Room Service: Wingate Niagara Falls (Niagara Falls, New York)

Wingate Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls, New York

As any other ordinary traveller, we usually evaluate hotels that are coincidentally in our destination city and pick them based on our requirements, needs and wants at that time. But this property is a bit different.

We saw the Wingate Niagara Falls get built through the months we drove across the border (for other trips into the United States) and wanted to give this hotel a try after staying in every plaza hotel, motel and inn on the Canadian side of the falls. It was a new hotel, and it would be a treat because we rarely get to be in cities that offer new places to stay. At last, we found the right price point (newly constructed hotels cost more) and drove to one of the closest properties to the falls.

This property is located barely thirty seconds from the Rainbow Bridge, a classic crossing from Ontario. One of the hotel's biggest strengths is the location, since you're barely an 10-minute walk away from Luna Island, where there is a view of the water literally falling down in front of your eyes. The view, by the way, was spectacular after a lifetime of seeing ghostly mists on the Canadian side.

Another surprise to this property's location was parking - free parking less than a mile from the falls! No chance unless you're gambling on the Canadian side.

We settled in the lobby, hoping to be checked in about an hour and a half early, but there was a half hour wait from a housekeeping delay. No problem. Ample seating with televisions and a computer at the front of the hotel. Shouts of my name rang through the reception just as we began to settle for the wait ahead. Wanted us up that quickly, eh?

By looks, the room was exceeding standards. Decor is as modern as from a DIY home improvement television show, with all the finishes in brand spanking new condition. A common complaint we have for other hotels, a lack of power outlets, was remedied here by ensuring every lamp, desk and wet bar had a spare socket or two. I was disappointed there wasn't an outlet attached to the toilet! I found it surprising to see the alarm clock unplugged because unless you were charging seven different devices, there was always space available for plugging in.

Pillows of different sizes flaunt the bed, which was firm yet comfortable. Mellow shades of grey-ish green and grey ensure a more restful sleep, since they were dulcet and boring. The washroom was also up to snuff and as modern as you could get, with a mirror surrounded by lights that make you feel like you spent twice as much for the room. And that's where the awkward and negative points start.

On the shower curtain, an odd shaped blob looking like it came from someone's nose. Eck. The showers were great but not without the odd shuddering of snot that wasn't cleaned before. I wanted to send a couple of messages about the previous concerns, but was met with little or no wifi. The connection was wonky at best, online and offline many times in the space of an hour. This property has yet to figure out how to maximize and maintain its connection throughout the building.

And the breakfast! People had to squeeze and line up in small surroundings, fight for little table space and figure out quickly if they wanted seconds because the hotel didn't build enough space to fit guests during the high season.