Apart from the location I cannot find any reason why I would recommend this hotel to anybody, my observations are as follows: The lifts – One of the lifts was out of order and (as there are only two lifts to all floors) this caused some real delays and frustration for ourselves and other guests. After a few days we asked reception when the lift was going to be back in order and were told it was due to be fixed the very next day. This never happened and the lift was still out of order when we checked out 8 days later - I suspect it’s still broken now! The Room – I had read earlier reviews which stated that the rooms had been recently refurbished (last year as I recall), but in my book a new LCD TV, phone and alarm clock doesn’t equate to a refurbished room. The bathroom was very dated with a loo that looked like it had come from a 70’s sci-fi movie, the bath tiles especially looked aged and worn with plenty of mildew in the grout – not something you really want to see after a long 9 hour flight. To round things off there was a good layer of dust on most of the pass? furniture. The Food – ‘Diva at the Met’ or, as it says on the pitch board outside ‘Diva–licious’ - they have to be kidding!! We ate there once and have to say that that food was mediocre for the price with service to match - it just seemed like the staff would rather be somewhere else. This cannot have been just my perception as every time I looked in at the restaurant (through the glassed partition from the lobby whist waiting for their only working lift) it was mostly empty, which was the case whether it was morning or evening. We did venture across to the Four Seasons, which has a far nicer restaurant, pleasant ambience and good food that is far superior to the Met’s offerings. Building site – There’s major construction work going on next door to the Metropolitan which is mentioned on a slip on paper placed in the room, and states (I paraphrase) that you may experience some construction noise from 7:30 am onwards. However, the truth is that the building work starts at closer to 6:00 am, so don’t expect any snoozing. Phone stolen! – Beware when checking-out and asking reception to store your cases, your property may be exposed to thieves. It was our last day in Vancouver and we had a late evening flight back to the UK, so we did the usual thing of checking-out and storing our cases with reception whilst we had a final look around the city. It must have been at this time that my mobile phone was stolen from my flight bag as it was the only thing of any value not locked in my main suitcase. I only noticed it was gone when I landed in the UK, which is good thinking on the thief’s – you can’t do a lot about a stolen phone when you’re 4500 miles away! You could say that I should have known better etc, etc, but I would expect that a hotel that markets itself in such a prestigious way would not have problems of this sort. I have tried to contact the hotel via their email address but I get a returned error message – perhaps their IT services are also manage by the same people who service their lifts!! Conclusion – I loved Vancouver and the parts of BC I saw, however, the Met was a big disappointment and I really cannot understand why this place gets such good reviews, simply because I found the hotel and service really below par. You can surely do better in this wonderful city!

I stayed at the Met for a couple days over a weekend and booked the king luxury room. I booked 60 days in advance, through the website, which gives you a slight discount ($200/night + taxes). The location of the hotel was perfect for me. Yaletown, Stanley Park, and Granville Island are all within 30 minutes by foot. There is also lots of shopping in the area. The room itself was nice. The king bed was very comfortable with plenty of pillows. The alarm clock had an iPOD dock to play music through. There are big windows with a nice view of the city. The TV in my room was a 27" rounded screen TV, which was a little suprising because I'm pretty sure they advertise LCD TV on their website. No big deal since I didn't come to Vancouver to watch TV. The bathroom was typically of the Met, very spacious and beautiful, with shower and bathtub. I have never eaten at a Metropolitan hotel, since the menu prices always seem very expensive ($23 for mac and cheese at the met soho in TO). At this hotel, the continental breakfast was like $18. I was only in town for a short time and didn't get to try out the restaurant, anyway, so maybe the food is just THAT good. The health club on the third floor is top notch. A small lap pool and hot tub are in a well lit atrium. There is also work out equipment with a rowing machine, bikes, weights, etc. The men's change room has a steam room and sauna (with TV). I was very impressed by the health club. There is also a squash court, but it was closed while I was there. Use of the health club is free for hotel guests. On the same floor as the pool, they have a business centre that has computers, printers, fax machines, photocopiers, and internet access (all complimentary). Around the corner is a small library. Looking around I also found a small fake-grass putting green outside on a terrace with putters and balls sitting around. Nice touch. The hotel staff that I met all were very polite and courteous, helping me hail cabs without even asking. The elevator was a little slow, and since they only have two elevators and one was broken, you might wait a few minutes before it shows up. Having compared the price I paid with other hotels in the area (the four seasons is across the street), I think the Metropolitan Hotel in Vancouver is a great deal. I would happily stay there again.

We spent our wedding night at the Met. As it was a Saturday night, we did not experience the construction that so many other have commented on. In fact, we found the room to be quite quiet. The room was very nice. Big comfy bed and large marble bathroom. The hotel sent up chocolate covered strawberries and champagne in honour of our wedding (held at another venue). We went to the in-house restaurant, Diva, for brunch the next morning and it was excellent. Since we are locals and work in the area, we often go to Diva for business lunches. It is consistently good. I would highly recommend it! During the week, they usually have a 3-course lunch special (changes daily) for approx $30. We booked the week prior on-line. I think it was around $200.

Nearly all recent reviews are saying the same regarding the building work next door. When I selected the property it seemed ideal and in terms of size, position, rooms and price, it was. But did not know about the work next door and it caused all sorts of problems from noise to sidewalk shut down etc. If told about this I think most people can make a decision about staying but they didn't which is a shame. I would still recommend it but be warned, I can't see it getting better for a while yet.

I reserved a luxury King room. I had read a review that mentioned some construction noise; I called the hotel and asked for a room without noise. We were on the 15th floor. The Canadian in the elevator commented to me that this hotel has the slowest elevator in the city. So, correct! But, the construction noise was not a problem. After the valet brought our car, it is hard to get out of their parking entrance due to construction. The construction is right next door. Large tractors are working on an empty lot that is going to be a hotel. We were on the opposite side of the building. I did have the power go out in the bathroom, on our last morning, and we had to rough it to get out of the room before check-out. For the rate, I would book elsewhere. I received an AAA rate, and it was the highest I paid with the least amount of luxury. The Four Seasons is close by, so is Canada Place pier with a hotel. The bathroom was nice. A very large vanity area with lit make-up mirror and a bench. The tub was extra-long, but nothing special. The separate shower was nice. After staying at other luxury hotels on our trip, this hotel was my least favorite with two exceptions. The sheets were very nice. The Canadian breakfast at Diva was great. I called the hotel because we were traveling as a celebration of a graduation; I was trying to figure out if I needed a rental car, so I asked questions and referenced my daughter's graduation. This is the only hotel that did not acknowledge that celebration. Every other hotel in Canada and Seattle, upon check-in, asked us about our trip; I told them about our celebration, and each hotel did something nice to acknowledge our celebration. The check-in staff and concierge are not friendly or eager to help. I did get a tip from the reservation desk; they told me to add the Breakfast of Champions to my room for $25. It would include parking. The valet only parking is $28; the Canadian breakfast comes with eggs, toast or croissant, bacon or bratwurst, potatoes, orange juice, and a pot of coffee or tea. It was very nice and the service was very good. The breakfast is $25 a person. The tip from the reservations person was worthwhile. The hotel does charge a facility fee that they do not tell you about. Most hotels state upfront if they have a resort fee. The facility fee is $5.60. I hope they get a new elevator. Robson street shopping and a upper-scale mall are very easy to walk to.