Hillcrest Recreation Centre

It’s a beautiful facility, but I find it too crowded most of the time. Nobody respects the rules in the pool, there are a lot of people just hanging out in the swim lanes, right where everyone’s trying to do laps, the lifeguards don’t really enforce the rules, they just watch. I got tired of the pool so I thought the fitness area would be better, but that too, is insanely crowded, and they insist on turning the music up on weekends so the place feels like a club, not a gym, I can’t even hear my own music with headphones in it’s so loud. Bonus though is the machines are quite new and numerous, so If you like busy, crowded facilities I guess this place wouldn’t’ be so bad. However I feel it’s too expensive for my personal preference, I like places that are a little bit quieter and less packed.

World class facility. Centrally located in Vancouver with an NHL size ice rink. An in door basketball court, a great pool for the kids. A lane pool, a diving pool, steam room, sauna room. A seasonal out door pool. A weight room with tons of cardio bikes and treadmills. A ping pong room. A curling rink. A library. Plenty of parking. 3 electric charging stations and right next to Nat Bailey stadium. Ok I’m out of breath you get it, it’s good go! Or don’t go it’s crowded already. Whew

This review is mainly based on my very limited experience with their badminton courts which are very well maintained and well organized. Based on what I know, signing up for their courts must be done quite in advance, so book ahead of time or you won’t be getting in. They also have a very friendly coordinator that checks in with you to ensure you are here and that you have everything you need. Overall the facilities here look great, and I love the viewing area for the ice rink. Not only are there nice comfy couches, you are quick and easy access to a coffee shop near by.
Hopefully I’ll be able to check out these facilities (like the pool and gym areas) in more detail in the future, but for now, not bad. I’d come back!

Pretty disgusting pool. I haven’t used any of the other facilities but I know 100% I would never return here. It’s over crowded. The showers smell like urine. I didn’t dare go onto the bathroom. I feel like they need to limit the amount of bodies into the pool, sauna, steam room, and hot tub. Literally on a Tuesday morning at 8 am it’s completely insane. No one follows directions. They do their own thing. And the lifeguards seem pretty useless to diffuse situations. Like the fast swimmer lapping everyone in the medium pace lane. It’s a beautiful faclity that’s why it gets 2 stars… it’s just a really disgusting place.

Review is for badminton gym and a rental room 1^st floor left of counter for a children’s bday party I attended. The place is near new as you may already know, it’s bright clean and organized. The rental room was very big, suitable for about 100 participants with seats and tables for all. You supply the decors and catering of course, the view of the outside is very nice as well from the room.

A real step up from the old Riley park facility. Well run place that is spacious and nice and new.

A very crowded gym facility. Tried it as a guest today definitely not coming back. Members do not understand there are other people waiting to use an equipment. Let multiple people work in or use an equipment for short periods and come back …
This gym definitely requires sign up sheets for their weight training equipments as well.
A workout session that would normally take my 45 mins took 1 hour with less than half done !
Such a waste of time and money !

I hate public pools. Something about soaking in overly treated water with a bunch of dirty, unknown strangers is extremely unappealing to me. Call me crazy.
However I spend a large amount of time with a ten year old boy who primarily only enjoys swimming. We have been to every public pool in Vancouver. Have you been to some of these public pools? They are disgusting. If I could I would Purell my entire body after utilizing some of those facilities.
When I first came to Hillcrest I was finally at peace. Only slightly did I worry about obtaining athlete’s foot at this facility. It’s super clean and very new. Everything is in pristine condition.
They have a lazy river, hot tub, shallow pool, lane pool and deep pool with diving boards. They also occasionally have a inflatable slide from the 5M and a large inflatable purple dragon that kids can play on.
If you’re ever forced to go to a public pool, Hillcrest is the best of the bunch. Trust me.

I rarely go to recreation centre and my friend told me that Hillcrest Centre is new and great! It also walking distance from my house, just perfect for me to go!
There’s an ice rink, swimming pool, lots of classes, and the fitness centre. I joined Zumba class at Hillcrest Centre and the class size much smaller than private fitness world. The instructor is great and friendly.
As a taxpayer, I should enjoy such great recreation centre in my area!

This one of the best fitness centre and pools operated by the City of Vancouver. It is quite spacious and rates are reasonable for drop-​in. The cost is $ 5.95, you can get cheaper by buying 10 admissions or a monthly pass. After a workout in the fitness centre, you can enjoy the many warm pools include in admission price. The best one is the hot tub with water jets. There is also a pool for children that looks fun, as well as lap and diving pools. There is also sauna and steam room. There is lockers that require refundable deposit (25 cents) and there is free parking but it can be busy on weekends.

Review for the POOL.
I love this place! Dare I say the nicest pool I’ve been to in Vancouver? They have decently priced drop in rates $ 10, bring a quarter for the locker — front desk staff is helpful and have bathing caps and goggles for sale if you’ve lost of forgotten yours.
What a beautiful location! The ceilings are huge, windowed and sloping showcasing our gorgeous mountains and allowing in tons of light — I’ve never swam laps in such a bright environment, loved it! In terms of facilities the pool is fabulous, lots and lots of lap lanse, slow to fast, separate relaxed swimming area — also large, gigantic hottub and my personal favourite a ‘lazy river’ — think floating down a river with a strong current.
I can’t wait to go back!

I love Hillcrest. Save for really bad children that often wade the waters here, it’s quite alright.
My favourite: aquafit class on Monday’s! The instructor’s are awesome and most of the time have great music to go along with the class.

Just based on the hockey rink, it’s enjoyable here: bright lights, clean sheet of ice, awesome bench area with space to put your own stuff in the inside ledge, ie. bring your work bag, etc. instead of leaving in the dressing rooms.
Seems like a bigger rink too.
The rooms could be bigger but enough to fit 12 guys no problem. Washrooms/​individual showers spacious too.
Guess when it’s this new, built for the olympics, is gonna be clean.
Parking can be tough depending on time, as i’m sure the swimming pool & the rest of the community centre draws a ton of people.

News Flash the Parks Board is looking at charging parking fees of a $ 1 hour on top of the $ 6 day use fee. Unless you live in 1k or so can walk to the center driving is the way most get to this magnet community center. Transit to this location is limited and on a cold and rainy night in the fall and winter nights even a hard core bikers like have succumbed to the ease of the automobile access my recreation.

Hillcrest pool always has warm water and warm showers. It’s super child friendly amazing diving boards with three different choices 1m3m and 5m. Also I just love the moat that goes around in a circle the water flow is not to fast just right and if you don’t like spinning in a circle you can stand in the middle where the water is dead calm. The moat on the outside is a little squishy because everyone has to pack in to it .
I would recommend Hillcrest for the pool.

This is for the indoor aquatic centre only.
There is a lot of water here but this place deserves special mention. It’s child friendly. Very child friendly. Shallow part of the pool IS shallow. In fact, there are multiple pools. A hot tub, a «moat like «part of a pool that pushes everyone in a circle, a water park type of pool for toddlers and preschoolers, lane swimming, 1M and 3M springboards, and a 5M tower that doubles as a giant slide. They can also shorten the larger pool in to sections so as a large inflatable dinosuar can be placed into the water for kids to climb onto and fall into the water. Pool toys are available for kids to play with.
Steam room and sauna are available as well.
I should also mention that the hot tub is also child friendly. There is a shallow ramp that can be used to enter the hot tub.
There are also family change lockers and showers available so that families can get their kids in and out with ease. The one drawback is that it can get extremely busy.
I’ve been into a lot of pools in Vancouver, and for kids, this is one of the nicest. I like this pool. So does my daughter. I’m coming back. So is she.

I was soooo excited when they first opened and got a membership for the gym right away. It is not big but the cardio machines have a great view and the room is nice and airy, not sweaty and dank.
The problem is that it is way too busy for its size and many of the male patrons are complete douche bags. I have had one freak out and try to belittle me because I said his time was up on the treadmill and witnessed elderly Chinese men get verbally abused. The staff are completely useless and I have no idea what they are there to do. They should open a fitness world around here so this place can actually function as a community centre, not a default space for neighbourhood douches to work off their juice. (11 of 30)

This is an awesome place– pool (s), gym, ice-​rink, curling rink, library, pre-​school, badminton court, basketball court, blue-​parrot coffee… this is what a community center should be! It is also surrounded by a soccer field and baseball diamonds. In the winter there is a Farmer’s Market in the Nat Bailey parking lot. Doesn’t get better.

This place has it all.
Curling, rink, pools, fitness rooms, ping pong and I’m sure a lot more. Squeaky clean new, friendly staff, tons of programs.
I come here for basketball. No complaints. Lots of parking too.

This place has almost everything you need to keep busy. Used as the curling venue for the 2010 Olympics and Paralympics, I almost forgot they still have curling here.
This is the King of all rec centres. It’s new, clean, bright, central, and overwhelming. I came because friends booked the gym for basketball. We had the whole gym to ourselves for 2 hours at $ 65/​hr.
Walking to the gym I passed by the ice rink where there was kids performing figure skating, violinists practicing in a multipurpose room.
They offer so much! Swimming pool, ice rink, gym, games room, fitness center, multipurpose room, dance studio and a preschool.
I came here to swim last summer not realizing all the other things they have hear. I’ll definitely be back more regularly!