Posted by Boats ATVs
at 04:28 AM on January 13, 2009
|

On the map you will see blue text and red text. The blue text indicates nearby towns and cities and the red text indicates Niagara Falls tourist areas with the highest concentration of guest rooms.
What to look for:
Location: If you stay in the Fallsview or Clifton Hill areas you are within comfortable walking distance to the river and "the falls". If you stay in the Lundy's Lane or Bed and Breakfast areas you will either have to drive, take a bus or cab-it to get to "the falls".
WORD TO THE WISE! Some hotels advertise themselves as being in
Niagara Falls but are actually located in the out-of-town
municipalities indicated by the blue text on the map. If the hotel
address says Welland, St. Catherines, Niagara-on-the-Lake or anything
other than Niagara Falls, be prepared to drive 20 or 30 minutes to get
here.
Parking: If you book your guest room in the Fallsview or the Clifton
Hill area you may find that your room rate doesn't include parking. Be
prepared to pay an extra $20 per night parking plus tips for the valet.
Room Rates: As in any major tourist destination, the closer you are to
the action, the higher the room rates. Fallsview and Clifton Hill areas
are right at "the falls", be prepared to pay the highest rates in the
city. The further west you travel along Lundy's Lane the cheaper the
rates.
Hotel Sightseeing Tours or Niagara Parks Commission (NPC) Great Gorge
Adventure Pass? Many of the hotels offer Niagara Falls bus tours
ranging in price from $60 to $200+. The NPC offers the Great Gorge
Adventure Pass (Self Guided Tour) for $40. The hotel tours can be as
long as 8 hours with a rigid schedule but you will see most of the
areas main attractions, be pampered by your guide and probably get a
meal or two. The Great Gorge Adventure Pass is self guided, you will
get tickets for most of the main attractions, no meals but you do it at
your own pace and it includes all day use of the People Mover Bus. Best
bang-for-your-buck is the NPC Great Gorge Adventure Pass.
Your trip to Niagara Falls should be something you'll remember fondly
for the rest of your life. Choosing the wrong hotel could taint those
memories forever. Choose wisely!
The Fallsview Area
The Fallsview Area is the closest to the Horseshoe Falls. A five minute
walk.. Most of the major hotels are here. Hilton, Sheraton, Marriott,
Oaks etc. The Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort is located here as well.
You will find that the hotels in this area compare favourably with good
quality hotels anywhere else in the world. I said good quality. This
isn't New York, you won't find the "Pierre" here. Room rates are high
in this area but bargains can be found, depending on the season (summer
is high season), so shop around!
The Clifton Hill Area
The Clifton Hill Area is the main entertainment and restaurant area in
Niagara Falls. There are a few excellent hotels here, Michael's Inn,
Brock Plaza, the other Sheraton and the other Marriott. The chains like
HoJo's, Best Western, etc. are also here as well as quite a few motels.
This area is at the northern end of Queen Victoria Park, which
stretches along the river from the Horseshoe Falls to the Rainbow
Bridge. The American Falls is at the bottom of Clifton Hill and the
Horsehoe Falls is about ten minute walk. Once again, prices can be high
so shop around!
The Lundy's Lane and Ferry Street Area
The Lundy's Lane and Ferry Street Area is where you will find most of
the motels and a few hotels. The Ramada Inn is here as well as the
Americana Resort (with indoor waterpark), most everything else is
motels or trailer parks. Judging from what I've seen from the road,
about 75% of the motels here look like they're clean and well
maintained. Many have outside pools and a shuttle service to "the
falls" and casinos. In spite of their advertising, it's too far to walk
to "the falls" from here. As for room rates. Depending on the season,
some real bargains can be had in this area, especially if you travel
further west on Lundy's Lane. Like anywhere else, the further away you
are from the action, the cheaper the rooms.
The Bed and Breakfast Area
Of the 40 B&B's in Niagara Falls, most are concentrated in this
area.. Many along River Road overlooking the Niagara River. The road
can be very busy and noisey during the day but at night traffic drops
quite a bit so close proximity shouldn't be a problem. From the handful
of B&B's I've been in, I can say that they are clean and well
maintained, cosy, comfortable and their hosts generally go the extra
mile to make you feel welcomed. That is, after all, the nature of
anyone crazy enough to own and operate a B&B! Their room rates seem
to be fair, again depending on the season, and on the whole compare
favourably with B&B's anywhere else in the world. It is worth
noting however that this area, although quite picturesque near the
river, is only a few blocks from Queen Street, the downtown area. Queen
Street is a disgrace. It shouldn't even be called Downtown. It's
nothing but a few bars, pawn shops and abandoned buildings. Don't go
downtown!
Categories: Niagara Falls Hotels