Review: Westin Wall Centre, Vancouver Airport

The Westin Wall Centre Vancouver Airport is one of a few Marriott Bonvoy properties that serve the area around the airport. My sister’s wedding was coming up and my parents and I wanted to stay somewhere near the ceremonies. I’ve been to this property before and the service, amenities, and overall reception have always met and exceeded my expectations during each stay.

Booking & Check-In

One major factor in deciding where to stay was where I could use my Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite status benefits. The Marriott Vancouver Airport nearby was on strike and my parents didn’t like the idea of eating pre-packaged food for breakfast from the pantry at the Delta in Delta.

We’ve had the complimentary elite breakfast from the Westin Wall Centre Vancouver Airport and it was delicious last time we were there. Also, the property has complimentary self-parking if you book the AAA/CAA Hot Deals rate. We booked one night at the Westin Wall Centre Vancouver airport at the rate of $268 CAD, plus an additional $20 for the ‘Extra Person Fee’.

On the other hand, if you are looking to redeem Marriott Bonvoy points for your stay at the Westin Wall Centre Vancouver Airport, rates range from 55,000 to 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night with some fluctuations.

Using Mobile-Check In, I requested an 11 AM check-in and 3 PM check-out time While chatting with the desk agent regarding my early check-in status through the Marriott Bonvoy App, they informed me that they were currently checking out a guest, who also happened to be on a higher floor, a room request pre-set in my Marriott profile. They said they would have housekeeping get the room ready as soon as possible. 

About 30 minutes later, the agent messaged me back saying that the room was ready. They also activated my Mobile Key and approved my 3 PM check-out time while on the way.

The check-in area was clean with some couches and lounge chairs around.

It was very busy every time the shuttle arrived, with four check-in agents manning all four terminals at times.

The refreshments counter had hot chai tea and lemon water during the day and night. While working on this article in the lobby, one of the agents walked over to the seating area I was working in and gave me another bottle of water, a small but unexpected gesture.

In the morning, the beverage stand offered hot water, coffee, and various teas.

A screen between the elevators displays airport departure information and the hotel’s event schedule.

The property’s web page boasts itself as ‘Dog-Friendly’ in the headline so many dogs came in and out of the building at all times.

Location

This hotel services Vancouver International Airport with a complimentary shuttle service between 4:30 am and 11:40 pm, with departures every 30 minutes or so. If you take public transportation over, the Bridgeport Canada Line station is a 15-minute walk away, with additional connections to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal.

Capstan Way Station on the Canada Line is set to be open in mid-2024, which is only a 3-minute walk. It will be a lot more convenient than trying to get to Bridgeport or the Airport to get downtown.

Nearby, you can find a variety of restaurants and an Asian grocery store within a 10-minute walk. In the summer, the popular Richmond Night Market is only a 10-minute walk away. 

The McArthur Glen designer outlet is also nearby, a 6 minute drive away or a 25 minute walk across the bridge towards Vancouver International Airport. You could also take the airport shuttle to the terminal and then the Canada Line with the free Sea Island pass available from the ticket machines to Templeton Station.

Some other tourist attractions in the area include Steveston Fishing Village, a 15-minute drive away, and Richmond Centre Mall just down the street, 8 minutes away. If you want to visit Downtown Vancouver, it is about a 20-minute drive.

Parking

Parking was located in an underground lot that had an entrance right next to the lobby. Around the middle of the day, it was mostly empty, however, after 10 pm or so, the lot started to fill up.

The fee for parking was $4.25 an hour, or $27.73 daily. Long Term parking is available according to the website, with valet parking available for $35.65 a day. Parking is managed by Indigo.

You can avoid the parking fee if you book the AAA/CAA Hot Deals rate or the Staycation package. The Hot Deals rate was only $5 more compared to the regular AAA/CAA rate, and $35 cheaper than the Member Flexible Rate.

Room – Traditional, Guest Room, 2 Queens

The room had the standard layout of a two-queen room. The yellow lighting and the carpet did make the room feel a little bit dated, but it was still in great condition.

The television was mounted on the wall and was directly located in front of the two beds.

There was also a small chair and table located in the corner between one of the queen beds and the window.

Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy benefit water bottles were provided in the room as well as a standard coffee and tea stand.

There was also a full-sized desk complete with a chair for those who are looking to get some work done during their stay.

Right below the television, you can find an empty mini fridge and some glassware.

There is one nightstand located between the two queen beds. There is also a charging port that includes two outlets.

On the end table, there was a room service menu for meals designed to help you sleep.

There were a lot of literature and Westin brand pamphlets including a room service menu and a post-workout equipment rental ad.

The closet was located beside the bathroom and contained the safe, hangers, iron and ironing board, and a stand for luggage.

The bathroom was well stocked with towels and the standard bulk pump bottles.

Guests have the option to choose between a shower and a bathtub. The shower does have a flaw where water can flow out from under the sliding glass door, causing a flood in the bathroom. Thankfully, the room was stocked with plenty of towels.

A hairdryer can be located below the sink with the bath towels.

The toilet is located beside the walk-in shower.

For a room with two beds, I was surprised that the room only had one bathrobe.

The views from the room looked towards adjacent apartment buildings and the hotel driveway below.

Restaurants

The Apron – Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Complimentary Breakfast

With my Titanium Status, I was able to credit myself and another guest for breakfast in the morning, paying for the third. We’ve eaten breakfast at the restaurant before and each time the breakfast was delicious and plentiful. 

This property charges the meal to the room before the elite credit is applied after your check-out bill. The elite credit allows a member and one guest to choose one breakfast main and a drink.

The breakfast menu had a good selection of different egg styles with plenty of options for sides.

We chose the Wall Centre Breakfast with eggs sunny-side up, the Wall Centre West Coast Eggs Benedict with medium eggs, and the buttermilk pancakes. We all also got coffee with cream and oat milk.

The Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status complimentary breakfast benefit at this property was excellent; all the breakfast options are very delicious and filling.

Facilities

Fitness Center

Getting to the ‘Health Club’ and Pool was a bit of a pre-workout in itself. Located on the 5th floor of the property, you walk through a couple of hallways and fire doors before some stairs to get to the combined entrance for the gym and pool. Physically, it is located on the 4th floor, but this was also the conference floor, with no public access to the gym or pool.

The Fitness Centre faced Sea Island and YVR, with the North Shore mountains peeking through in the background. Well stocked with towels and water, the gym has a quite few treadmills and ellipticals so that you don’t have to fight with others for a machine.

There are also some yoga balls and mats available for use as well. A basket of earphones is available for you to take as well.

You can also rent out some post-workout equipment like a massage gun.

Pool

The pool sits across the laneway from a small marina. In the daytime and depending on the wind, you can see planes landing towards the west at YVR airport. Although not as picturesque as the Fairmont Vancouver Airport, it’s still a great feature for any avgeek. The pool really didn’t seem to be busy at all during my stay, so my dad took advantage by swimming for hours in the morning.

The only way to access the pool was through the gendered change rooms. The men’s changing room was adequate, with many lockers available for use.

A jacuzzi was located on the far side of the pool, with the jets switch located beside the changing room doors.

Towels are available on the pool deck, so there is no need to bring them from your room.

Conclusion

The staff, service, and amenities were fantastic during my stay. The high-rated reviews on Marriott’s website and Google Maps reflect the high standards of the hotel. This was my third stay at the property and they continue to impress. We stayed during Christmas Eve as well and they had a stocking in the room with some goodies inside.

They also did not charge for the third person’s breakfast during that stay as well. Although these are small gestures, to me, they can greatly affect the experience during the stay.