Sheraton on the Falls Hotel

This glassy high-rise hotel is among the largest and most popular hotels in Niagara Falls. It stays busy with conference attendees, tour groups, and families to the point that check-in lines can get lengthy at times. Reflective of the size of the entire hotel, the lobby is expansive, with recessed lighting in the coffered ceiling, wood paneling on columns and walls, and patterned mauve carpeting or polished tile floors. There's plenty of seating for guests who need a break, from circular benches and window-front seats to leather sofas and armchairs fit for a living room. Nicely framed, black-and-white photos of Niagara Falls are on the walls. Elevators lead up to the 22 floors. Another cozy spot is the dimly lit lobby lounge with a black granite-topped bar and high-back booths beside a mirrored wall. Orb-shaped lamps dangle overhead while etched-glass accents and caramel-leather armchairs lend a classy vibe. The two restaurants offer fantastic views and draw diners who aren’t staying at the hotel.

The Sheraton offers one of the best locations of any hotelin Niagara Falls. Queen Victoria Park is just across the street from the hotel, which provides great views of the falls from several vantage points including rooms and restaurants. The property is connected via an enclosed skywalk to the Casino Niagara, Hard Rock Cafe, Fallsview Indoor Waterpark, Rainforest Cafe, and the Crowne Plaza Hotel (all are within a one- to three-minute walk). All the shops, restaurants, and entertainment at Clifton Hill also are just a few minutes’ walk away. Hornblower Niagara Cruises is a seven-minute walk, and Rainbow Bridge is about five minutes away on foot. The Skylon Tower is a few minutes' drive or ride on the WeGo bus system (tickets are included in the hotel’s daily resort fee) or a 15-minute walk. The Horseshoe Falls overlook is a five- to 10-minute drive or bus ride. By car, Buffalo International Airport is about 30 to 45 minutes away, and Hamilton International Airport is about one hour away.

Guest rooms at this Sheraton are clean and tastefully decorated, but not luxurious or opulent. Pale-yellow wallpaper and headboards are accented with espresso-colored wood and dark-gray carpeting. White bedding (on Sealy Posturepedic mattresses), clean-lined furnishings, and framed black-and-white photography keep the mood elegant and unfussy. Each room has a desk with an attached cabinet that holds a flat-screen TV, free bottled water, and coffee/tea facilities with Starbucks coffee and Tazo tea. Fallsview Rooms, including the one we saw, have electric fireplaces, velvety chocolate-brown sofas, and views of Niagara Falls. The highlight of our room was the wall-length, floor-to-ceiling bank of windows leading out to the balcony with sweeping views of the falls. Garden View rooms have Juliette balconies overlooking Oakes Garden. Bathrooms are generally spacious, in beige and black marble or granite, with walk-in showers, shower/tub combos, or separate tubs and showers (in some Fallsview Rooms). The bathroom we saw also had a small flat-screen TV. Fallsview Rooms range in size from 258 to 425 square feet, while Gardenview Rooms range from 398 to 418 square feet, and Traditional and City View Rooms range from 284 to 340 square feet. King, queen, or double-queen options are available. Suites with two bathrooms, sleeper sofas, and whirlpool tubs are on the top floor. A daily resort fee covers Wi-Fi access, coffee/tea, and bottled water in rooms.

This large hotel’s features reflect its role as both a family-oriented tourist property and a popular destination for business meetings. It has two restaurants – a buffet that serves breakfast (for a fee), lunch, and dinner and a fine-dining restaurant. Both upper-floor restaurants emphasize the great views and are popular as a result. A Starbucks also is located in the lobby, as is a nice lounge with lots of cozy spots to enjoy cocktails. There's room service available. The full-service Christienne Fallsview Spa offers various massage and other treatments and includes a hydrotherapy whirlpool overlooking the falls. The spacious fitness center offers a good choice of cardio and weight-training equipment and free weights. The indoor swimming pool is open all year and is framed by lovely tile and natural stone walls. The heated outdoor pool is open seasonally. The conference center has a 4,860-square-foot ballroom and four other meeting rooms. The lobby business center offers 24-hour access to the Internet and a printer. Wi-Fi access is included in the hotel’s daily resort fee. Several shops that sell clothing, souvenirs, and sundries are located on the hotel’s shopping concourse. On-site valet and self-parking in a nearby garage are available but a bit expensive. A tours desk is part of the hotel’s concierge services. Valet dry cleaning and laundry are offered, and there are a safe deposit box and ATM for guest use. No pets other than service animals are allowed in this completely nonsmoking hotel.