Top Hot Tub and Sauna Stays in Burnaby

Every room at the Element by Marriott Vancouver Metrotown has a full kitchen, which I rate as the most useful feature for families staying several nights. The indoor pool keeps children busy in any weather, breakfast is included, and the Metropolis at Metrotown shopping centre is a short walk away for rainy-day errands. Pets are accepted. With an 8.8 rating from 142 reviews, it is a strong family base in Burnaby.

Accent Inns Burnaby is close to a SkyTrain station, which lets families reach Vancouver city centre without driving or paying for parking downtown. Shops and restaurants are within walking distance for easy meals. A hot tub and fitness centre are on site, the hotel is fully non-smoking, and pets are welcome. I would book it for families who want a calmer, well-rated base in Burnaby with quick rail access to Vancouver's sights.

For a family, this tower works as a driving base rather than a destination. The appeal is practical: free parking, a Highway 1 exit at the door and connecting rooms, offered when available, which matter with children. The neighbourhood is less helpful. The casino next door admits only those 19 and over, the hotel's dinner restaurant is a steak and seafood room, and Villa Bistro only does breakfast, so meals with young children often mean driving out. Without a car, the 3 km to Brentwood Town Centre station makes days in Vancouver slow. I would book it for a short stay on a road trip, or when one parent has an event in the conference centre, and look downtown for a longer city break.

An outdoor pool is the feature I would point out first at the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown in Burnaby, since it gives children a break between city outings in the warmer months. Rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows, and the bathrooms include a soaker bathtub, which makes bath time easier with younger kids. The on-site restaurant covers dinner without another trip out, and the fitness centre and spa wellness facilities give parents a moment to themselves. It suits families who prefer Burnaby to downtown Vancouver.

Families get more room here than in a standard Vancouver hotel, since every booking is a studio or suite with a microwave and coffee maker. That makes breakfasts and simple dinners easy to manage, and spreading out matters on a longer stay. Gilmore SkyTrain station is a short walk away, so children can ride the train into downtown Vancouver without a car. The outdoor hot tub is a pleasant way for parents to end the evening once the kids are asleep.