nwdogahunt

Thanks everyone for the information.

BeantownFlyer

Just wrapping up a two night stay here. Booked a three bedroom Fallsview suite and was upgraded to Premium Fallsview. (I am gold) A few comments:

Parking is 25/day valet, $20/day self. Parked on level 5 of the casino garage per the earlier posts. Midweek garage is priced at $10 no matter how many days you stay. I got the casino card, but to use it to exit (and you apparently now need to use it as your exit card) you must gamble after 6am on the day of departure. I gambled and won today, and think I will stay away from the casino tomorrow and instead will just pay the $10. Still beats the wait at the Hilton and the extra cost.

The suite is not really a suite, but really an oversized king room, connected by a locking vestibule to an Embassy Suites style 2 bedroom unit. The layout could be better, but it worked for my family of 4.

Requested turndown service and was told it would consist of chocolates and the sheet folded down. I asked for towels and they said, ok since I asked. One room ended up with towels piled on a chair and the dirty towels still on the floor in the bath, while the other room got a proper turndown. They did leave two waters in each room, presumably because of my status, but I never received a newspaper.

On check in asked for and got breakfast coupons for the whole family (4) instead of just 2, and for the much nicer Watermark restaurant upstairs. That was nice.

Service levels at hotel are mediocre, particularly for the $499/nt I am paying. We are headed to the new Ritz in Toronto tomorrow and I am sure the differences will be glaring. I do recommend the hotel though, as the location is very good, and it appears to be the best of what there is.

blackjack-21

We get down to either the Hilton or the Fallsview Casino Hotel once or twice a month as it's just over an hour's drive from us, and we've been getting either comped or casino rate rooms at both hotels.

I've never heard it mentioned that you have to play after 6 AM on the day you leave the parking garage to get the free parking at the casino garage. We usually check in around 3 PM and don't start our gaming until after diinner, finishing up around 2 or 3 AM, then getting a late checkout for the trip home. But we've never been charged for parking using our players card even though we don't play on the day we leave. So I'm wondering who told you that you had to play after 6 AM on your departure day to get comped parking. Was it the gateperson on the way out? When the casino first opened you had to take a ticket on arrival and the gate opened, then show your players card or pay when leaving, now the entrance gates just open automatically as you drive in to the garage, and you insert your players club card at the gates on the way out to leave without getting charged for parking. If you've played in the casino for a reasonable length on your stay, I can't see how they'd charge you for parking. Parking on the fifth level is often full, so we just drive to the higher levels for easier parking then elevator down to five for the walkway to the hotel.

I'm also HHonors Gold, so we get the Watermark breakfast included as there's no exec lounge at this Hilton, although last year we sometimes got the breakfast in the ground floor buffet restaurant, and it's just as good as the Watermark as far as the items (omelettes and eggs made to order), minus the views of the falls from the 33 floor.

Up until earlier this year, we were given rooms in the North tower, and while I agree they're kind of bland, still they're newer and fresh and comfortable as expected. Now that the hotel is non-smoking in the North tower, we're relegated to the older South tower as my wife and I both smoke (cough, cough), where the rooms are dated and tired in some cases, but nonetheless comfortable and we've always been upgraded to the King Suite that includes the whirlpool tub and 2 TV's in the sitting area, even on the comped or casino rates, and have always gotten full HHonors points (comped rate needed other charges to get the points) and stay credits plus any bonuses.

Last time we were there two weeks ago, we also noticed that no one on our floor (supposedly a HHonors floor) had gotten a Globe and Mail left outside their door, and on mentioning it on checkout we were given one with no comment as to why no one had received one in the morning. We've found the staff friendly and accomodating in all respects, from the front desk staff to the housekeeping staff, but that could be since we're there often, and call ahead the day before our arrival with our requests for an upgrade and for additonal coffee in the room and another ashtray (why is it that hotels that still have smoking rooms only have one ashtray in the room?), and have had no problems at all with the staff. Last stay there was no TV changer in the room (do people really take them home?) and a call to the front desk resulted in a new one sent up in about five minutes.

We used to see the large bottle of Evian in the room that was free for a while, now it's tagged with a $4.95 charge. Since we don't need the turndown service, we've never seen the two bottles of water in the room, but I guess if we were paying $499 a night we'd expect that too.

Enjoy your stay in TO. Hope you get good weather here for the next few days.

bj-21.

BeantownFlyer

Thanks for the update. Several people in the casino told us various versions of "you have to gamble after 6am". Since I didn't want to risk my card getting rejected and didn't know if it was that I could then just insert my credit card in the exit gate, I paid for parking on 5 and got an exit ticket. Next time I would try using the players card at the exit gate, and if it was rejected would be prepared to use a credit card.

blackjack-21

I don't think a credit card will work at the gate, so you were correct in paying at the machine on five or one of the other ones. But there's usually someone from the casino at one of the three lanes leaving by the gates to help you if you're not familiar with using the players card at the gates. Sometimes it takes several attempts in the card readers at the gates to get them to open. Next time stop at the vip desk on your way out of the casino after playing, to verify that your card is okay and should work on exiting the garage.

bj-21.

PatMike

Gold gets you nothing at the Sheraton.

Weatherboy

I just wrapped up a stay here, using a QF3N from last year for a free trip. As a Diamond, I was upgraded to a king suite in the south tower on the 30th floor, with incredible views of both falls and the surrounding area. I also had the perfect view of the Friday night fireworks.

Valet parking was $25+$4 tax... a reasonable sum for any city. I did get a card at the casino across the street, where I won plenty of Canadian currency, but decided just to keep my car in the Hilton lot rather than hassle with going back/forth.

Diamond perk included complimentary full breakfast buffet on the 33rd/34th floors of the tower; a value of $19.95/each. Great views of the falls...and a good selection of traditional hot + cold items and omelet station.

I had my do-not-disturb sign up in the evening and missed turn-down, but they did leave 2 bottles of water + a pile of chocolates outside of my room in the evening.

The room was a nice size...but I agree with other posters; the furnishings are outdated/old. It was as if a Homewood Suites was having a yard sale on their old furniture, and this place grabbed it up. For such a big/new place, I'm surprised the furniture wasn't more modern. Including the (19"?) regular TV + entertainment cabinet.

With the exception of a large jacuzzi tub, the bathroom was small. There was less than 12" from the front of the toilet bowl to the shower wall. I don't think a large person would be able to use the toilet as designed. The shower was small...and when the faucet is turned on, it gives the entire bathroom floor a nice wet-down.

I ate at Brasa, the Brazillian steakhouse....and it was very good, comparable to other similar steakhouses I've eaten elsewhere. Friday-Sunday they charge $49.95/person...but on Monday-Thursday, they discount it to $35.95. I consider both a good value for the amount/quality of food you get.

Overall, service was friendly and attentive...and I was able to get in/out quickly even though there does seem to be a large churn of tour-bus types in/around the lobby. I believe the going rate for my room was $275CAN (while there, the Canadian dollar was about the same as an American dollar...perhaps a hair stronger.) Had I paid that much for my room, I would have expected nicer furnishings/toiletries (it had the standard stuff)/bathroom layout.... but on a freebie stay, it was a great value for a great location and if I returned to the Falls, I'd probably stay at this location again ...free or not.

blackjack-21

Agree that the south towers rooms need some refurbishing, but they seem to be well kept overall and we find them comfortable enough for our one-nighters there. I do think the hotel is overrated as a Cat.7 though. More likely a Cat. 6 at most.

If you're a non-smoker, next trip request an upgrade to the newer north tower which was opened in 2009, as the room layout and furnishings are better. We were in he north tower king suites often last year, until the hotel went all non-smoking in that tower. Since then, as smokers all our trips have gotten us the upgrade (as a HHonors gold) to the king suite with jacuzzi in the south tower. Slight advantage to the south tower if you're breakfasting at the Watermark, as it's just a short elevator ride up to the Watermark. If you're in the north or mid towers, you'll have to come down to the lobby or mezzanine to change to the south tower elevators for the Watermark.

The hotel is often filled with tour bus trips or large meetings groups, but we've never had to wait long for checkin/checkout using the HHonors line.

Noticed recently on the Hilton booking page that when you get to the room descriptions and rates page, although at the top of that page it says that the north tower is completely non-smoking, we're now seeing on the left column of that page the note that this hotel in "totally non-smoking". So far, and on our asking the front desk about that comment on our last trip, it's not the case. Smokers are still permitted in the south tower at present (don't know about the smaller mid tower).

And on spending the $25 for the valet parking versus using the casino parking garage for free, I'd guess that we could be out of our room in the Hilton or across the street at the casino hotel and into our car on any level of the garage way before you'd have your car from the valet. Even with me not moving half as fast as when I was on the high school track team many, many years ago!

One-nighter again later this week.

bj-21.

Pucnit

Just stayed here this past weekend on the 32nd floor of the north tower as a Gold. The most interesting thing about my visit was the fact that my room rate changed when I checked in. It was going to be C$169 and C$219 for Friday and Saturday (Hilton.com booked). But when I checked in the Front Desk told me that my room rate would be C$169 for both nights.

Overall:
+Free Breakfast
+Hotel Room was nice and Jacuzzi tub fits 2 no problem.
+View from 32nd floor was more than good enough.
-Valet parking took a really long time at checkout.
-Bell hop station was not staffed often and not checked on. So, other guests and I had to consistently go to the front desk. (This could be solved by a wireless buzzer at the station.)
-Denied late checkout.

payam81

Anyone know what's the best room category to book here for the best view of the falls? It's for 2 pax.

Embassy.

The best view of the falls is a suite in the North Tower, Premium Fallsview Floors 33-50.

If you don't want a suite then a room in the South Tower Fallsview Floors 22-32.

payam81

Thanks for the detailed and quick answer!

I've booked 1KG WHRPL STUDIO CAN/US VW and in description it mentions "Breathtaking views" so would this be in the North Tower? I don't mind booking a 2BR Suite if they have better views though.

Thanks again.

Embassy.

That room (1KG WHRPL STUDIO CAN/US VW) is in the South Tower Floors 22-32 and it's a pretty good view.

If you don't mind paying the extra $20 or so bucks then the North Tower
2 Bedroom - Deluxe Suites (Jacuzzi/Fireplace) on the Premium Fallsview Floors 33-50 have the best view in the entire hotel.

If you stay with the one you've already booked you could ask at the front desk for a free upgrade to the North Tower Premium Floors since you're HHonors Diamond.

In the end though both views are good so it's a win-win

payam81

Thanks a lot for all the help. I changed my reservation to the 2BR Deluxe Tower room. I don't wanna take a chance on an upgrade for the ~ $20 extra.

jimgiggles

Looking to book this property next weekend (Sat. and Sun). Planning on using up the rest of my points, Had to call in hhonors on the phone because website is down, told that a 'cityview' room would be 50,000 points, and 87,000 points to get a fallsview. (Something about that being a plus)

Question: Should I gamble on getting a diamond upgrade and just book the city view for 50k points? Or will they not upgrade me because i booked on points?