Accommodations

Accommodating Choices for Sweet Dreams and Fun Times

Edmonton, Alberta – Check in to some of the coolest hotel experiences in Western Canada.

Edmonton hotels give new meaning to the term ‘a room with a view,’ with spectacular vistas from downtown properties overlooking the city’s majestic ribbon of green – its River Valley parks system. For something completely different, choose from 12 different theme style rooms and stay in one of the world’s most unique hotels. Or book a room in the hotel that is home to Canada’s number one dinner theatre.

Sound tempting? Well, those are just a fraction of the possibilities with more than 12,000 guest rooms to pick from. With a wide sampling of major hotel brands, suite hotels, trendy boutique properties and motels, Edmonton puts the fun into being sent to your room.

This city’s growing hotel scene – hotel owners are actively booking new construction – offers enticing urban selections in the heart of downtown, a variety of options on the city’s bustling south side, and a wealth of possibilities in the west end, one of the city’s favourite play, stay and fun zones.

So where to stay? Urban adventurers should consider the downtown properties, which are on the doorstep of some of Edmonton’s best dining and shopping experiences as well as the city’s Arts District – a key cultural hub. Further, urban parkland central, the River Valley, is steps away.

For a taste of southern hospitality – Edmonton style – try one of the south side properties where the nightlife is vibrant and people watching is in vogue.

Or head west instead and find some of Edmonton’s most unique accommodations as well as dining, shopping and entertainment to the max.

Downtown

Home to some of Edmonton’s largest hotels as well as marquee destinations such as the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald, Crowne Plaza Chateau Lacombe, Sutton Place, and Westin Edmonton, these properties are just the beginning when it comes to savouring what downtown’s hotel scene has to offer.

For unparalleled views, consider the Fairmont Macdonald – Edmonton's only four diamond-rated luxury hotel – the Crowne Plaza Chateau Lacombe, the Courtyard (Edmonton Downtown) by Marriott, all of which overlook the River Valley, the largest urban parkway in North America.

Unique to Edmonton, you’ll also find two top-of-the line boutique hotels: the Matrix and the Union Bank Inn. The Matrix integrates sophisticated style, understated elegance and warm home away-from-home hospitality while the Union Bank Inn offers a diverse selection of 34 designer rooms complete with fireplaces.

Other popular choices – offering a variety of price points – include the Delta Edmonton Centre Suite (directly adjacent to the downtown shopping district), Coast Edmonton House, Coast Edmonton Plaza, and the Holiday Inn Express.

If food is a determining factor in your hotel selection then consider the Fairmont’s scrumptious Sunday brunch; the Crowne Plaza’s La Ronde – Edmonton’s only revolving restaurant with dazzling views of the city’s skyline – Madison’s Grill at the Union Bank or Sutton Place’s Chocoholic Buffet (Thursday and Friday evenings).

Best of all, the majority of downtown hotels are in easy walking distance to downtown attractions like the Arts District, Sir Winston Churchill Square – a hub for many Edmonton festivals and events – along with top restaurants and great shopping.

South Side

For southern comfort – western style – Edmonton’s south side is the place to be. Two prominent boutique hotels – The Metterra and Varscona – are located on Whyte Ave. in the heart of Old Strathcona, a vibrant entertainment and shopping district where trendy stores, club and bars, mix in a historic setting and give Edmonton its buzz.

The Metterra and its sister hotel, the Varscona, fuse comfort and style. The Metterra is known for its elements of relaxation and essence of chic – in a central Whyte Avenue setting – while the Varscona offers casual elegance with a cozy bed-and-breakfast comfort feel. As well, just seconds away from the Varscona are Murrieta’s Bar and Grill, O’Byrne’s Irish Pub and the coffee specialty retailer Second Cup.

South of Whyte, the possibilities are just beginning. There’s the Radisson Hotel South Edmonton (all guests receive complimentary use of the hotel's 23,000 square foot fitness and racquet club) or the Delta South Edmonton, where you can indulge in a bi-level Jacuzzi suite with its separate upstairs master suite and Jacuzzi tub.

In the meantime, Four Points by Sheraton, Econo Lodge, Greenwood Inn, Holiday Inn, Sawridge Inn, Travelodge and Super 8 are also here.

For families, the Ramada Inn and Water Park (Edmonton South), is a tempting alternative with an 8,000 square foot indoor water park and two giant water slides.

For those who like to do a little cooking of their own while on holiday, check out Campus Towers, a suite hotel with kitchens and kitchenettes that is located in the heart of the University of Alberta and just minutes away from Whyte Avenue and the Old Strathcona district.

Historical buffs, meanwhile, should put the Hotel Selkirk at Fort Edmonton Park – one of the city’s premiere attractions, a living history museum – onto their travel agenda. Reconstructed at the corner of 1905 & 1920 streets in Fort Edmonton Park, the replica of the hotel – circa 1922 – is fully-functional with 30 rooms that have been handsomely restored and tastefully furnished in original and reproduced antiques. Today’s version, however, does add modern amenities such as air conditioning and data ports for Internet hook-ups. The original hotel, an Edmonton landmark, was tragically gutted by a fire in 1962. Before the fire, the hotel - originally known as the Windsor Hotel - was a high-class establishment that boasted 100 rooms and a dining room that could seat 100.

West End

It’s not about how the west was won here; rather it’s how the west is fun here! The selection in West Edmonton includes the Fantasyland Hotel at West Edmonton Mall – how can you not enjoy a hotel with 12 different types of theme rooms right in the middle of one of the world’s largest shopping and entertainment complexes – the Mayfield Inn & Suites (the aforementioned home of Canada’s No. 1 dinner theatre) where you can find romance in their fireplace and Jacuzzi suites or why not take a chance on even more fun at the Edmonton Marriott at the River Cree Resort, where nightclubs, restaurants and a lively casino mix to create a fantastic lodging experience.

But when it comes to room and board in this western portion, that’s just the beginning. Depending on your taste, preference and budget there’s a wealth of offerings to pick from including Best Western, Comfort Inn, Days Inn, Executive Royal Inn Hampton Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, Holiday Inn, Howard Johnson and West Harvest Inn to mention just a few.

In addition, consider the Sandman Hotel West Edmonton with its comfortable guest rooms, junior suites and one of the city’s top dining destinations, Chop – a luxurious taste experience best defined as fine casual dining focused on steak and fish. With two awards to its name – it was voted by Where Magazine as Edmonton’s best new restaurant in 2007 as well one of Canada’s Top Ten new restaurants in 2007 – Chop is definitely a cut above.

Fun for the kids comes in an abundance of choices out here with indoor pools and waterslides being a popular attraction. The Wingate Inn has a two-storey waterslide with a landing pool while the Travelodge Edmonton West comes with a 2-1/2 storey waterslide and landing pool.

But if you want to make a bigger splash consider the two hotels at West Edmonton Mall. The West Edmonton Mall Inn – directly across the mall that’s known as the greatest indoor show on Earth – as well as the Fantasyland Hotel are mere minutes away from the mall’s World Waterpark with its more than 20 different water activities, miles of waterslides and Caribbean Cove, the largest indoor interactive water play area in Western Canada. Covering nearly 6,000 square feet and featuring a giant tipping bucket that will douse guests with 1,200 litres of water Caribbean Cove is the latest addition to the waterpark.

Meanwhile, add a little more fun to your West Edmonton stay by selecting a theme room. Stay like a star and book a Hollywood room at the Fantasyland Hotel. Or go Roman and do as the Romans do. Escape to a Polynesian paradise. Go to bed like you’ve never done before – in a half-ton truck-like bed – in the Truck room. Discover the coolest room around, when you select the Igloo theme. Find elegance in the Victorian option. And the list just goes on at the Fantasyland Hotel where an unforgettable experience of a lifetime becomes reality.

Edmonton Tourism
A Division of Edmonton Economic Development Corporation
For more information visit www.edmonton.com.