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Review: the Embassy Suites, Niagara Falls, Canada hotel

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This is my review of the Embassy Suites, Niagara Falls hotel on the Canadian side of the falls.

It is a little odd in Niagara Falls that the tallest hotel, the nearest hotel to the Canadian falls and the one with the best views happens to be a mid-priced Embassy Suites.

The Embassy Suites Niagara Falls website is here.

This is a Hilton-owned long(er) stay brand, aimed at families and business people on longer trips.  The key features are that every room is a 2-room suite or larger, every room has a microwave, all guest receive free cooked breakfast and all guests receive free drink and evening nibbles vouchers.

As a Hilton Group hotel, you receive Hilton HHonors points for your stay and can also redeem.  I paid cash because the rooms I wanted were, not surprisingly, not the ones you get offered for a points stay.

I will write more about the hotel later.  It is – without a shadow of doubt – entirely the wrong brand for the building it is in.  But I will save that for another day.  Here are some photos instead.

This is the view from my 36th floor ‘Presidential Suite’ at the Embassy Suites.  My Mum had the identical room on the 37th floor.  It cost under £200 per night plus tax – and we are in high season here – with breakfast and two free alcoholic drinks per room per day included.  Those are the Canadian falls down there.

Embassy Suites Niagara Falls

A different angle shows the American falls (yes, the room does come with a working fireplace!):

Embassy Suites Niagara Falls Presidential Suite

This was taken during lunch at the steakhouse on the 9th floor – note the rainbow.  The restaurants here are not classy – TGI Fridays and The Keg steakhouse!  I will save a discussion of breakfast for another day but imagine trying to serve a cooked breakfast to around 1,200 people in just 3 hours ….

Embassy Suites Niagara Falls

This is taken from the window in my living room:

Embassy Suites Niagara Falls

and this was from the window in the bedroom, showing both sets of falls:

Embassy Suites Niagara Falls

Going back into hotel review territory for a minute, here is the living room (apologies for the bright sunlight!):

Embassy Suites Niagara Falls Presidential Suite

…. and here is the bedroom from the other direction:

Embassy Suites Niagara Falls Presidential Suite

Finally, because it would be a shame not to include one touristy shot, here is a picture from a boat trip to the base of the Canadian falls:

Embassy Suites Niagara Falls

You can find out more about the hotel, and book, on the Hilton website here.


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Comments (27)

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  • Alan says:

    Fantastic views, Rob – agree though it’s a weird choice of brand from Hilton – I can’t imagine there’s many folk wanting a long stay property there!

  • Thomas says:

    Hope you are having fun Rob, bit weird all, bit dated, a bit meh…..but the view!!!!! noisy during the night, or do they switch the falls off during the night?

    • Rob says:

      It isn’t as noisy as you think it might be (or perhaps I have lived in London for too long).

  • whatsup? says:

    Here’s my theory: he’s swiped his mum’s 2 free drinks, swigged his own as well & is now writing doolally stuff in the middle of the night.

  • alex says:

    Thanks for the review rob.
    I wonder if it’s still worth a visit in the winter to see the falls, I have seem them before but my wife hasn’t and time would only allow winter?

    • nerd. says:

      Been many times in summer and the one winter trip I can remember was pretty special. Definitely worth a trip in the winter too IMHO, as long as you’re happy to brave the ice/snow.

    • Rob says:

      There are some pictures of it in Winter and it looks interesting. Worth noting, though, that outside of April to September daylight hours, the US and Canada have the right to halve the water flow by diverting the other 50% to a hydro electric power station. In reality, I don’t know if this is done permanently out of season or just when demand spikes.

    • MrHandBaggageOnly says:

      I visited the Falls in December last year (my third visit, but first in winter) and thought they looked spectacular. It was so cold the mist had frozen over the trees and fences and it gave an amazing effect. There were a lot less tourists to deal with and everything else still open except the boat tours. A stay on the 36th floor in the Presidential Suite in winter would be well worth it.

  • shadowfixer says:

    As a family of 5 we tend to stay in Embassy Suites quite a bit when in the US. The free breakfast and free bar (more than 2) during the managers special can make it a relatively cheap stay. The second room is great for watching TV etc when then kids have gone to bed.

    Getting HHonors points is just a little bit of a bonus on top.

    SF

    • Rob says:

      I promise you, with around 1200 people in this hotel you will not find the free bar or free breakfast very appealing! It is how I imagine breakfast would be like in prison.

  • Kathy says:

    Ok, now you’ve made me want to visit! How many Avios does it take to get out there…?

    • Rob says:

      Fly to Toronto and drive down (about 75 minutes, easy drive) or drive up from New York. Toronto substantially easier, especially as the Canadian side is where the best views are so you’d need to cross into Canada anyway.

    • Nick Burch says:

      Probably the cheapest is Rail+Sail or RFS to Dublin, Aer Lingus Dublin-Boston (it’s under a magic distance threshold so fewer than other North American routes), then cheap AA domestic / bus / train to Toronto and bus/train/hire car down

      Or BA LHR-Toronto for 13,000 / 26,000 / 50,000 / 68,000 off-peak or 20,000 / 40,000 / 60,000 / 80,000 peak. Then hire car, or see http://www.seat61.com/Canada.htm#Toronto_-_Niagara_Falls for how to get from Toronto to Niagara by public transport!

      • Kathy says:

        I think partner flights always being at peak rate might change the maths on DUB-BOS? Although not paying APD might still make it worthwhile.

        • John says:

          Rob will correct me if my heavily caffeinated memory is wrong but, using avios via BAEC call centre, current ONE WAY EI BUSINESS tranats are:

          BOS 37.5k
          NY//CHICAGO/WASH 60K
          SF/MIAMI 75K

          ECONONY O/Ws stayed same
          12.5k
          20k
          25k

          Both are good value with free Wi-Fi, excellent new business cabins and you can buy extra food to augment free stuff if you want.

          Fares are from DUB (so, yeah, rail sail, eurolines or cheap flight to coinnect) but if you can use Eddie Stobart pretty sure same figures are from Shannon where served

      • sandgrounder says:

        Or just use Avios to fly from Boston to Buffalo Niagara (BUF) from BOS? AA/US fly from ORD, BOS, PHL, DCA, CLT. Random dates in Jan 2016 are showing economy flights with AA for £452 from LHR.

  • trickster says:

    They seem to be obsessed with fireplaces in Niagara Falls hotels!

    Very similar room layout, view, and a fireplace in the Marriott which we stayed at a few years ago. Got access to the lounge too on that visit, despite only being a Silver member, which was on the top floor and had a great view as well.

  • trickster says:

    I can recommend Niagara on the Lake as nice add-on destination for a subsequent night in the area, and away from the neon-glow of the Falls (Canadian side).

    • Rob says:

      That is the plan for today, before heading back to Pearson via the Ralph Lauren factory shop I passed on the way in ….!

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