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See why so many travelers make The Grand Hotel Nanaimo their hotel of choice when visiting Nanaimo. Providing an ideal mix of value, comfort and convenience, centrally located it offers a romantic setting with an array of amenities designed for travelers like you. You’ll enjoy relaxing rooms that offer a flat screen TV and air conditioning, and you can stay connected during your stay as The Grand Hotel Nanaimo offers guests free wifi. The hotel features room service. Plus, The Grand Hotel Nanaimo offers a fitness center, restaurant and lounge, Whisky Bar, patios and garden, providing a pleasant respite from your busy day. For guests with a vehicle, free parking is available. During your visit, be sure to check out the different malls, movie theatres, lakes, hiking trails and many restaurants close by. We’re sure you’ll enjoy your stay at The Grand Hotel Nanaimo as you experience all of the things Nanaimo has to offer.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Romantic
Mountain View
Languages Spoken
English, French, Spanish, Arabic and 7 more
Location
4898 Rutherford Rd, Nanaimo, British Columbia V9T 4Z4 Canada
The Grand Hotel Nanaimo
3.5 reviews
Getting there
Car recommended
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
There’s no denying that this hotel needs an update and all the junk clearing out the reception area. It is dated and at first sight, it puts you off staying there. You cannot say that the receptionists are unfriendly, it’s just they don’t engage with their clients and the result is that they do not seem welcoming. The rooms are dated too, microwaves stacked on top of fridges that can trip the fuses and “black out” your room. The ensuite looks and feels old with noisy inefficient extract fans.
On the plus side, the beds are very comfortable, well serviced and clean as are the rooms but that dated look detracts and the lighting is dire. Dire too is the heating and AC, grossly inefficient and virtually uncontrollable. There are minimal supplies in the room but the coffee machine delivers really good coffee. No kettle but reception have one on request. The restaurant food is very good but throughout our week in the hotel, it always had few customers. I suspect the reason for that is that it is very expensive as are the wines and drinks. Too expensive by far for such an establishment and whilst the food was very good, it was not of high enough standard to demand these prices. I would have liked to dine there more often but there are good less expensive restaurants a short drive away and many bar restaurants a short walk over the road.
Would I go back again? Well, yes but it would be a bed for the night only. I think they are missing a trick here at many levels or they are not interested in making this establishment better. It has so much potential, such a shame.
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Date of stay: January 2023
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I stayed here as it was one of the more inexpensive rates for my last-minute booking. Check-in was easy and courteous, but the hotel is quite dated. The carpeted floor felt lumpy throughout the room - I don't want to know what was underneath. My standard room was spacious and quiet because this was on a weekend when construction next door is on pause. The bed was comfy, the tv was good, and the bath amenities were mismatched from different sets but smelled nice :)
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Date of stay: January 2023Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We only spent 1 night and we were generally pleased with our stay. Check in was quick once we got to the counter as the person in front of us was having issues. The staff we encountered during our stay were all pleasant and they do have a dog in the lobby. Barkley was his name and he was very friendly, we did not mind the dog as we have dogs but I do get it's not for everyone. Our room was clean and comfortable but the AC/Heater did not work. It omitted a burnt smell. Underground parking was poorly lit but secure, we opted not to use it. The hotel is a bit dated but it suited our needs for the night . Overall it was a positive stay and I would stay here again if opportunity presents itself in the future.
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Date of stay: May 2022
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Just a kilometer or two from the downtown core, the Grand Hotel is nestled near the malls and restaurant area. We were 3 (senior) sisters, one of whom was scheduled for eye surgery. Though we arrived just past noon, we were able to check in. The patient was able to nap as this is a quiet area. We chose an upgrade, a slightly larger room with a fireplace with a juliette balcony. Parking was convenient, right below our window. It was Valentine's Day! and we couldn't get a dinner reservation in any nearby restaurants. We declined the Sweetheart Special at the Grand as it was a bit pricy. Susie, the dining room hostess, asked the kitchen to accommodate us. They created braised ribs, mashed potatoes and vegetables for $45pp. Fair value and good food. The dining area is set up for quiet chat and eating, with a decor that absorbs the sound and pleases the eye. The room also had a frig and microwave. The shampoo and conditioner were exceptional quality. We had no issues and will stay again when the sister gets her follow up surgery. The desk clerk was courteous and accommodating, esp with our early check in. The total for an overnight stay for 3 people was less than $200.
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â Check out the cost of an upgrade. It was worth it for the 3 of us. The room was a bit larger and...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We have stayed at the Grand many times over the years and it never disappoints! We had a room on the 3rd floor and it was clean and spacious with a decent sized bathroom. It had great toiletries, shampoo soap etc and the room had a microwave and small fridge which was great.
It was facing more the backside of the hotel so it was very quiet. We were not able to get to the restaurant for brunch (only open sundays) so they had pre-packaged cold boxes at the front desk if you paid for a breakfast include in your rate.
I forgot my Ipad charger and they located it for me which was very helpful. We will definitely stay again!
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Date of stay: August 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The rooms are old and dated and in need of an upgrade. The carpet was questionable. Towels were paper thin, the AC unit did NOT work. I called down to front desk after it stopped working about 15 minutes after turning it on. She said “it automatically stops once it’s cold”, it WASN’T cold in the room at all. Thankfully we had a patio door, so we opened the door and it helped a little. Don’t advertise an AC Unit and have it only working at 5% capacity. It was the most uncomfortable night I’ve spent at a hotel. Ice is only available downstairs, the restaurant wasn’t open, so we never got to try. I cannot sleep in a hot room, so that made the decision not to return easy. Nothing “grand” about this hotel.
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Spent the weekend there with 50 other women. Decided to stay for dinner the night before our workshop started. It wasn’t inexpensive however it was well worth it. The StLouis Ribs were delicious and the veggies were fresh and cooked perfectly. Try the Nanaimo Bar Martini for dessert. You won’t regret it. We had buffet Lunch, Dinner and Brunch. I’ve been to many in the past. These meals were freshly made, very tasty, plentiful, varied, replenished often and hot, best I’ve had in this situation. The service was great as well, both the food service and room service. The host pupper was a surprise, but sweet and calm not threatening in any way (I’m not a dog person). We loved the decor which is filled with dark, lush wood. It felt very warm and inviting, loved the look. We had a great stay and highly recommend the Grand Hotel.
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Date of stay: June 2022
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The hotel has seen better days. The room smelled heavily of cleaning materials.....in fact it stank. The carpet and chair had cigarette burns. The paint was chipped. The reservation site requires careful scrutiny before booking; our so-called complimentary breakfast was not available because we selected a special rate. We booked the hotel because dinner was supposed to be available; it wasn't, as the hotel had new covid hours, which were not posted on the restaurant website. Never again.
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Date of stay: August 2020
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This place is very dated and essentially run down. Although the lobby area was decent it was very cluttered and had a dog living in it. The room was cleanish but very neglected and could use a lot of basic maintenance. In the fact the entire place needed basic maintenance from wall repairs to caulking. Our room had a bunch of stains on the carpet which easily could have been removed and some of which were questionable. Underground parking as other have suggested was very dark and had several decrepit vehicles permanently parked there. On checked out I was charged an extra $200 which required sorting out. We won’t be back as this place was likely Grand when it was build but that day has long since passed.
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Date of stay: March 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Booked the room with my girlfriend for the weekend. The room was very comfortable, the bath products were very lovely with the orange scents, the room was big to accommodate small number of guests for safe fun. The mountain view was very beautiful and was an overall 10/10 experience. the staff were very accommodating and helpful. i highly recommend.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Good Day Gourmet C
Hey I so very sorry that you experienced "terrible service"
I know that failing to meet guests needs and expectations does not help when no one will apologize. I am so very sorry about your past terrible experience. Now in 2019 the Grand Style of service as been invigorated with new training and attention to detail in order to provide exceptional service and surrondings
Thank you very much
Erik Brook
Revenue Manager
There are more places to choose from in the Nanaimo area.
PRICE RANGE
C$155 - C$185 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
grand hotel nanaimo, nanaimo grand hotel
LOCATION
CanadaBritish ColumbiaVancouver IslandNanaimo
NUMBER OF ROOMS
70
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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