Four Points by Sheraton Vancouver Airport

I was flying out of YVR airport early the next day. There was a deal with the Richmond tourism board to book hotels in Richmond, and I figured that I'd stay for the convienence of not having to scramble out of bed the next morning.

The hotel is actually quite a ways away from the airport, but they do provide a complementary shuttle. The shuttle runs once every half hour during the day and once every hour during the evening. You need to pre-arrange shuttle pickup to and from the airport, so call the hotel beforehand. The shuttle makes one stop at the Quality Inn, then straight to the airport, taking about 15 mins.

Otherwise, the hotel is pretty bare-bones, not out of the ordinary for a Four Points property.

I booked a standard 2 queen room, and arrived very late in the evening after an event. The room is decently sized and amenities included a coffeemaker, kettle, and microwave.

The room was decently clean, and the bathrooms were well kept. I've definitely seen worse four points properties on my travels.

I arrived close to 1am in the evening, so most of the hotel's facilities were understandably closed. However, had I arrived earlier in the evening, there is a plethora of dining options close to the property, both across the street and in the complex across the road. If you need groceries or other items, there is a Wal-mart in the complex, as well as a sports bar (rare for Richmond) and various bubble tea places. My recommendation is Cocoru restaurant across the road for korean style fried chicken and beers, or if you're aiming for something a little more healthy, you can walk into the complex for Pepper lunch.

If you are desperate, there is a McDonald's right next to the property that is open 24 hours. If you do not have a car, you can walk into the building, no need to stand in the drive-thru line.

In the morning I chose to have the breakfast at the hotel, which runs from 7am to 10am. Normally only continental breakfast is provided based on tier status, but the front desk made an exception for me. The breakfast consisted of two eggs any style, hash browns, toast, a choice between bacon, sausage, or ham, and fruit, as well as coffee and orange juice. This usually retails for 18$. Maybe it was because I went to breakfast close to closing time, but I found the breakfast very underwhelming, the fruit turned out to be two banana slices and a section of an orange - hardly what you would call substantial. The hash browns were overcooked and hard, and the sausage were not the freshest, but in hindsight I can't complain too much, free is free.

I boarded the shuttle right after and headed to the airport.