Edmonton and the Hotel MacDonald (Alberta)

Member Name: sarajackson

Product:	Alberta
Date:	04/09/02 (161 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Friendly locals, Riverside setting, Long days in summer

Disadvantages: Limited tourist attractions, Nothing else, Nothing else!

We visited Edmonton on an overnight stay, on our way to the Rockies. Four years before we had made the journey from Vancouver to Jasper on board the Canadian, the Art Deco styled legendary transcontinental train. The journey was an experience, and our private room which converted to a cosy bedroom for overnight sleeping was really exciting. But we commented that unless you were a real train enthusiast maybe spending 17 hours on a train when the flight to Edmonton is only a couple of hours may smack of travelling for travelling's sake, and that despite lovely views en route, the real spectacle is when you are in your destination. So we decided that if we did the trip again we would fly to Edmonton and this would not only get us there quickly but also allow us a day to get to know the city a little.
Flights to Edmonton from Vancouver are frequent and we flew with Westjet, a Canadian budget carrier that could teach Easyjet a lot! The service was friendly and efficient, and cost us about £50 each. The views from the air travelling over mountain ranges were breathtaking.
Edmonton has been described as the friendliest Canadian city, and I would agree that service here is slightly more personal and genuinely friendly. First we visited Strathcona which has a lot of quaint shops along the main street but didn't hold our attention for very long. The city itself is fairly small by Canadian standards, but is obviously wealthy. The streets are all on the usual grid system, but are numbered with streets north-south and avenues east-west. It is easy when you're driving to find a particular street, but not easy to remember where you should be going (all the street names sound the same!!). The downtown district contains the usual department stores and Canadian stores, and there is a good Art Gallery and pleasant parks including one near the City Hall. I would recommend the tour round the Alberta Legislature Buildings, which are a short walk from d
owntown - they are free and really informative. The fountains leading to the buildings seemed to be acting as impromptu paddling pools while we were there and the lack of formality is refreshing. Near the buildings you can walk along the Saskatchewan River which takes you through various wooded and parkland areas, and is really really scenic. High above the River you see the majestic Hotel MacDonald in typical Chateau style. An energetic walk up loads of steps take you right to the back of the hotel - the review of our stay there is below. We did not eat out in Edmonton, but at the hotel, and I would say that there did not appear to be loads of upmarket dining options, outside of hotels. Not far away is the massive West Edmonton Mall, an oversized shopping centre and more!

Edmonton is often compared to its Alberta rival Calgary but personally I would rather have Edmonton any day. Not only do the locals seem more friendly but the city itself is more scenic in my opinion. I would not recommend long stays in either city, but Edmonton was a really relaxing place for a short trip, and a great place to start a drive to Jasper and onwards.

******************
We chose the Hotel Macdonald for an overnight stay en route to Jasper, and managed to reserve a room at a very good rate direct through the hotel. We paid $198 for a bed and breakfast package, which included a Fairmont Room, Canadian breakfast and valet parking.

You are struck when you enter the hotel how compact the lobby is, being used to other cavernous Canadian Pacific properties. It still has the little touches though of marble, dark wood, comfy armchairs and chandeliers. The reception at check in was warm and friendly, and we were able to upgrade our room using a President's Club voucher. The feeling at the Hotel Macdonald is very different to at every other Canadian Pacific Hotel I have stayed in to date. It may be because of the relative small size or because Edmont
on people are renowned as being friendly - either way, you feel as though you are a guest and not a number.

Our room was large with three sash windows overlooking the large patio and gardens with the Saskatchewan River winding past the hotel - a truly lovely view. The room for once wasn't in the usual hotel layout, with a small hallway leading from the door past a built in closet into the room with the bed area on the right, which consisted of a two poster bed with lemon and blue covers, and a work/living area on the left, with desk (with all the little stationery supplies a businessperson may need), armoire, armchair and footrest covered in bright primary colour checks. The room had a very pleasing appearance with dark wood furniture and deep blue carpets. Unfortunately the only mirror outside the bathroom was on the reverse of the closet door. The bell boy who brought our luggage was very friendly and talkative, and not having just come off a long flight for once, his chatty attitude was quite welcome.

That evening, being over half way through our three week vacation, we didn't fancy a restaurant meal, and it being a lovely evening, decided to go to The Confederation Lounge, sit outside on the large terrace, have a couple of beers and a lighter snack. Apart from a change of waiting staff half way through our evening, the service was efficient if not overly friendly. The chicken burger and steak sandwich we had were just what we had wanted and although standard bar fare, were far above average. If you are lucky enough to visit when it is lovely weather, I cannot think of a more pleasant way to spend an evening; sipping a cool beer, with the gardens and the greater city of Edmonton stretching into the far distance and the sun keeping you warm until late.

At breakfast we also sat on the terrace, with the baking heat this early quite taking us English travellers by surprise! The food selection was comprehensive, but we opted for a
continental style buffet. We were not given any cutlery, and the staff seemed elusive at the time, so I had to go the buffet and borrow some cutlery from there. This shocked the waiter when he returned, and he seemed genuinely embarrassed.

There is a lack of competition in the 4-5 star market in Edmonton, but this should by no means detract from the Hotel Macdonald's appeal. The hotel offers service comparable to other Fairmont properties in more popular destinations.

Summary: