Hotel Review: Niagara Falls/Fallsview Hilton

The Fallsview Hilton sits a short walk away from views of the American Falls and the Canadian Horseshoe Falls; it is directly across the street from and connected to by the Fallsview Casino Resort on Fallsview Boulevard.

Driving into Canada and up to the Hilton, you will drive directly into the hotel reception area and will find the valet service at the hotel quite accommodating. Depending on the timing of your visit, this service may or may not suit your purposes; however, you are not required to use the valet service although for the first time visitor this would appear to be the case.

The first sight of the Fallsview Hilton is everything you would expect from the Hilton brand. The lobby is well appointed and the service staff was very accommodating.

Our room was large and apparently well cared for, clean with comfortable beds and bedding. The bathroom as well was large and well appointed, with a large, jetted tub and marble flooring. The tub area opens up into the room via sliding door. There was also a glass standalone shower. The hotel provides complimentary Crabtree & Evelyn shampoos and conditioners.

The view from the hotel window was somewhat obscured by the Fallsview Casino, however one could see the horseshoe falls to the right and the Rainbow Bridge, connecting the United States and Canada to the left. The picture provided here was taken in the evening and is probably not the best barometer of how well one could see the falls from a given room, however it does provide some context.

When choosing a hotel, location is often key. The Hilton is a little more than a quarter mile to the falls and about a half mile from the Maid of the Mist tours. The tourist area of Clifton Hill is also about a half mile from the hotel. If you're interested in dining, there are several family restaurants, including TGI Fridays and Applebee's Grill well within a short walking distance.

The hotel amenities were wonderful; the most accessible were the swimming pool, complete with a several story water slide, steam room and hot tub. If you have younger children, there is also a smaller wading pool available for them as well.

Of some disappointment though was with some of the amenities; for instance, our television set was a smaller CRT set with the on/off button removed and covered with a piece of hook and loop adhesive. There was also the flushing of a toilet in an upstairs room we could easily hear through the ceiling.

While the room was apparently well cared for, housekeeping did take short cuts: for instance while looking for a misplaced item under the bed, there was a large amount of goose down, dust, and what appeared to be an old rice cake indicating it had been a while since the bed had been moved for vacuuming. The air conditioning also left a little to be desired: while the unit itself worked quite well, the vent blew directly onto one of the beds making for a long night for the occupant.

The hotel gift shops were reasonably well stocked, but we found the staff less than attentive and the prices less than competitive. Many of the items available were also available elsewhere nearby for about one half the cost; for instance, the same "Canada" t-shirt available in the hotel gift shop for close to $50 was available in the "Maid of the Mist" gift shop for about $24. At another shop just off Cliffton Hill, the same shirt was selling for $20. While neither shop could be considered a bargain mecca and while one could reasonably expect to pay a little more at a hotel, the Hilton would seem to be rather excessive.

As with any trip to an unfamiliar place, there are many unknowns. The first in this case was the valet service. Parking in the area was running about $5 a day, whereas the valet service cost $20 for your entire stay - regardless of duration. The local parking rates were likely a result of the time of year, but a little research before starting your trip may save you some money.

Also of some surprise was the amount of taxes a visitor to Niagara Falls is required to pay. The Ontario provincial sales tax on accommodations of less than one month is 5%. Also, there is a General Services tax of 6%. These taxes are applicable to your hotel room and to the valet service. The cost of our $119 room wound up being closer to $150 after taxes. It would be in the traveler's best interest not to be surprised by doing a little preparation work in advance of a trip.

All in all, the Fallsview Hilton was a worthwhile stay, but the little details made it feel a little less than it could be.