Category: Niagara Falls Hotels

A Niagara Falls winter tradition is lighting up the night and brightening spirits!  The iconic Winter Festival of Lights began delighting visitors on November 14, 2020.

Canada’s largest free outdoor light festival, the Winter Festival of Lights features more than 3 million sparkling LED lights and displays along an 8km stretch of the Niagara Parkway, throughout Dufferin Islands and Queen Victoria Park.

Festival viewing is a perfect winter destination that can be completed safely from the comfort of your car or if you wish to get a closer view of the magical displays, you can access areas on foot. Displays are positioned with plenty of space to adhere to social distancing protocols to provide a relaxed and safe experience.

Here is a quick guide to the key areas of the Festival:

New For 2020

Be on the lookout for 10 new installations to the festival.  The new 3D displays include larger than life polar bears, Rudolph the Red Nosed reindeer, an outstanding gingerbread house, and the Misty Kids village.

Niagara Parkway

Signature illumination displays can be viewed starting from the bottom of Clifton Hill and travelling an 8km stretch.  Along the scenic drive you will encounter the popular Canadian Mountie display, Noah’s Ark, brilliant heralding Angels, and light wrapped trees that shine in the dark.

Dufferin Islands

This 10-acre series of islands and walkways is a popular picnic area in warmer months, but in winter it shines as host of some of the Festival’s most beloved displays.  The nature theme features Canadian wildlife in brilliant light.  From a life size moose, to “Harvest Moon” featuring animated ducks, and a show stopping Woolly Mammoth.

Queen Victoria Park

The beautiful park that sits opposite Niagara Falls is home to iconic displays. Shimmering blue and white lights of the Zimmerman Fountain welcome guests to Queen Victoria Park, a colourful collection of spiral trees sits at the base of Murray Hill, and old growth trees throughout the park are dripping in light to resemble Spanish Moss trees and light up walking paths.

Since its inception in 1982, the festival has grown in popularity and size garnering numerous travel and tourism industry awards and draws an audience of more than 1 million guests annually.

Experience the festival and the nightly illumination of the Falls from the comfort of a Fallsview Room – Book a stay!

With the fresh, crisp air and nature’s scenic colors about to change, the Fall Season is a beautiful time to visit Niagara Falls. If you’re looking for an unforgettable experience to explore Niagara, look no further. Magnificent Tours offers a wide range of guided tours showcasing the best of Niagara Falls. Whether you are looking to experience the nature, the history, or the excitement of top attractions in Niagara Falls, there is a tour perfectly right for you. Each tour includes transportation by motor coach, and is hosted by an expert guide.

Magnificent Tours is Niagara’s largest Tour Company, and creates simply the best Niagara Falls Tour experiences.  Visitors this Fall will have two additional tour options to choose from, which are available as of September 2nd.

NEW – Niagara Falls Family Adventure Tour:

This remarkable tour is designed with the entire family in mind! We have combined thrilling and iconic Niagara Falls attractions with one of a kind experiences for an afternoon of fun, adventure and memorable moments.  This tour includes a meal at Rainforest Cafe!

NEW – Niagara Sip & Sizzle Wine, Beer & BBQ Tour:

A classic sip & sizzle afternoon! This tour is ideal for foodies and sippers with stops at two of Niagara’s highly regarded wineries, an award winning craft brewery, dinner at Niagara’s craft distillery featuring legendary Billy Bones BBQ and a stop to shop.

Niagara’s Best Tour:

This tour is perfect if you only have a few hours to spare and still want to experience the Falls. At 3 hours in duration, this tour packs a punch of adventure and provides visitors with access to iconic Niagara Falls attractions.

Niagara Wine Tour:

Spend the afternoon visiting the Niagara Wine Region with one of our expert tour guides

Private Limousine Tours:

Travel around Niagara Falls in a luxurious private limousine. Go wherever you want, spend as much time as you want at each destination and know that you have safe transportation wherever you go. Private limo tours in Niagara Falls are perfect for wine tours, bachelorette and bachelor parties, wedding groups, honeymoons and for any couple or group that wants a private Niagara Falls tour experience.

Custom Group Tours:

Get private chartered shuttle transportation for your group with a customized fully guided group tour. We accommodate groups from 20-300 people, providing safe transportation and expert guides for whatever itinerary you want to pursue. We can help you plan your trip or take you exactly where you want to go. Contact us for more information.

To learn more, please visit https://www.magnificentniagarafallstours.com/tours/ and book your Niagara Falls Tour today!

Niagara Falls is home to exceptional dining experiences for a multitude of cuisines, and that includes Italian.  If you are in the tourist district and looking for an elegant Italian meal, look no further than Massimo’s Italian Fallsview Restaurant.

Located at the Sheraton Fallsview hotel, the spectacular Restaurant is Rated #1 Italian Restaurant in Niagara Falls on TripAdvisor.  The World’s largest online travel community. Guests who visit enjoy great food, great wine and a spectacular view of Niagara Falls.

Dinner & Dessert

An enticing menu that blends fresh and delicious ingredients from throughout the Niagara Region to form the best Italian cuisine. The appetizers and entrees will make for satisfying and memorable dining experiences featuring fresh vegetables, meat, seafood and more. To complement the dinner menu comes a selection of delectable desserts, crafted with unique artisan flare to end your meal.

Wine

The restaurant is recognized for offering a wide selection of world-renowned wines. Guests can indulge in noteworthy reds, whites, and dessert wines from Niagara, Italy, and beyond to enhance their meal.

Fallsview

Massimo’s location on the Fallsview Dining Level of Sheraton Fallsview provides spectacular views of Niagara Falls from the dining room’s floor to ceiling windows. Guests can dine in direct of the Falls with its scenic backdrop, overall making it an unforgettable dining experience.

To Make A Reservation, please visit http://www.massimositalianniagarafalls.com

Travelling between Toronto and Niagara Falls for a weekend getaway is about to get easier.  Metrolinx has announced that weekend train service from Toronto to Niagara Falls will resume August 1, 2020.

With four trips available on Saturday, Sundays and holiday Mondays, visitors will have a convenient method of travel

while the numerous trips allow time to explore all that Niagara Falls has to offer.

From Toronto Union Station heading to Niagara Falls

• 8:51am, 12:51pm, 4:51pm and 8:51pm

From Niagara Falls heading to Toronto Union Station

• 11:16am, 3:16pm, 7:16pm and 11:16pm

To ensure a safe travel experience, Metrolinx has introduced new safety protocols including the wearing of face masks during travel and enhanced cleaning measures.

For more information about the schedule, ticket pricing and promotional packages in partnership with Niagara Parks please visit Gotransit.com 

Niagara Falls is reopening and is ready to welcome visitors once again!  On Tuesday, Niagara Parks released a schedule of phased reopenings for their popular attractions, restaurants, and retail venues which will begin on June 19^th.  The announcement came after the province directed that the Niagara Region could move into Phase 2.

These exciting openings bring physical distancing and new health protocols with them. Extended training procedures, signage, and sanitizing schedules are a few of the keys in place so everyone can enjoy their time visiting Niagara Falls in a safe manner.

Here is the reopening schedule:

June 19, 2020

• Grand View Marketplace Ice Cream and Pop-Up Gift Shop
• WildPlay Zipline to the Falls
• Falls Incline Railway
• Queen Victoria Place Gift Shop and Tim Hortons

Niagara Falls will open additional services on June 26 and July 1, just in time for Canada Day!

June 26, 2020

• Butterfly Conservatory
• White Water Walk
• Whirlpool Aero Car

July 1, 2020

• Floral Showhouse
• Grand View Restaurant
• Grand View Shop
• Journey Behind the Falls
• Laura Secord Homestead
• McFarland House
• Niagara’s Fury
• Old Fort Erie
• Queen Victoria Place Restaurant
• Table Rock Restaurant, Market, and Shop
• WEGO Green Line
• Welcome Centre’s (Grand View, Murray St., Table Rock)

We couldn’t be more excited to welcome guests back to Niagara Falls Hotels, and these openings provide excitement and thrills to build remarkable stays.

Whatever you’re looking forward to, there are enjoyable things to do in Niagara Falls this summer. Book your Niagara Falls trip now!

Niagara Falls has always been a popular destination for long weekend revelers. While we face unprecedented times, visitors will find several storefronts open for business with modified hours and with social distancing processes in place.  Storefronts will be open from Noon-7:00pm daily, on Saturday May 16-Monday May 18, 2020.

Niagara Brewing Company – situated at the corner of Clifton Hill and Falls Avenue, visitors will be able to stop at the brewery’s Beer Store to pick up Niagara Falls craft beer for the long weekend.  The Honeymoon Peach Radler is bright and refreshing and Niagara Premium Lager is an award winning favourite for sunny holiday weekends

Sweet Jesus Ice Cream – Decadent ice cream transformed into eye-catching works of art.  Sweet Jesus is not just a treat for your sweet tooth, soft serve here is embellished with inventive toppings such as cotton candy, brownie bits, cornflakes, birthday cake pieces and more.  One of the most requested is Krusty the Kone – a colourful take on an edgy cartoon icon.

Starbucks – Two locations will be open this weekend; Sheraton Fallsview and Marriott Fallsview Hotel & Spa. Guests can order an afternoon pick-me-up from the full menu of fine roasted coffee, blended drinks, and specialty coffee drinks and light snacks.

Great Canadian Gifts – Situated in the Sheraton Marketplace, Great Canadian Gift will be open for cold drinks, snacks, and sundry items such as first aid and over the counter health items.

The renowned Canadian Forces Snowbirds honoured Niagara Residents on Sunday with a flyover.  The iconic Air Demonstration Squadron is conducting a cross Canada Tour named “Operation Inspiration”.  A salute to all Canadians as we face COVID-19 together.

The team started their mission on May 2 in Eastern Canada and is heading west to British Columbia.  The thundering nine-jet formation with trailing white smoke took two laps over the American and Horseshoe Falls on Sunday afternoon before heading off to London Ontario.  Originally scheduled for Saturday, the flight team had to postpone by one day due to poor weather.

Each year the Canadian Forces Snowbirds travel the country to delight audiences at air shows, and while gathering at a show is not possible at this time, the air team wanted to thrill spectators at home.

The Snowbirds will now continue their journey west, for more information on their flight schedule follow their social media channels.

See their tour over Niagara Falls here.

As we continue to stay home to do our part in flattening the curve, looking forward has become key to staying positive.

A recently conducted travel survey provides optimism, not just for business but for all travel enthusiasts. It revealed that more than 60% of those surveyed had spent time in the last week planning and researching potential trips, with half of the respondents having spent up to 5 hours planning!

As the excitement to get out and see the sights grows, we wanted to share our tips for planning an exciting vacation.

1. Be Inspired

A quick search in your favourite browser will lead to thousands of stunning photos of your destination that will help keep you motivated, imagine capturing these images yourself!  Images can be a great source of inspiration when choosing your location as well. For example a room with a view of Niagara Falls is breathtaking and if it is essential to your stay, then it will help narrow your hotel search.

2. Keep It Fun

The research and budget process of planning can be overwhelming, so always keep your goal in mind – which is to create a thrilling adventure full of memories.  Budgeting is key, and to reduce stress keep your budget reasonable. Use all available research tools to ensure your plan covers what you hope to see and experience.  Whatever your destination may be, we suggest subscribing for email newsletters for hotels and attractions so are among the first to know about special offers, packages and discounts.

3. Be In The Know

If it’s not on Facebook did it even happen? Like or follow feeds for your prospective hosts, not only will promotions be posted, but you will also learn about special events and new and noteworthy items thanks to the immediacy of the channels. Is your favourite artist performing in Niagara Falls during your stay – perhaps; the city now offers two live entertainment venues, and concert announcements make for great posts!  In Niagara Falls, you can also catch Live Video of the Falls nearly every day on our Niagara Falls Facebook page.

We will be able to explore the landscapes beyond our windows, driveways, front lawns and porches again. We hope these travel tips will help inspire you as you fill your time researching your next great adventure.

Hopefully we will be welcoming you to Niagara Falls once it is safe for us all to travel once again!

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues its hold on the world, hotels in Niagara Falls are trying to shine a light of hope and love.

While all industries have felt the impact of the Coronavirus, hospitality has been particularly hard hit. With orders to avoid non-essential travel, and the guidance of medical officials to self-isolate in order to flatten the curve, restaurants and hotels have been impacted.

This month marks March Break and Spring Break for many students and would typically be a banner time of year for the hospitality industry in Niagara Falls. Instead, rooms sit vacant, restaurants are closed to dine-in, and many attractions have been closed.

To offer some brightness in the dark, staff at the Marriott Fallsview Hotel & Spa thoughtfully staggered lighting in rooms on Friday night resulting in a massive, multi-storey heart to show their love and solidarity with all those impacted by the virus.

The hotel hoped that this shining beacon would inspire other hotels, office towers and businesses to join in.

Update: On Saturday several Niagara Falls Hotels including Sheraton Fallsview, Fallsview Casino Resort, Marriott on the Falls, Embassy Suites and the Oakes Hotel also participated. The efforts were also covered by several media outlets including CNN, BlogTO, Narcity, and CHCH News.

When you see Niagara Falls, it’s a seemingly never-ending rush of water that drops off the brink over and over again. In truth, the Falls have stopped twice in history; once of natural causes, and the other for maintenance work on the rocky shoal.  Aside from those two examples, the waterfalls never stop flowing, roaring through the area and soaking visitors down below on the iconic Niagara Falls boat tours. More than 6 million cubic feet or 168,000 cubic metres of water go over the Horseshoe Falls alone every minute, water speeds reaching up to 109 km/h or 68 mph.

But where does all this water come from? Learn fun facts about Niagara Falls, including how they keep flowing, here.

How Does Niagara Falls Work?

Niagara Falls is made up of three separate waterfalls: the American Falls, the Bridal Veil Falls and the Horseshoe Falls, which is the largest waterfall. The waterfalls have been pumping out water for the past 12,000 years, even as they’ve receded about 7 miles back.

The water rushing over the Niagara Falls waterfalls comes from the Great Lakes, which is the world’s largest surface freshwater system in the world. It contains about 18% of the world’s freshwater supply, with water flowing into the Great Lakes from streams and rivers that empty into it.

The rivers and streams empty into Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, Lake Superior, Lake Huron and Lake St. Clair, all in North America connecting the U.S. and Canadian borders. Precipitation and groundwater replenish the Great Lakes. Less than 1% of water in the Great Lakes is renewable, while the rest comes from the last ice age. It’s also known as “fossil” water.

As water empties into the Great Lakes, it travels from Lake Superior through Niagara along the Niagara River. Once the water reaches the Niagara River, it passes over the waterfalls. After reaching the waterfalls, it flows north into the final Great Lake, Lake Ontario.

From there, the water goes into the St. Lawrence River and then the Atlantic Ocean. From Lake Michigan to the Atlantic Ocean, the water flow journey takes at least 15 hours.

During high- or low-precipitation years, the Great Lakes water flow can be greatly affected. The International Joint Commission, made up of the U.S. and Canada, has regulated water flow levels since 1910. In 1950, a treaty between the U.S. and Canada was created to determine the diversion of water from the Niagara Falls for power generation. Other water is used for navigation, Niagara Falls flow and domestic and sanitary purposes.

What Gives the Water Odd Colours?

You might notice brown foam below Niagara Falls or a greenish tint to the Niagara River. The water is still fresh water and is perfectly safe. The colours come from natural elements the rushing waters pick up along their journey.

The brown foam below the Niagara Falls waterfalls is that colour because of clay. Clay contains decayed vegetative matter, which is absorbed as the water travels. It mostly comes from Lake Erie’s shallow eastern basin.

As for the river, you’ll notice it’s a vibrant green colour. That brilliant hue comes from minerals. There are an estimated 60 tons of dissolved minerals that flow over Niagara Falls every minute. The minerals consist of “rock flour,” which is finely ground rock, as well as dissolved salts. The rock flour primarily comes from the limestone bed, as well as sandstones and shales from under the Niagara Falls limestone cap.

What Is the Future of Niagara Falls?

Since Niagara Falls has already moved back, you may be wondering if the waters will keep running forever. Not to worry: Niagara Falls still has at least around 20,000 years to be in production. Wind and rain do contribute to Niagara Falls erosion, which is why it’s expected to disappear into Lake Erie some time in the very distant future.

For now, flow control and hydro-power generation diversion help to slow down erosion. With flow control, erosion may be able to be reduced to just 1 foot every 10 years. The limestone cap rock is another natural factor slowing down Niagara Falls erosion, since the material is resistant to erosion.

Another possible outcome to the future of Niagara Falls is evaporation. Scientists speculate that around 2,000 years from now, the American Falls waterfalls could dry up. If that happens, it would take on the same appearance as the Niagara Glen.

See Niagara Falls in Full Force Now

If you want to see Niagara Falls in its full glory, the best time is now. The water rushes over with tremendous force, and you can get soaked yourself with a visit to the waterfalls on the Hornblower Niagara Cruises. Book your Niagara Falls trip today.