Vancouver: Urban Hideaway Guesthouse (Guesthouse)

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Address: 581 richards street , Vancouver V6B-2Z5, Canada

Lonely Planet review

A true hidden gem that spreads its success via word-of-mouth, this smashing downtown guesthouse is a real home-away-from-home treat. A great welcome from your hosts is combined with cozy rooms and a raft of added extras that will make you feel like you're staying with friends.

This supremely comfy (but fiendishly well-hidden) guesthouse is a good value favorite among in-the-know travelers. Once you've met your hosts - wilderness tour guides and experts in what makes a good sleepover - you can tuck yourself into one of the seven homestyle rooms (the loft is recommended) or just hang around in the downstairs lounge. There's a free-use computer, a library of 500 DVDs to watch on the big-screen TV and a plant-lined patio with a barbecue - or you can just gambol with house cats Pippin and Nemo. Laundry facilities and loner bikes are free, as are breakfast fixings (eggs, bacon et al) which you cook yourself in the well-equipped kitchen. Bathrooms are mostly shared; the loft is en suite. Best of all, when you manage to tear yourself away for the day, you're right in the center of the city.