DoubleTree Fallsview Resort & Spa by Hilton - Niagara Falls {CAN}
 

Hi,

On my doubletree email, there is advanced notice of the opening of the Doubletree Resort Lodge & Spa in Niagara Falls ( Canada) which is due to open in August 2003.

The picture looks very nice.

The link is;

http://www.doubletree.com/en/dt/hote...tyhocn=IAGDTDT

A new opportunity for mattress runs in NF!! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Regards
TBS

According to the website:

This hotel is under construction and will open in February of 2004. The hotel will begin accepting reservations in December 2003 for future dates.

In the meantime, if you're off to NF before then, you may want to see the remarks about the Hilton and new Embassy Suites Hotel, in this thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum57/HTML/008361.html

bj-21.

Thanks for the info - I just booked a night at the Embassy Suites on Dec 28th for $110 CAD. I am looking forward to a nice stay.



[This message has been edited by davistev (edited 10-05-2003).]

Doubletree Niagara Falls ( Ontario)-Any stays yet?
 

Hello,

I did a search but could not appear to find any comments.

Has anybody stayed at the Doubletree Resort in Niagara Falls?

I'm considering spending a couple of days here in August at the weekend ( yes, I know prices are more expensive at the weekend in NF :) )

Thanks for any advice.


Regards

TBS

I was there just over a week ago and was planning a mini-report as part of another post, however here's a summary: Really nice-looking building. Lobby interior is reminiscent of Disney's Wilderness Lodge in Orlando (for those familiar with this property), however the structure above the main "atrium" is standard modern construction. It's actually quite a small hotel, but very tall, with about half the number of rooms one would expect on each floor. (This allows the hallway on one side, with all rooms "facing" Niagara Falls.) We had a very nice room - an Embassy Suites-style room with two double beds and a sofabed, but it was not an upgrade. We got exactly the room type and location we paid for. Four continental breakfast coupons were provided, but you must have exactly what is listed on the coupon to get value as the coupons are worth only CAD $5 towards other menu items. In a restaurant where orange juice is CAD $3.50 a glass with no refills, the coupon doesn't go very far. For example, I had to pay CAD $1 additional to upgrade my son's breakfast to the Children's menu to get Froot Loops. The waitress agreed this was silly, but an appeal to management was rebuffed. There is a mandatory parking charge of CAD $9 and you must sign a form agreeing to the charge and that you will not request to have it removed at checkout.

The property is about a two-block walk to the new casino, with the older one about a kilometre in the other direction. Although the Niagara River and the mist from the Falls are visible from upper-level rooms, it's not really a "fallsview" hotel. The Hilton or Marriott are in much better proximity if that is your objective. There is a shortage of restaurants or bars in the immediate area. As has been stated in other posts, avoid Denny's, Friday's and other US chain restaurants in NF, as they charge more than double the same restaurants in nearby St. Catherines or Buffalo.

Finally, typical of Canadianization, the chocolate chip cookies are about 1/3 the size of their US counterparts. They did, however, provide one for each family member.

Hi,

Thanks for that yyzflyer.

I assume that if you do not have a car ( ie walking from the Hilton NF) or taxi then you do not have to pay the ( mandatory car parking fee).

Sounds a little stingy on the use of breakfast coupons ( ie other hotels have had upgrading to a full breafast for only a few $) but at least coupons are given out.

I was most disapointed to hear about the extra charge for Froot Loops!! We cannot get them in the UK so it is two or three boxes of Froot loops each time I go to the US/Can ( they also sell them in Germany) :D


Regards

TBS

shoot, i was there 24 hours ago. i did not stay at the DoubleTree, however. but there is an embassy suites & hilton overlooking the falls. and then there are some hotels overlooking american falls.
i'm about to head up there again and actually book a room. so when i do, i'll provide a trip report too. hopefully it's not as stingy as the DT was though. we'll see. i think going in the fall (what i heard) is the best time to up there.

I would certainly hope not, but they actually didn't ask if I had a car (I did), saying simply "There is a mandatory $9 daily parking fee. Please sign here that you understand." I suspect that people have been asking for money back at checkout after discovering that the public lot across the street charges only CAD $5 for 24 hours.

I was actually shocked at their inflexibility. Niagara Falls is a known tourist trap, but this was a little silly. No refills on OJ and an extra dollar to "upgrade" to a children's breakfast off the Kids Menu. My son would have eaten for free at the Hilton or Marriott down the street under their current promotions. Like most kids he prefers his Froot Loops to a danish or muffin.

They had only been open two weeks, so hopefully this is all "growing pains".

Doubletree Resort Lodge & Spa Fallsview Niagara Falls Hotel Report
 

Doubletree Resort Lodge & Spa Fallsview Niagara Falls Hotel Report

We (2 adults, 2 kids) stayed at the DoubleTree Resort Lodge & Spa Fallsview Niagara Falls Hotel for one night at the end of Dec.

I had booked 1 KING 2RM STE FALLSVIEW NS, for $149 CDN, as I wanted to make sure we received a view of the falls. Doing it again, I would book the non-falls view ($129 or $119 CDN, I can’t recall) and hope for an upgrade as a Gold. 1) Because it was not that busy when we went - probably less then 50% capacity and 2) it was very cloudy / foggy. While we could see the falls, it was not that spectacular as the DT is about 1/2 - 3/4 mile from the falls. We were on the top floor, corner suite, room # 1915. The front desk clerk (Ruby) told us that it was one of the best rooms in the hotel.

I thought that the room, was nice, but the sitting area, seemed small (the emergency staircase cut into the room area - hotel design layout flaw imo). Our bedroom had three large windows, two facing the falls and one facing Clifton Hill (tourist area).
The windows had small vents at the bottom that could be opened for a breeze and you could hear the falls then albeit if you talked quietly.

If I remember correctly, from the room we could see all of the American Falls and about 10% of the Canadian Falls. We had a good view of the Skylon Tower and the surrounding area as well.

We only made use of the facilities noted, so can not comment on the other ones.

Things that did not impress me :
-The 2 continental breakfast certs we received were ok, I upgraded one of them to a full breakfast, the $15 upgrade seemed a bit high.
-As others mentioned I was told about the $9 parking fee (but it was not on my bill when I checked out).
-12pm check out was the latest they could give us, I had asked for 1pm.
-Light and Fan switch in the bathroom were behind the bathroom door – you had to shut the door to get to them easily, just something I thought odd.

Things that did impress me:
-Friendly staff (both front desk and at hotel restaurant - Buchanan's).
-The architecture of the hotel (outside lobby and hallways and the rooms somewhat) - Frank Lloyd Wright prairie style design. Both my wife and I really like this style.
-While breakfast was "ok" for costing $15, the muffins (blueberry and banana nut) were very good and very large IMO.
-Starbucks in the lobby (did not make use of it though).

I think if I went back I would probably try the ES, as it is closer to the falls.


FYI - If you are in the area do not choose the Rainforest Cafe as your place to eat. While it is a great experience, we all loved the animals, the thunderstorms, etc. The food was very very poor quality, all of the food (3 separate dishes and appetizer). Very processed tasting.

When I stayed at the ES NF last year, I wasn't that impressed. No free alcoholic drinks (local law apparently). Hotel restaurant was an Applebees or something like that. Breakfast was pretty marginal. I'd much prefer to be able to upgrade to a real buffet breakfast with more than just runny eggs and cold pancakes or french toast (don't remember all the details, just that it was marginal). YMMV.

Unlike stc, we've never had a bad experience at the ES NF. Stayed there quite a few times in '04 (only an hour's drive from YYZ, so convenient for quick one or two day getaways for us). Friendly, efficient staff, no complaints about the included buffet breakfast, with many choices, and eggs made-to-order. The in-house restaurant is a "TGIF", while the Appleby's is across the street, next to the new Fallsview Casino. I'd agree that the Appleby's food is nothing to rave about. Tony Rubino's is directly across from the hotel.
We've always gotten an upgrade to a fallsview jacuzzi suite (HHonors Gold), and since the ES is a short block from the Horseshoe Falls, the view is usually spectacular. If you happen to snag a room directly facing the river, you'll get great views of both falls. Managers reception is not the greatest, but passable. The "Embassy Touch", as in most ES's, has shrunk to just a couple of bottles of water and a pair of cookies.
Only annoyance is the $20 CAD per day parking fee, for either valet, or self-park, which is a bit steep.

bj-21.

DoubleTree Niagara Falls got a surprise from CAA/AAA
 

DOUBLETREE NIAGARA JOINS FOUR DIAMOND CLUB
Doubletree Resort Lodge & Spa Fallsview in Niagara Falls has earned the CAA/AAA Four Diamond Award for 2005. Less than three per cent of the more than 30,000 properties approved by CAA/AAA achieve this distinction.

The property, located two blocks from the Falls and 400 yards to the Fallsview Casino, features 224 rooms in a lodge environment. 2005 marks the first full year of operation for the hotel.


Author: Canadian Travel Press
Organization: Baxter Travel Group
Contact: [email protected]

I can't wait to try this location. The Niagara Hilton and Embassy Suites are quite nice. I'm really impressed with what Hilton's done in the region. Even the nearby HGI's are outstanding.

recent reviews?
 

Anyone recent stays or reviews for this hotel? Heading to the Niagara in the fall and looking at this place or the Sheraton OTF.