The last stop on our vacation in Canada was Niagara Falls, where we stayed at the Hilton Fallsview on the Canadian side. This was, by far, the nicest hotel we stayed at during our trip to Canada. We stayed for 2 nights, from June 25th through June 26th. The hotel is located at 6361 Fallsview Boulevard in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Having never been to Niagara Falls, we had no idea what to expect. The picture on the hotel website is a *bit* misleading, as it shows nothing but trees between the hotel and the falls. While I’m sure that would be lovely, it’s not true. There are several other buildings, including a hotel, between the Hilton Fallsview and the falls. That said, we still had a fantastic view from our room of the falls. Considering the view on half of the hotel was a run down motel and a parking lot, I’d say we lucked out.

But alas - I’m getting ahead of myself!

Price: This was the best deal of our stay. We got our rooms for around $120 per night, and considering that this was quite possibly THE nicest hotel in Niagara Falls, I was quite pleased with what we paid for our stay. The price also included the breakfast buffet, which was in the hotel restaurant on one of the highest floors.

Location: You can’t beat the location of the Hilton Niagara Fallsview. If you like to gamble, you can cross through the covered walkway from the hotel to the casino across the street, without even leaving the comfort of air conditioning. The Skylon Tower and IMAX are just a block away. There is a park just 2 blocks down the hill where you can view the falls, and the dining / entertainment district is just a few blocks past that. There is plenty of dining to walk to as well.

Cleanliness: Our hotel room did smell like cigarette smoke when we checked in. We complained immediately to the front desk and asked for another room but they said they were full and couldn’t accommodate us. Considering it was only 4pm, I was more than surprised that EVERY single guest had already checked in, causing the hotel to be out of rooms. Instead, the front desk sent up a maid to spray the room with Febreeze. It helped, temporarily, but each time we entered the room we were hit with the stink. I realize this isn’t the fault of the hotel entirely, since it was a non smoking hotel, but I sure wish they had given us another room.

Other than that, the room was perfect. Beautiful bedding, clean, high end fixtures - everything was perfect. The public areas were beautifully maintained and had a rich, luxurious feeling.

Staff: See above comments about the smoky room. Also, when we checked in, at 4pm, we were told our rooms weren’t ready yet and to come back. WHAT? I hate that. The concierge desk was fabulous and a big help in booking our tours and filling us in on what Niagara had to offer.

Amenities: We specifically picked this resort because of the fabulous pool complex. We knew after 1 1/2 weeks on vacation, the kids would appreciate some down time in a great pool. And it was GREAT! There’s a huge waterfall, and an even bigger slide, plenty of seating, and the kids had a blast.

We also took advantage of the free breakfast. If you paid for the buffet, it was $10 per adult, and it is NOT worth it. For free, it was acceptable. It was a pretty lean buffet, and didn’t even have a make your own waffle machine, just some pre-made waffles out under the heat lamps. The restaurant is located on one of the highest floors of the hotel, and affords a wonderful view though. I would have liked to have had dinner there with Jim if we had more time.

The hotel also offers a free shuttle to the entertainment area, should you not wish to walk there. We took it over a few times, but ended up getting a cab back the first night since we grew tired of waiting for the shuttle.

Comfort: Cold a/c, nice sheets and a duvet - this camper was quite please!

Overall rank: On a scale of 1 to 10, the Hilton Fallsview receives a 9.