Email West End Guest House enquiries & reservations: bookscotland@madbookings.com
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Welcome
to West End Guest House. Heritage Bed and Breakfast in Vancouver's Downtown
West End.
The West End Guest House is a full service Vancouver bed and breakfast offering B&B accommodations in the West End of Vancouver's vibrant downtown.
We are located close to the cruise ship terminal, Robson Street, where shopping for art or clothes or just sipping a cup of coffee at one of Vancouver's many coffee shops is a way to see the locals and visitors at play.
West End Guest House Accommodation
The Fickle Twins:
Located on the top floor of the house this room might be your answer to
Two beds or One big bed.
Fickle means "changeable" which is precisely what the two extra
long and extra comfortable twin mattresses do.
Request it separately or together with a king sized feather bed you'll
enjoy sleeping near the stars.
Two comfortable arm chairs circa 1940 and skylight are the other highlights
of this room. The bathroom has a shower.
Grand Queen Room:
Dramatic and elegant, the Grand Queen room is a top-floor suite, ideal
for a honeymoon, anniversary or other special occasion.
A skylight lights up the Queen sized Sleigh bed and the sitting area,
complete with a channel back chair, hand painted lamp, Chinese carved
wood-and-stone occasional table, Uncle Joe’s wingback chair, and
a cuddly sofa.
The sofa, when needed, becomes a second Double sized bed.
In the bathroom, the claw footed slipper bathtub is unique to the house.
The brass and copper fixtures, including the shower, hint at this room’s
regal atmosphere.
Amenities in the bathroom include a full line of Deserving Thyme products,
such as Bath Salts and Seaweed, Foam Bath, and handmade Purely Saltspring
face soap.
The French Queen:
Located just off the sundeck, the French Queen is a queen bedded room.
The Suite itself was bought in Marseille France and brought over to Vancouver.
It is not a very big room but well laid out.
There is a wall mounted fireplace, a white leather chair, and interesting
closet arrangement and of course the very impressive 4 piece bedroom suite.
The French Queen's bathroom has a shower.
This is mostly a feather free room, feather products are replaced by a
Silk Duvet and your choice of gel fibre pillows or feather pillows.
Standard king:
On the sundeck floor, the Standard King looks over the side garden. The
soothing colours of the Standard King, green, beige and muted purple,
provide a quiet oasis.
The room is nestled between the Twins and the Deluxe Queen rooms - a good
option if you are traveling with friends or family.
The King sized bed displays twin faux Trompe l'Oeil painted headboards,
originally from an English Nursery. The bathroom has shower, toilet and
pedestal sink.
Deluxe Queen:
Decorated in sumptuous crimson and golden beige, this is a Victorian themed
room on the sundeck level, with a Queen sized bed and hand carved Mahogany
Eagle headboard. The firm mattress is topped by a feather bed, adding
support and comfort to your sleep.
A very comfortable armchair and oversized single settee sit by the bay windows, with a view of the mountains and the city. An electric fireplace keeps this room warm on cold winter nights. The bathroom contains a shower, toilet and pedestal sink, as well as an original piece of artwork, the Lost Houses of the West End, by our house artist.
Standard Queen:
The classic colours and clean lines of the Standard Queen make it a soothing
and serene room. The room is designed to be ‘feather-free’
for people with allergies.
The Queen sized memory foam mattress ensures your comfort.
The décor is softened by a few choice antiques and art. Bay windows
brighten this tranquil room, just down the hall from the sundeck. The
bathroom has a shower, toilet and pedestal sink and of course our Art
series - the Lost Houses of the West End.
Cozy Double:
Tiny, but sunny and cheery, the Cozy Double looks out onto the sundeck.
A double bed, desk and wardrobe all magically fit into this cutest of
rooms. Ensuite bathroom includes shower, pedestal sink and toilet. The
perfect room for a single traveller.
Visiting Vancouver can be as diversified as you would like to make it.
We are situated by the ocean, and by the mountains. Hemmed in by natural
beauty, our greatest value is this proximity to the majesty of our surroundings.
But of course there are many things to consider, like any city, when visiting.
West End Guest House Facilities
· Cozy guest rooms; furnishings from the turn of the century and
older to contemporary.
· Beds made especially comfortable with goosedown duvet, feather
pillows and fine cotton linens.
· Private ensuite baths.
· Terry bathrobes for winter and lightweight Calvin Klein robes
for summer.
· Casablanca ceiling fans or opening skylight in most rooms.
· Complimentary refreshments.
· Restful spaces include the parlour, with it's fireplace, the
verandah, sundeck and intimate garden.
· Off-street parking available complimentary.
· City bikes for borrowing.
· Rooms with telephones.
· All rooms have Colour cable flat screen TVs and built in DVD
player.
· I-Pod docking station/clocks in each room.
· Fax and copy service available.
· Wi-Fi and Wireless Internet station including a printer for guest
use.
Guests from all over the world come to the West End Guest House Bed and Breakfast to experience Vancouver hospitality.
We also are very happy to have Corporate or Convention guests, Special Occasions such as small weddings or weekend meetings.
Tourist travelers seeing Vancouver for the first time or the 10th and Cruise Ship passengers wishing to get a feel for the city for a short time before or after their cruise will find the high lights of the city at our door step.
Built in 1906, this Vancouver bed and breakfast has been refurbished with many modern conveniences. The original builders and occupants of the house were the owners of Edwards Brothers Photo Supplies in Vancouver.
The early years of the West Coast are chronicled in the Edwards Brothers
photographs throughout the rooms.
The setting is completed with accents of old world comforts such as overstuffed
parlour furniture and a Belgian-made mahogany dining suite circa 1920.
Other memorabilia and antiques are found throughout this popular Bed and
Breakfast Inn.
A Social Atmosphere:
Your Vancouver day will start with a gourmet breakfast; an ever changing
full breakfast menu is served with your palate in mind. Check out our
Recipe of the Day for a preview of what we will serve you.
And after a day of sightseeing or attending a convention or business meeting,
guests may gather for a drink in the parlour, and in summer take a complimentary
cold drink to our sundeck.
The back garden is a tranquil place, perfect for a picture.
Breakfast is served in the dining room. It's a full hot breakfast. Talk
is always lively as our guests feel right at home.
Victoria is often a destination for visitors to Vancouver. BC Ferries
is the way most people travel, especially if they are driving to Victoria
or taking a tour but harbour to harbour sea planes are also available.
West Coast Air and Harbour Air are both within a 20 minute walking distance
from the West End Guest House along Vancouver's famous Sea-Wall. Remember
we don’t recommend having a car, Vancouver is so accessible by other
means.
Our Weather is often precarious, being that we are part of a rain forest
the locals are always ready for rain.
If you have lived in Vancouver a long time then you’ll know it’s
not fun carrying around an umbrella, although the West End Guest House
does provide them should you need them.
But if you can get around without an umbrella, perhaps a hat or cap instead
and some type of water repellent outer clothing you’ll look as cool
as the locals. Summer generally isn’t a very wet time of year, but
fall and winter and spring can be. You might like to have a pair of comfortable
walking shoes or sneakers that are dryable for our wetter times.
Sights and Activities:
An easy start to visiting Vancouver is a walk along Robson Street, it’s
only a block away from the West End Guest House and leads to many interesting
shops, restaurants and other activities. The Vancouver Art:Gallery is
located on Robson Street at Hornby just behind Virgin Records.
Another way is by the various tour companies. West Coast and Nature will pick you up directly from the front steps of the West End Guest House. Their tours are of Vancouver, North Shore, Victoria and Whistler. The Vancouver Trolley Company picks up on Robson Street within 2 blocks of the West End Guest House.
Some of the well known sites visited by the Tour buses include the Dr.
Sun Yat-Sen Garden, in Chinatown. Granville Island is another stop along
the way, where you might like to stop at the Granville Island Brewing
Company for a tour and tasting or have lunch in the sun patio of Bridges
Restaurant or perhaps just a kiosk lunch from the appetite inspiring green
grocer market at Granville Island.
Enjoy the buskers on the terrazzo and watch the boats and yachts sailing
False Creek.You might even see a Dragon Boat race with crews out practicing
for the annual Dragon Boat Festival.
Another way to and from Granville Island is via the Granville Island Ferries. These little boats work all day long to bring locals and tourists to the island, which isn’t an island at all, in fact it’s man made and wasn’t even there a hundred years ago!
Vancouver has a world famous museum and a must-see. The Museum of Anthropology at University of British Columbia is located on the bluff overlooking the Straight of Georgia. World famous Wreck Beach – Vancouver’s clothing optional (nude) beach is also located near the UBC Endowment Lands sandy bluff, but obviously at the bottom.
Vanier Park is home of the HR MacMillan Space Centre with it’s observatory, Planetarium and Theatre. It’s also home to the Vancouver Maritime Museum and the Vancouver Museum. These operate all year round and in summer there are two special events at Vanier Park
In spring the Vancouver Childrens Festival is housed in tents located on the Park, which is at the entrance to False Creek. And directly after the festival is over Bard On the Beach begins. The Shakespeare theatre runs more than one production and has a variety of events such as the Vancouver Fireworks dinner and show.
The Celebration of Light Fireworks Competition: Each summer 3 countries compete in a spectacular Music and Fireworks Exhibition over 4 different nights at the end of July and beginning of August.
Another close to nature experience is Grouse Mountain. It is a place to go for both summer and winter activities and learn about the First Nations People at the Hiwus Feasthouse and Cultural Centre. Along the way is world famous Capilano Suspension Bridge. Built in 1889 it reflects on yesterday through it’s Guides in period costume but focuses on natural history because of it’s location and also through it’s First Nations Carving Centre.
Dining and Shopping:
Many of the Restaurants we recommend do not have their own website, because
of this we have a binder of current menus from our favourite restaurants.
Vancouver is a very cosmopolitan city with a diverse group of inhabitants.
Practically any type of food is available but the one getting the most
press is our version of West Coast Fusion – a skillful mix of local
food with international themes. Two Vancouver favourites are West and
Lumiere.
Another restaurateur well known in Vancouver, Whistler and in Italy is
Umberto Menghi perhaps after a dinner at Il Giardino you will be inspired
to travel to Italy: for his Italian Cooking School in Tuscany Italy.
The well know French restaurant Le Crocodile is located on Smythe Street, a continuation of Haro Street only 3 blocks away. Another French restaurant housed in a West End turn of the century house is Le Gavroche. It’s also within a few minutes walk.
Robson Street has a bevy of restaurants including Cin Cin, Zefferellis, Hermitage, Caffe de Medici, and Joe Fortes.
Asian nations contribute much of Vancouver City’s dining tastes. Tojo’s is know for it’s exceptional Japanese cuisine. And Vij’s is the internationally renowned Indian fusion restaurant off South Granville Street
Vancouver place is glorious during the day but at night it rocks. Granville Street Street bars are located within 5 or 6 blocks. Granville Street is also home to several Cinemas and Theatres including the Vogue, the Orpheum, Capital 6 Cinemas, the Centre for Performing Arts and Queen Elizabeth Theatre and Playhouse.
Getting there:
The following may be useful for your travel to Vancouver and stay
at the West End Guest House.
Transportation:
From Vancouver International Airport you can take a cab for less than
$30 CAD or you can take the CanadaLine Train and in approximately 22 minutes
to be at our nearest stop, City Centre at Georgia and Granville Streets.
We are 8 blocks from that stop.
The West End Guest House is one block south on Haro. Another way to travel
from the Airport is by Limousine, you will find limos just outside the
doors from the International Arrivals area.
There is no Ferry that travels from Seattle to Vancouver. However, there is from Seattle to Victoria and from Victoria to Vancouver.
AmTrak has a train to Vancouver and it also has a bus service as well. Best to check their schedule if you would like to come by train, it’s more scenic than by bus but it only goes once a day in either direction.
The Quick Shuttle also goes from Seattle (Sea-Tac) to Vancouver and back, their toll free number is 888-665-2122.
Alaska Cruises leave from the Port of Vancouver. However, there are two terminals and you should check to see which terminal your ships arrives/departs to/from. Canada Place is within walking distance from the West End Guest House and Ballantyne Pier is approximately 10 to 15 minutes by taxi. If you have luggage you will want to take a taxi or limo. These arrangements can be made by the West End Guest House.
The bus and other mass transit system in Vancouver is known as TransLink. If you usually travel by transit you might like to get a multi day pass.
History:
Wegh History
1906. The City of Vancouver was barely twenty years old and growing quickly.
The Klondike gold rush in 1896 and the terminus of the Canadian Pacific
Railway in Coal Harbour were bringing thousands of newcomers to this bustling
port city. The Edwards family, from Belleville Ontario, arrived in 1891.
Melora Edwards, the matriarch of the Edwards family, built the house as
1362 Haro Street on the death of her husband in 1906. She went to some
effort to build a sturdy family home for her three remaining unmarried
children, Herbert, Arthur and Louise.
Her sons Edgar and George were the owners of the Edwards Brothers Photography studio on Cordova Street. They were quite successful as portrait photographers but they also documented some spectacular events. They photographed the damage to the Canadian Pacific Railway by the Fraser River flood in 1894 and George travelled to the Yukon Territory to witness the Klondike gold rush. Some of their photographs of early Vancouver and colonial British Columbia hang in our second floor hallway.
Photography was not the only interest of the Edwards. They had a steam
boat called the Beaver, named after another more famous boat that, some
years earlier, had washed up at Siwash Rock - a vantage point on the Stanley
Park Seawall. Day trips with young people, duck hunts and other excursions
kept them busy.
As in many influential houses in Vancouver at the turn of the century,
the Edwards had some interesting visitors. Pauline Johnson, the famous
Canadian Indian Poetess and lecturer was a friend of Melora's daughter-in-law,
Rosalind Webling.
Pauline Johnson was the daughter of George and Emily Johnson. Her father was a Mohawk chief and her mother a native of England. Pauline was also known by her Mohawk name Tekahionwake, which literally means ‘double life’. Her poetry, like her two names, celebrates her pride in both aspects of her heritage, as seen in “Canadian Born” and “The Song My Paddle Sings.”
As a young woman, Pauline performed her poetry throughout North America. In the first part of her act, she would recite in regular clothing, then change into a hand-made Native costume for her Native poetry. In 1909 Pauline retired to Vancouver and published extensively in the Daily Province. Her stories were largely based on legends her friend Chief Joe Capilano of the Squamish people recounted. It was she who named "Lost Lagoon" at the entrance to Stanley Park. She died in Vancouver in 1913 and there is a commemorative spot in Stanley Park where she asked to be buried. Pauline Johnson is the only person who has been given this honour.
Rosalind Webling, who married George Edwards in 1898, was a some-time
actress from England. Her relationship with Melora was somewhat rocky
as a result of her ‘stage-actress’ past. She, along with her
two sisters, enjoyed some success on the stage, with performances consisting
of selections from famous plays and recitations of prose and verse, all
done in appropriate costume. While in England, Rosalind and her sisters
were acquainted with John Ruskin, the famous English art critic. She and
Ruskin would go for walks on the moor and converse during the month the
Weblings stayed at his Brantwood estate. Rosalind and George Edwards had
three children, Lucy, Ruskin and Florence.
Melora lived in the house for 13 years, until her death in 1919. Arthur
Edwards continued to live at 1362 Haro Street until 1964. He was suceeded
by Bea Currie who bought the house and lived there until 1984.
At that time, George Weigum and Charles Christie envisioned the house
for travellers and thus created the West End Guest House. The house became
the Pink Victorian, Vancouver's first large bed and breakfast.
I was attracted to the house because of it's good reputation, full facilities
and great central location. I felt lucky to be able to buy the West End
Guest House and continue the tradition of hospitality started by Weigum
and Christie. Over the years I have continued to improve the house, hopefully
achieving an intimate ‘boutique’ style hotel B&B. It was
always my intention to produce an environment that is not too stuffy but
still with a gracious feel and, of course, enough extras to make it special.
There has been a lot of changes at 1362 Haro since I purchased the property,
but one thing has remained constant, the welcoming of people like you
- guests from all over the world.
I hope you enjoy my offering of Vancouver style hospitality.
Evan Penner
Proprietor, West End Guest House
Email West End Guest House enquiries & reservations: bookscotland@madbookings.com
