I have just returned home from a weekend stay at the Best Western Sands Hotel and cannot stop raving about what a top notch establishment it is. The staff are extremely friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. The hotel is very nicely decorated and appointed but not to the point where you can't relax. I had a lovely room with a King Sized bed and sitting area. I felt spoiled by the rich comforter, fluffy pillows and comfortable couch. I felt like a queen!
The restaurant is excellent; the servers were warm and friendly and the food was superb! Checkers was fun at night; I had a great time singing Karaoke! The Bayside lounge was a nice place to sit, have a cool drink, an appetizer and enjoy the fantastic view of English Bay before going out to dinner.
It was just a short walk to the beach at English Bay and the seawall to Stanley Park so I took the opportunity to go for an early morning run by myself to the Lions Gate Bridge and back. It was wonderful to be out running along the ocean breathing in the fresh sea air and the early morning rays. I look forward to returning for a visit in the summer so that I can enjoy the beach!
As a single person travelling alone I am always concerned about my personal safety however everything about the hotel and the location was perfect. I was not afraid to walk or run on my own. The Sands Hotel is perfect for me, close to the beach, Stanley Park, world class restaurants and central to everything worth doing in Vancouver.
I will stay at the Best Western Sands everytime that I am in Vancouver and would recommend this establishment to anyone!

I spend Christmas at the Best Western Sands for 4 nights. I got 2 queen beds in my room on the third floor with the ocean view. The room was clean and the service desk was helpful for directions. However, the room was too cold even though the heater was on, so I requested an extra heater which was provided for me free of charge. After 2 nights, there was a mouse in my room! Shocking, disturbing and disgusting. I called the service desk and requested a change of rooms. They moved me to a better room in the fifth floor with a balcony.

The location is good since it is near the English Bay, but it is kinda far from the downtown area. If you don't want to drive, transportation by bus was convenient (2 buses going straight to downtown opposite to the hotel).

Overall, I liked my experience at Best Western Sands but that mouse incident kinda ruined it for me. I wouldn't stay at the hotel because I would rather a closer hotel to the downtown area, but if you are looking for a hotel closer to the English Bay and Stanley park I would recommend it.

This was our second stay at the Sands. The first time we were in one of the rooms that has not yet been renovated. This time, we stayed on the top floor (with balcony and great view), which was certainly an improvement over the previous room we stayed in.
While the room didn't exactly knock our socks off, the parts that were really nice included the upgraded bedding, the fridge, and the upgraded sink area. What is still not working in this room is the outdated pink toilet and tub areas. Even adding one of those curved curtain rods and a better shower head (mounted higher) would be a step up. In sum, the upgraded rooms are definately better....but not sure if they would warrant a big increase in price (so check the difference).
The view from our room was quite lovely and the proximity to the beach is amazing.....also, lots of good food choices nearby.
Above all, the staff made us feel important, and that's what we look for in a great hotel. The top knotch service makes up for the minor imperfections in the room.
If we want or need to stay in the English Bay area again, we will definately be considering the Sands.

I really enjoyed my stay at this hotel over the Thanksgiving weekend. The front desk staff were very professional, helpful, courteous, and pleasant. The king bed in the room was super! Except for my bed at home, I have not slept on such a comfortable bed. The only niggling little thing about the room is that the bathroom is very small.

The location of this hotel is great -- near the water and city transit buses stop close to the entrance.

I will definitely stay here again.