(7 reports)

Select a report Niagara Falls: Courtyard Marriott Niagara Falls: Embassy Suites Niagara Falls: Great Wolf Lodge Niagara Falls: Hampton Inn Niagara Falls Niagara Falls: Sheraton-On-The-Falls Ottawa: Albert At Bay Suite Hotel Toronto: Residence Inn Toronto Airport

NIAGARA FALLS: COURTYARD MARRIOTT
April 2007
Chris & Sharon & Family (baby 10mos)

My husband, our three children 5,3, and 10 month old and I stayed for the Easter weekend. We had a great family trip! We had booked a package called Kids love Niagara. . It's a two night package. It was well worth the money. A buffet breakfast is included both mornings, a dinner voucher for one night. and a few other surprises with this package. We also had the pleasure of seeing The Greg Frewin Magic Show. The kids loved it. The parents liked it too. This was included with this package.

The room was very nice,clean and comfortable. The bathroom was clean. We had a great time.

NIAGARA FALLS: EMBASSY SUITES
September 2007
Julie & family (baby 11mos)

My husband, My mother, daughter (11months) and myself visited Niagara Falls Ontario on Sept 24-26, 2007. We stayed at Embassy Suites in room 2316. Our room was a 2-room whirlpool suite overlooking the Canadian Horseshoe Falls and was a wonderful view. The first room was a sitting room with TV, Dining set and a pull out sofa bed which veered off into the hall - which on one side had a mini fridge, sink, microwave, coffeemaker, etc and on the other side, the door to the bathroom. The whirlpool tub was in the first part of the bathroom and the toilet and shower in a separate room (very convenient). At the end of the hall was the master king suite which looked out over the falls, the bed was very comfy and the room quite large. I had requested a crib for my daughter, which fit nicely in either room - out of main traffic.

We used the valet parking because we did not intend on gambling (free parking at casino if you have a players card) and would much prefer the "special" treatment of a valet rather than venturing to another very large lot down the street. Besides we got a wonderful rate on the room - a special I heard at check in but great nonetheless - $135/night including buffet breakfast. Breakfast buffet was great, very good selection but ended early at 9AM!! Fine for us cause our daughter is an early riser.

The walk to the falls is a nice one but there is only ONE way from the hotel (unless you use the incline railway that lowers you directly in front of the Falls! We did not try with daughter and stroller!) If you venture off you could be walking forever!! Remember that the stores and museums are at Clifton Hill which is at the other end of the falls so from this hotel was a good 15 minute walk...but well worth it. Louis Tousard’s wax museum was very good as was Ripley’s - both were very accommodating to our daughter, and she loved every minute of it! As always the falls are beautiful and everyone around seemed to be enjoying themselves, lots of benches and shaded areas, that help for snack time and crawl /walk sessions.

We did a day trip to Marineland, a place that I have never been and looked very forward to going, despite my apprehension fueled with thoughts of my daughter being overwhelmed and wanting to be carried. Well it was a GOOD time. We watched the sea lion and dolphin show upon arrival and my daughter was fixated on the entire show. The staff did a good job and the sea lion and dolphins I think sort of speak for themselves. There was much to see including a variety of whales, bears, a deer park. There are many rides for all ages of children (and adults!). Be prepared to walk a lot because the complex is large. The prices for food and souvenirs were reasonable, and again there were many shaded areas and a park for picnics (can bring your own food in coolers). To my surprise there were many children around my daughters age and the park was not busy at all.

The last night my husband and I indulged in a dinner for two at The Keg restaurant at the hotel on the 9th floor. I did call for reservations and requested a window view, which we did end up getting. It was the best dinner I have ever had, the food was great, the view was romantic and the staff were very attentive. It was a great end to a great mini vacation. Highly recommended!!

NIAGARA FALLS: GREAT WOLF LODGE
May 2007
Tash & family (baby 2.5yrs)

My husband, daughter (2.5 years old) and I went for three nights, four days in May of 2007. It was EXCELLENT and we booked to return while we were there. In fact, we'll be in three weeks again when my niece comes to pay a visit from the UK.

Lobby/Check-In & Out: Check-in was quick and without issue. Staff was very friendly and well-trained. I loved the wristband to get into the room, lockers, etc and the fact I could link my credit card to it which meant I could also purchase anything I needed with my wrist band. No room key or wallet to carry around and potentially get stolen. If you don't want to link all the bands to a CC - you can link only the adults. You can even load cash to your children's card for them to spend in the arcade, etc.

The Lobby was very well organized and had so much for the children in it. Story time is in the lobby every night at 8pm. Arrive early - it crowds up fast. It opens with the robotic animals doing a story for 20 minutes and then Wylie the Wolf arrives and the storyteller reads two books. My daughter LOVED it.

During the day the kids can press hand prints on the animals and they will talk to them. The lobby also has very comfortable seats and huge fireplace great for relaxing.

We checked out through the TV which was simple and accurate to avoid the lines at check out time.

Room: We stayed in a family suite, the most basic room available, and it was far from basic. It contained two Queen size beds, a pull, out, TV, Mini-fridge with freezer, microwave, etc. All the amenities we need and a good deal of room. Also had a desk which we placed the laptop on and free Wi-Fi in every suite. The room was great, kept clean by the staff and we were very happy with it.

Food/Restaurants: We did not have breakfast in the restaurant but heard from other guests it was excellent. Instead we brought up food for breakfast and stored it on the counter and in the fridge. We also brought up snacks with us, etc to reduce on the costs of buying food on site. Kids 3 and under eat free.

One night we had Pizza Hut, and the other two nights we ate the dinner buffet which was a really good value. The children's area is at a height they can help themselves and contained peas, corns, mac/cheese, chicken nuggets, pizza, French fries, etc - even the pickiest child can find something to eat. The adult buffet was impressive, roast sweet potatoes, stuffed peppers, striploin, blackened catfish, salmon, stirfries, soup, salad bar, desserts - there was NOTHING deep-fried on the adult buffet which is such a refreshing change to the usual crappy fried buffet fare. The meals change every night on the buffet - so it's not the same two nights in a row.

Waterpark: No need to bring your own towels - they had plenty to supply you with. If you needed a locker - you could activate one for free with your wristband. There is a shop that sells anything water related you may have forgotten that seemed to have prices comparable to the mall - aka they were not ripping you off. They also have a limited number of free life jackets for use.

I loved the water park - there were more life guards present then I think were needed but that made it very safe. Older children were not permitted in the toddler area - no running around as a result. I could sit in the water area which is only 18" deep and watch my daughter exit, climb the stairs, come down slides on her own, land on her own, and repeat without the need to chase behind her and hold her hand for safety. To me, this speaks volumes as to how safe the waterpark is. It also made it a very enjoyable and relaxing vacation for my husband and I.

There was plenty for a child of 2.5 years old to do – our daughter even went on a large water slide with us in which you sit in a orange round raft and come spiraling down a massive tube from the top of the resort that winds outside and then back in the resort. She loved it and we went on it a lot.

The wave pool was nice. The swimming pool was great with these docked floating animals for the kids to climb on. The lazy river was a lot of fun also. And the tree fort with splash areas, etc was a hoot.

Other Activities: We did not go to the arcade but it was always full of people and seemed to have so much to do.

The Cub Club was awesome and we spent a fair amount of down time there. Our daughter loved getting her face painted every day - for FREE. And there are plenty of free activities, painting, drawing, stickering, etc to do. As well as, foam blocks, tree house, and some paid arts and crafts which were again fairly priced IMHO.

The Spa: Mom went to the Aveda spa for a lovely hot stone massage whilst Daddy and baby napped. It was heaven :)

In conclusion, I highly recommend a vacation at GWL Niagara - and we're going back in three weeks time!

Honestly, it was the most relaxing vacation we have had as a family - more relaxing than going to Cuba and the Dominican Republic. There was just so much to entertain our daughter that she never acted up, never got bored, was always safe, that we could just sit back an enjoy being together in such a great setting.

We're going to make GWL at least a once a year visit for our family - maybe we will see you there!

NIAGARA FALLS: HAMPTON INN NIAGARA FALLS – NORTH OF THE FALLS
April 2007
TKS & family

My husband, our three children ages 3, 5 and our 10 month old and I just got back from a one night stay. It was a spur of the moment trip. We didn't make reservations we just showed up. It was a really nice place. The room was clean, very cozy, the bathrooms were clean too. The best things were the beds. The beds are soooo nice. You felt like you were floating on clouds. We were all well rested. The continental breakfast was very good. There were lots of choice - eggs, sausage, pastries, and etc. The staff was really great. We asked for a crib for the baby and received one no problem. We had a great time. We will definitely be returning again very soon.

NIAGARA FALLS: SHERATON-ON-THE-FALLS
November 2007
Tova & Family (baby 1yr)

We took a one-night family vacation to Niagara Falls with my one-year-old daughter, husband, and teenage sisters. We were lucky enough to check in early, so we dropped off my husband and daughter first and my sisters and I went across the border for some shopping! My husband and daughter had a great time, as this hotel is connected to a number of attractions.

They had a great lunch at the Raintree Cafe (very cool fish tanks and animals!) and went on the ferris wheel. They had dinner at the buffet restaurant with a view of the falls. It was absolutely worth it to book a room with a view of the falls, but the dinner and breakfast package was not worth it (very expensive restaurant- recommend eating elsewhere in Niagara Falls, unless you don't have a room with a view- it is the view that makes the restaurant worth the cost!). Breakfast was over $100 and we only had a $27 credit for breakfast with our package.

We'll stay at this hotel again (debated staying at the Sheraton Fallsview, but picked the Sheraton-on-the-falls for its location next to Clifton Hill). Next time we'll book the waterpark package!

Our room was AWESOME and well worth the cost (stayed in Nov. so the cost wasn't crazy). Make sure you upgrade to a room with a view of the falls!

OTTAWA: ALBERT AT BAY SUITE HOTEL
October 2006
Ian & family (baby 9mos.)

Stayed at the Albert at Bay Suite Hotel over for 3 nights.

Pros: The size and layout of the suite (we stayed in a one bedroom with 2 kings) was absolutely perfect for my small family (wife and 9 month old). We were able to put our son down for the evening, and then relax in the living room without disturbing him. This took quite a bit of stress out of our evenings. As there were two TVs in the suite (one in the bedroom and one in the living room), a family with older children might find this useful as well.

The kitchen was complete with fridge, stove, microwave, and dishwasher. We were able to mix up his rice cereal in the kitchen sink (instead of using the bathroom sink) and also refrigerate unused portions of his jarred baby food. It genuinely felt like we were at home.

The bathroom was very well appointed and quite large. We had forgotten our toothpaste and shaving cream/razor. A call to housekeeping at 12.30am quickly resolved the problem as they were up to the suite within minutes (at no additional charge).

The size of the suite we were in was approximately 750-800 square feet.

Since we booked the room thru their website directly, we were able to get the CAA rate ($119 per night + taxes CDN) -- this included free parking.

The hotel is attached to a 24 hour convenient store which was quite handy.

The lobby had a "business centre" which consisted of 2 computers with free internet access, a few software applications, and a printer.

Cons: The view was nothing to rave about (although the view wasn't important to us) -- note: we were located at the back of the hotel.

It was slightly tricky getting the temperature right in the suite (the bedroom and living area had separate heating systems) -- after one night, we were able to get it right.

One of our cards had to be reprogrammed as it was not working properly - this was only a small annoyance.

The hotel is located about 4-6 blocks from most tourist attractions. While we quite enjoyed walking around the city, it might be a problem for those who can't walk long distances.

While wireless high speed internet was free (the entire hotel is equipped for wireless) -- the signal in my room was not very strong -- I ended up not using my laptop and running down to the lobby to use the internet.

Advice: If you do not get the CAA special,,, you will be charged $13.95 + tax for parking. On several occasions, I saw people who had gotten a package through a separate website that found out that parking was not included.

Go to Cora's for breakfast! - 179 Rideau St. (it lines up quick so go early)

All in All - The Albert at Bay Suite provided a fantastic experience. I would highly recommend to anyone with a family. It doesn't necessarily have the glitz and glamour of a 4 star hotel, but it certainly makes up for it in terms of its usefulness.

TORONTO: RESIDENCE INN TORONTO AIRPORT
March 2007
Anna & family (baby 9mos.)

I had to travel for business with my husband and baby (9 months old), and was looking for a hotel that would be family-friendly. I booked this hotel based on recommendations I had read, and I was very happy with our stay!

We had a one bedroom suite (all of the rooms are suites). The full kitchen had pots and pans, a dishwasher, utensils (even a cutting board, vegetable peeler, and a colander). The refrigerator had an automatic icemaker.

We reserved a crib for our baby, which fit into the bedroom. The room was clean and everything looked very new. There were two televisions: one in the living room, and one in the bedroom. The TV channel selection was good (we don't have cable, so it was great for us). High-speed internet was INCLUDED with the room (very nice!).

The breakfast buffet was fabulous! Eggs, sausage, potatoes, make your own waffles, fresh fruit, yogurt, oatmeal, muffins, croissants, coffee, and tea.

Some of the evenings they offer light meals - we had lasagna and soup one evening. You can buy drinks (beer and wine), and the hotel has a small "market" where you can buy things like ice cream, frozen dinners, and snacks.

The hotel staff were very friendly. The shuttle to and from the airport was convenient and easy to use.

We had food delivered for dinner. My one wish was that more places delivered! We didn't rent a car, so if you stay here for more than a day or two, I'd recommend having a car so you can get out.

All in all, I would definitely stay here again, and would highly recommend this place to business travelers and to families.