained loyal to Holiday Inn for years, but this experience has made us consider canceling our IHG membership and choosing hotel brands that show greater care for their guests.

This isn’t about the cost of bottled water—it’s about respect, compassion, and consistency. For a brand that markets reliability, this location was a complete letdown.

Not worth the price or the frustration....

As part of the Google US team, we’re currently scouting venues for a major upcoming conference that will bring together employees from our Seattle office and various sites across Canada. Vancouver was selected as the host city, and we’re evaluating hotels in the downtown area that can accommodate approximately 100 participants—including board and lodging, meals, and a conference hall for our 5-day event.

The Holiday Inn Vancouver-Centre Broadway initially appeared as a potential candidate due to its central location and what seemed to be budget-friendly pricing based on its 3-star rating. While the hotel is rated as a 3-star property and is priced accordingly on the surface, the way it handles guest feedback—especially negative reviews—is deeply concerning. Instead of viewing criticism as an opportunity to improve, management often responds in a defensive tone. This lack of professionalism in public communication raises doubts about how the hotel might handle issues during a high-profile corporate event.

Additionally, Holiday Inn Vancouver-Centre should seriously reconsider its current pricing. At the time of writing, their published rate on Booking.com is CAD 323—a figure approaching that of several 5-star hotels. For comparison, the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver is listed at CAD 376, and the Hyatt Regency Vancouver at CAD 386. Both are 5-star properties with a strong reputation for service and guest experience. A 3-star hotel that struggles with customer service and public relations should not be priced at CAD 300+. A more reasonable rate would be between CAD 100 and CAD 150, in line with its quality and rating.

We also noted recurring issues in guest reviews, including slow elevators, nearby road construction, and the visible presence of unhoused individuals around the property. While we recognize that these are common in many urban centers, safety and comfort are essential for our team—especially for employees used to secure, walkable campuses. We cannot expose conference participants to an environment that may feel unsafe or uncomfortable.

Ultimately, we’ve decided to move forward with either the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver or the Hyatt Regency Vancouver—both 5-star properties offering not only competitive pricing but also a consistent commitment to high standards of service. While we understand that 3-star hotels operate under different expectations, all hospitality providers—regardless of rating—should prioritize respectful, guest-focused communication and operational professionalism.

We hope Holiday Inn Vancouver-Centre Broadway takes this feedback constructively. In today’s competitive and recovering hospitality landscape, reputation, responsiveness, and value for money matter more than ever. We’re thankful we took the time to thoroughly evaluate our options before committing to a venue for a large-scale event involving Google and Alphabet...