This document provides information about Vancouver and SameSun Backpackers hostel. It discusses Vancouver's population, industries including international trade, film/TV, technology and tourism. It then describes Vancouver's 15 hostels and backpackers, including SameSun which opened in 2004 and has 11 private rooms and 254 dorm beds. The document also outlines issues facing hostels like declining tourism, high taxes/costs, and competition from hotels. It describes how hostels work with tourism boards and the improvements SameSun made by upgrading all rooms.

1. My Vancouver
Tim Charter
SameSun Backpackers

2. •
Popula)on
-­‐
2.4
million
in
metro
Vancouver
•
Incorporated
in
1886
(125
years
young)
•
Weather
averages
from
5°C
(winter)
to
23°C
(summer)
•
Loca)on
–
Pacific
West
Coast
and
only
thirty-­‐eight
kilometers
(24
miles)
south
of
downtown
Vancouver
is
the
Canada-­‐US
border
•
Over
8
million
visitors
in
metro
Vancouver
per
year
which
is
down
from
2007
when
it
was
almost
9
million

3. Vancouver’s major industries
• Interna'onal
trade
-­‐
2nd
largest
port
on
the
west
coast
in
North
America
(in
total
cargo
volume)
• Film
and
TV
–
“Hollywood
North”
where
100’s
of
films
and
TV
shows
have
been
shot.
Home
of
Lions
Gate
Studios
and
Pixar’s
Canadian
office
• Technology
-­‐
many
soRware
companies
have
offices
in
Vancouver,
including
Electronic
Arts
• Tourism
-­‐
2010
Winter
Olympics,
Expo
86,
Stanley
Park,
amazing
beaches,
3
local
ski
hills,
one
of
the
most
livable
ci'es
in
the
world
and
Whistler’s
just
up
the
road
• Banking
and
Finance
-­‐
most
Canadian
Banks
have
branded
buildings
in
Vancouver
• Weed….
$3
to
$4
Billion
per
year
(es'mated)

5. Vancouver’s Backpackers and Hostels
There
are
15
hostels
and
backpackers
in
Vancouver
•
SameSun
Backpackers
•
3
X
Hostelling
Interna)onals
•
YWCA
Hotel
•
2
X
Cambie
Hostels
•
2
X
C
and
N
Backpackers
Hostels
•
Vancouver
Backpacker
guest
house
•
Vancouver
Grand
Hotel
•
St.
Claire
Hostel
•
Ellison
House
•
American
Backpacker’s
There
are
about
2000
dorm
rooms
in
Vancouver
and
approximately
150
private
hostel
rooms
Dorm
rates
range
from
$10.00
to
$40.00
Privates
$35.00
per
person
to
$100.00

6. Issues and challenges facing hostels in Vancouver
•
Declining
tourism
Stemming
from
the
high
Canadian
dollar,
the
Olympic
hangover,
the
US
/
Canadian
border
'ghtening
up,
global
recession
•
High
Taxes
–
12%
HST
+
hotel
tax
•
High
Labour
costs
–
minimum
wage
hike
from
$8.00
to
$
10.25
as
of
May
2012
•
Long
slow
season
(wet
and
cold
winters)
•
Compe''on
–
our
friends
H.I.
are
right
across
the
street
•Most
of
the
hostels
listed
are
in
the
downtown
core
•
We
are
compe'ng
with
Hotels
for
market
share
•
Even
hostel
booking
sites
are
adver'sing
for
hotels
•
Dealing
with
the
social
problems
in
Vancouver
•
Bed
bugs….
s'll
around
,
but
not
in
my
building!

7. How are hostels regulated in Vancouver?
•
Hostels
are
treated
like
hotels.
They
are
taxed
the
same
and
we
pay
a
premium
for
a
downtown
loca)on
•
Vancouver
real
estate
is
on
the
rise
while
tourism
is
down
•
The
average
hotel
yield
in
2011
dropped
an
astounding
17%,
meaning
we
are
now
finding
ourselves
compe)ng
with
major
hotel
brands
that
are
blowing
out
their
excess
inventory
•“Single
Room
Occupancy”
by-­‐law
in
Vancouver,
whereby
hotel-­‐zoned
buildings
that
have
been
used
for
social
housing
must
remain
as
social
housing
(similar
to
San
Fran)

8. How do hostels work with your local tourist
board and Chamber of Commerce?
•
Some
Hostels
are
members
of
Tourism
Vancouver,
Tourism
Bri)sh
Columbia
and
the
Chamber
of
Commerce
•
I
visit
Tourism
Vancouver
oien
and
a
few
)mes
a
year
I
do
a
power-­‐point
presenta)on
and
bring
them
cookies,
fruit,
water,
and
coffee
•Once
a
year
they
do
an
on-­‐site
tour
•I
also
visit
Tourism
BC
at
the
interna)onal
airport

9. S
A
M
E
S
U
N

10. SameSun Backpackers
•
Opened
in
April
of
2004
•
1018
Granville
street
is
a
heritage
building
that
opened
in
August
of
1908
(103
years
old)
•
11
private
rooms
and
254
dorm
beds
•
Dorm
prices:
$27.50
(low
season)
to
$35.00
(high
season)
•
Private
room
prices:
$70.00
(low
season)
to
$95.00
(high
season)
•
Both
include
tax
and
a
free
breakfast
including
Bagels,
cream
cheese,
preserves,
fruit
salad,
juice,
coffee,
tea,
etc.
•
High
season:
Summer
is
from
July
to
September
•
Low
season:
Winter
is
December
to
April

11. If possible, please
describe one improvement
that you have made in the
last year that has made a
possible difference for
your hostel?
•We
have
upgraded
every
room
with
new
bed
lights,
shelves,
beoer
beds,
hooks,
fans,
power
bars
for
all
beds,
new
linens,
new
lockers,
repainted
everything
and
redone
the
flooring
•Beoer
product
=
happier
clientele

13. The Beaver Bar and Restaurant
ž On site restaurant
with nightly drink
specials
ž $4.95 dinner special
every night
ž Open till 1am weekdays
and 2am weekends
ž Big screen TV
ž Monday - Bingo
ž Tuesday - Open Mike
ž Wednesday – Poker
ž Thursday - Trivia
ž Sunday - Roast Beef
Dinner

15. ž Free wireless
internet
Amenities
ž Free continental
breakfast from
7am -10am
ž $2.00 Brekky
includes eggs,
sausage, hash browns
or beans
ž Lounge area with pool
table
ž New Big Screen TV
room with
Netflix and leather
couches
ž Coin operated laundry
ž Clean, renovated
bathrooms
ž Luggage storing

16. ž Full
New kitchen
common
kitchen
ž Attached to
outdoor patio
ž Clean and
spacious
ž New stainless
steel counters
and cupboards
ž Lots of fridge
space and
food lockers

17. Stainless Steel Bathrooms
and Kitchen

18. Best hostel in Vancouver?
ž We are a hostel
staffed by Canadian
& international
backpackers
ž Just off the Canada
line at Granville and
Nelson
ž On site Restaurant
and Bar
ž On-line ratings
87% +++

20. Questions?