What to do at Vancouver Airport or a close Hotel?
I can recommend the Fairmont Vancouver Airport hotel located in the terminal. They have good specials at the moment. Just sign in for their news letter and you will receive attractive offers.
We were quite happy with our room at the Delta Hotel, cheaper than the Fairmont when I checked. They have a free shuttle that runs every 20 minutes, which I believe runs 24 hours. It is about 5 minutes ride from the airport.
The Fairmont at the Airport is a pretty high-end hotel. The Delta is nice. Just depends what you want - if you just want a place to sleep I would go with the Delta.
I also agree with dar, I'd do the cab thing instead of shelling out for a hotel for just a few hours. Although, could be almost as expensive! I have no idea what the rate would be for a cab ride from Surrey to the airport.