The DoubleTree Fallsview Resort and Spa is our mid-range pick in the Fallsview district, the cluster of hotels on the high ground above the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side. It stands on Fallsview Boulevard, about a tenth of a mile from the Skylon Tower and half a mile from Clifton Hill, and it offers most of what travellers want from a Fallsview stay at rates that are usually below the big falls-view towers. The hotel is set back from the brink, so this is not the place to book if waking up to the Horseshoe Falls from your window is the priority; instead, you get a resort-style hotel with a relaxed, low-rise feel, a short walk from the falls. The amenities are the draw: an indoor pool and an outdoor hot tub that is a genuine pleasure on a cold winter evening, an Aveda spa offering facials, massages and body treatments, Buchanans Steak and Seafood on site for dinner, and a lobby bar. Rooms are comfortable and updated in the brand's style, and many guests appreciate the brand's warm cookie at check-in after a long drive. The location works well on foot: walk a few minutes to the Skylon Tower, the Fallsview casino and the Fallsview restaurants, then head downhill to Table Rock, Journey Behind the Falls and the Power Station; the Incline Railway, when running, saves the climb back up. In winter, the walk down to the Winter Festival of Lights and the fireworks over the falls is easy. Parking is on site for a fee, and resort and municipal charges typical of the area apply. Best for: couples who want a spa and a good dinner without falls-view prices, families who want a pool, and travellers who prefer a resort feel to a high-rise tower.
Fallsview without the premium: the Fallsview district works because everything is close, the falls, the casino, the Skylon and dozens of restaurants, and because the hotels compete hard on rates outside summer. The DoubleTree sits in the middle of it, so you get the same walkability as the towers at a lower price, in exchange for the view. Many guests pair a night here with a meal or drink in a falls-view restaurant or the Skylon Tower revolving dining room.
Stay tips: book spa treatments ahead, especially on winter weekends when everyone wants to warm up. The outdoor hot tub is at its best on snowy evenings. Ask about larger room categories if you are celebrating. Midweek stays in the off-season are the best value, and the Winter Festival of Lights season brings attractive packages. Allow for daily parking and the mandatory local charges in your budget.
Who it suits: couples, families and friends who want a comfortable, full-service base in Fallsview at a moderate price. Travellers for whom the falls view from the room is the whole point should book a falls-facing room in one of the towers along the escarpment edge instead.
Why stay here
- ✓Indoor pool
- ✓Outdoor hot tub
- ✓Aveda spa
- ✓Buchanans Steak and Seafood
- ✓Lobby bar
- ✓Near the Skylon Tower
- ✓Walk down to Table Rock
- ✓On-site paid parking
Good questions
Does the DoubleTree Fallsview have falls views?+
It is set back from the escarpment, so it is not primarily a falls-view hotel. It trades the view for lower rates, a spa and a resort feel, a short walk from the falls.
What amenities does it have?+
An indoor pool, an outdoor hot tub, an Aveda spa, Buchanans Steak and Seafood and a lobby bar.
How far is it from the falls?+
It is in the Fallsview district about a tenth of a mile from the Skylon Tower, a short downhill walk to Table Rock and the Horseshoe Falls.
