Niagara Falls Crowne Plaze - OMG I'm worried!!!!

[ge0rgette2]

Oh boy!!!

I just won a bid on Priceline for the Crowne Plaza in Niagara Falls for this coming weekend.

I've read the reviews and some of the rooms are very VERY TINY!!!
Some have mentioned you have like 12 inches from the bed to the wall.

What have I done!? lol

Any one have any reviews on the Crowne in Niagara??

PS i feel sick to my stomach now LOL, thinking that I made a mistake and this place is going to be a 'dumpy' place.
ge0rgette2 is online now Report Post

 

[usnuzuloose]

I found a few online, do you have their address? You can look it up as well. Jo

 

[ge0rgette2]

Yes, I have the hotel's address.
It's on Falls Avenue - Niagara Falls, ON

 

[Lucky4me]

Relax. The Crowne Plaza in Canada is very nice.
It's the one in NY that is a pit.
People post reviews and mix these two up all the time.
Have a great time!

 

[libraryfreak]

IIRC this used to be The Brock. It's connected to the Sheraton and some other hotels, a waterpark and a massive arcade. It's in a wonderful location, and when we stayed at the Sheraton a couple years ago they showed movies in the park in front of the hotel.

I'd think of it like being at Disney - how often are you going to be in your room anyway? I'll go for location over room size anytime.

 

[Lucky4me]

Here are some tips to make your stay more enjoyable-
Sign up for a Players Club Card at the casino which is attached to the hotel. This will make your parking free.

When you check in, try to get an upgrade to fallsview. (this will cost you extra) Your Priceline room won't have a good view and yes, may be one of their smaller rooms. Let them know you expect a comparable room to a non priceline booking. Be very polite, but firm. I wouldn't expect a falls view for the Priceline booking, but you should be given a standard room.

Mama Mia's is great for Italian food. Their Lasagna is the best! Rainforest Cafe is always fun too, but $$$$$.

Drive down the river and visit Niagara On The Lake. Picturesque little town filled with historic homes and great places to eat and shop. We love the little park right in town with the wading pool/fountain for the kids and the lake side park with great views of the sailboats.

You can't beat the old standby of The Maid Of the Mist. They have package deals that combine a few attractions for one price. This will be your best deal.

Have fun!

 

[ge0rgette2]

phew!

Thanks very much!!

I was a tad worried, but I'm okay now actually... It's our first time there to Niagara, lived in NY my whole life and never ventured there.
If it was just my husband and I, I wouldn't have cared about the size of the room - but with 3 ppl that could be a squeeze.

I called PL and told them it was my first time using their service, it's the second, as I just booked Orlando for December there and haven't seen that room yet.

She called the hotel directly for me and they confirmed and guaranteed me a room with 2 doubles or at least 1 king. That'll work! I'm fine with that.

I paid $145.00 per room per night -- I'm sure the upgrade to a fallsview room will be huge. But it doesn't hurt to try!

I've been to several Rainforest Cafe's and they were never $$$ - but thanks .. Maybe it's the 'touristy' area that makes it more money there.

We already planned on doing the Maid.. Was on our list!

Thanks for easing my mind a bit... Hope your right that people review the wrong place! LOL

 

[ge0rgette2]

OMG! I'm just a mess!!

I just went and got our passports, my husband and my kids are fine, mine just expired !!!

Once again - Mommy takes care of everyone else, except her! Thought it was expired a month before my kids - being March 2011.

Uhoh - I might become a Canadian citizen on Sunday when they don't let me back in! lol

 

[Alexander]

OMG! I'm just a mess!!

I just went and got our passports, my husband and my kids are fine, mine just expired !!!

Once again - Mommy takes care of everyone else, except her! Thought it was expired a month before my kids - being March 2011.

Uhoh - I might become a Canadian citizen on Sunday when they don't let me back in! lol

Bring your driver's license, original birth certificate, and your expired passport. You'll be fine.

 

[ge0rgette2]

Bring your driver's license, original birth certificate, and your expired passport. You'll be fine.

Thanks!!! Hope your right.... can I tell them Alexander said I'll be fine when I'm at the gate? LOL

I'm sure they get this alot, well I'm hoping they do... I'm sure I'm not the only one that's braindead and let their passport expire. Border controls can't be that much of a stickler, can they?

 

[antmaril]

I've been to several Rainforest Cafe's and they were never $$$ - but thanks .. Maybe it's the 'touristy' area that makes it more money there.

Yes, the touristy nature of Niagara Falls makes everything more expensive. You will find that going to a chain restaurant (say Applebee's) will cost much more in Niagara Falls - there are a lot of taxes, as well. You might want to ask about parking at the hotel. We paid $30 a day to park our car at the Embassy Suites in Niagara Falls last August.

Have fun. Maid of the Mist is a blast!

 

[ge0rgette2]

They are charging us $18.00 per day to park the car ourselves, $28.00 for valet.. I guess it is what it is! She said there is a holiday this weekend in Canada and that parking elsewhere might cost me $25.00 or more so parking at the hotel is cheaper.

I've never had to pay for parking anywhere we've traveled, but I've also rec'd 1/2 the price of the hotel room for our stay.. So it offsets the parking I guess.

Yes, Can't wait till we do the Maid of the Mist.

I think we will be spending alot of dinner time in our room We will grab and go! I'm not paying double for Applebee's. I'll wait till I get home.

 

[Neelloc]

I think you need to either a valid non-expired passport, passport card, or enhanced driver's liscense to come back to the U.S.

http://www.getyouhome.gov/html/lang_eng/index.html

I live in Buffalo, and we stopped crossing the border because our passports expired and we haven't gotten enhanced driver's liscenses yet.

Do you still live in NY? You can go to your local DMV, upgrade your current DL and walk out with a temp card that is usable immediatley.

Have fun!

 

[ge0rgette2]

Thank you... I called both sides... US will let me back in with a birth certificate, and the Canadian side will just warn me to get my passport renewed when I go back - that's according to 2 rep's on the US side and I also called Canadian.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

OP sorry to tell you this, but those documents will not get you over the border anymore. You need to have an enhanced driver's liscence or a current passport, PLEASE, PLEASE read up on it. It will no longer be a budget vacation when you are detained.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Thank you... I called both sides... US will let me back in with a birth certificate, and the Canadian side will just warn me to get my passport renewed when I go back - that's according to 2 rep's on the US side and I also called Canadian.

Please get it in writing, this is NOT what they are doing at the borders right now in Buffalo.

 

[Neelloc]

Please get it in writing, this is NOT what they are doing at the borders right now in Buffalo.

Yes, I agree. I have heard from many a person since this has been in effect for over a year, they are not lax anymore. They were allowing exceptions the first month or so, that's it.

 

[ge0rgette2]

OP sorry to tell you this, but those documents will not get you over the border anymore. You need to have an enhanced driver's liscence or a current passport, PLEASE, PLEASE read up on it. It will no longer be a budget vacation when you are detained.

I called twice to the US side and once to the Canadian side, speaking to both in detail, both told me that they'll warn me about my expired passport ... carry it with my United States birth certificate.

Why would they both tell me it's okay if it's not going to be.

I can't get a new passport within 12 hours.

 

[ge0rgette2]

Just called customs border control.... they will allow me into Canada with an expired passport and DL. They have to allow me back into my own country, he said. Hopefully he's right!

Just called another person and was told the same - they cannot deny me.

I guess I'll just have to wait and see -- thanks for all the tips!

 

[disneybound31]

I would think that they COULD keep you out of your own country if they thought it was in the interest of the best security...but surely you look innocent enough... good luck!!