While the Marriott Niagara Falls Fallsview Hotel & Spa offers a full-service, luxury hotel experience, the main reason to stay here is the view. This property is the closest to Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side — a mere 100 yards, easily accessed via a pedestrian bridge and the Falls Incline Railway funicular.

Nearly every room has a view of the falls, and you’ll feel as though you’re hovering directly over them. It’s mesmerizing to watch 225,000 cubic feet of water per second plummet nearly 200 feet into the gorge below. At night, you’ll be treated to the colorful illumination show that bathes the falls in pinks, blues, and greens. During the summer season, you’re ringside to nighttime fireworks over the water.

What makes this 432-room hotel a four-diamond rated experience is the upscale room décor and amenities: the onsite, full-service spa with an indoor pool; multiple dining venues offering options for people with food sensitivities and allergies; a gift shop; and tour desk. The property opened in 1998, and was renovated in 2009.

With its prime location in the Fallsview tourist district, this hotel is within walking distance to several attractions, including the Table Rock Visitors Centre, the Scotiabank Convention Centre, and the Fallsview Casino Resort. To reach sites further away, you have the convenient option of taking the WeGo seasonal shuttle bus, with a Blue Line stop right outside the lobby.

While this hotel does a mix of leisure, business, and wedding business, families with young kids are evident, and children are greeted at check-in with stickers.

The Marriott’s Fallsview property has a sister property nearby, the Marriott Gateway on the Falls. Don’t be confused when booking your Niagara Falls stay, because the Gateway is further away from the falls.

This Marriott property has 432 guestrooms on 23 floors, all of which feature standard amenities, including TVs with in-room pay movies, coffeemakers, mini-bars, an iron and ironing board, hair dryer, telephone with voicemail and data ports, and in-room safes. The Wi-Fi is complimentary in the lobby. In the guestrooms, access fees are $6.95 CAD per day, or $9.95 CAD per day for high-speed.

Cribs are free to use during your stay, upon request. Cots are available at a rate of $10 per day. Bottle warmers are available upon request, too.

Rooms on the Concierge floor (23rd floor) have access to the Concierge Lounge, which serves a complimentary breakfast, snacks, hors d'oeuvres and desserts. The Concierge staff on duty will answer questions and make suggestions on local sites and restaurants.

There are multiple room configurations available, including standards with two queen or one king bed; whirlpool suites; or bi-level lofts. Adjoining and accessible rooms are also available.

Fallsview Guest Room, 2 Queens
This standard, 360-square-foot guestroom features two queen beds and a view of the falls, with capacity for five people.

Superior Fallsview Guest Room, 2 Queens
This 360-square-foot guestroom features two queen beds, a fireplace, and a view of the falls, with capacity for five people.

Riverview Guest Room
The most attractive room rates can be found for this 310-square-foot guestroom, which features two queen beds, a view of the upper Niagara River, and capacity for four people.

Fallsview Guest Room, 1 King
This 360-square-foot guestroom features a king bed and a view of the falls, a two-person whirlpool, and capacity for three people.

Superior Fallsview Guest Room, 1 King
This 360-square-foot guestroom features a king bed and a view of the falls, a two-person whirlpool, a fireplace, and capacity for three people.

Two-Bedroom, Deluxe Family Guest Room
This 700-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bathroom guestroom is the largest room in the hotel. The first room has two queen beds and features a falls view. The second room has one king bed and a view of the upper Niagara River. It can sleep up to seven guests.

Grand Niagara Suite
This 850-square-foot suite features a mahogany, king-sized bed, two-person whirlpool, and a falls view. The living area features a sofa bed and a fireplace. It can sleep up to five guests.

Fallsview Family Suite
This 430-square-foot suite features one room with two queen beds, and a second room with a sofa bed and a view of the falls. It can sleep up to six guests.

Fallsview Bi-level Loft
The 675-square-foot, two-story presidential loft suite features a main floor living room with sofa bed. The loft includes a two-person whirlpool, fireplace and king bed. Each level has a falls view. It can sleep up to five guests.

Junior Suite
This 440-square-foot, two-room suite has a falls view, and capacity for four people. The first room features one king bed and a two-person whirlpool. The second room features a sitting area with a sofa.

With the wealth of attractions within walking or driving distance, there's little need to spend a lot of time on property. As such, there are no formal children's programs at this property, and no indoor or outdoor play space.

Pool
The main downtime feature is the indoor pool and hot tub, located near the spa. There are also two whirlpools, a steam room and sauna, and an outdoor patio with seasonal seating.

The pool hours are 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. There are no lifeguards on duty, and children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Towels are provided. The pool depth ranges from 1.07 to 1.4 meters -- about 3.5 to 4.6 feet.

Terrapin Grille Fallsview Restaurant
With a wall of windows overlooking Horseshoe Falls, the award-winning Terrapin Grille is a pleasant place to have breakfast (6:30 to 11 a.m.), lunch (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.), and dinner (4 to 10 p.m.). The chef and his staff make an effort to use locally sourced ingredients, including Niagara wines. It is also allergy-certified, so you can request made-to-order meals that are gluten-free, peanut-free, etc.

The kids' menu is impressive and features kid-friendly cocktails such as Shirley Temples and root beer floats. Entrees include options like breaded chicken breast with sweet potato fries and house-made macaroni with locally sourced cheddar cheese.

The adjacent Terrapin Bar serves cocktails and light fare.

Lobby Lounge
This informal space for cocktails and light snacks features five flat-screen TVs, as well as a great view of the falls. It's open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Menu options include both light fare and heartier entrees.

Starbucks™ Café
This counter-service location in the lobby is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., and serves a range of hot and cold beverages, as well as baked goods, sandwiches, and healthy options like yogurt and fruit.

Room Service
Room service is available from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., with a menu that includes several "Fit For You" options.

Local Dining
There are several restaurants located within a 10-minute walk of the property, including Milestone's, Applebee's, TGI Fridays, Outback Steakhouse, and Tony Roma's. Milestone's Grill & Bar is located at the Marriott Gateway, which is just down the road.

All About the Extras
Tours of Niagara
There is a counter in the lobby that conveniently sells tickets for several local attractions, including the Skylon Tower and the Hornblower Cruise. There is also a free-standing brochure rack with flyers from area attractions and menus from local restaurants.

ATM
There is an ATM on property that dispenses Canadian currency.

Business Center
The business center is open 24-hours a day, and offers computers with printers, as well as copy and fax services. Worktables in the lobby have built-in charging stations. There's a dedicated workstation in the lobby for printing boarding passes.

Onsite Gift Shop
The Cascade Gift Shop, open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., carries travel-sized toiletries, snacks, drinks, and Niagara Falls souvenirs.

Parking
This hotel has 24-hour valet or self-parking, at a rate of $41 CAD per day.

The Art of Smart Timing
Because Niagara Falls is a year-round destination, most of the attractions are open from January through December. Some, like the Hornblower cruise to the base of Niagara Falls, are open seasonally.

Rates at this property remain relatively consistent year-round, with spikes in the summer months, June through August, and holidays. Generally, the most affordable time of year to stay is during the month of January. Discounts are available for AAA and CAA members, as well as seniors, military and government personnel. Packages are offered year-round and may include breakfast, passes to attractions, and/or WeGo shuttle transportation.

This property participates in the Marriott Rewards program, and Elite members can utilize the mobile check-in option to save time upon arrival.

Getting There
The closest airports are the small Niagara Falls International airport (20 minutes away), the Buffalo Niagara International Airport (45 minutes away), and the Toronto Pearson Airport (75 minutes away). To avoid renting a car, you can get to Niagara Falls from the airports using the Niagara Airbus shuttle, and then utilize the WeGo bus system within town, during the season.

Getting Around
From May through October, the WeGo bus system runs four different lines throughout Niagara Falls and its outskirts, connecting hotels and campgrounds to attractions. There is a Blue Line bus stop right outside the front lobby. The bus will stop here every 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the time of day, from 9:30 a.m. to approximately 12:50 a.m.

For Mom and Dad
The Fitness Centre provides treadmills, elliptical machines and weights, and is open 24 hours a day. The Serenity Spa, open every day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., offers facials, body and nail treatments, and couples treatments (also available in-room). It offers several services for teens 16 and older, too.

Should the grown-ups get the opportunity to go out at night, they can take the Skywalk from the hotel to the Niagara Fallsview Casino.