Winter Getaway at Niagara Falls

All three of my girls have January birthdays and the deal at my house is that you have the option of having a birthday party with your friends or we can go as a family to one of the Niagara Waterparks for an overnight stay and swimming get-away.  The waterbugs always vote for the waterpark!

This year we decided to try the Niagara Falls Waterpark and stay at the Crowne Plaza.  The waterpark is located at the Crowne Plaza, but you do have to go through the lobby and take a separate elevator to the park itself.

From my Corporate Marketing Professional standpoint, the Crowne Plaza is a beautiful historic hotel located at the base of the falls with easy access to the Casino, the Hard Rock Café and five star restaurant at the Crowne Plaza.  From my "Mom and Family Event Planner" perspective, it is the least family friendly hotel that we have been to in a long time.

The rooms are very small and we were tripping over one another.  There was no mini fridge in the room which I find very useful when travelling with kids.  (Yes, I pack milk, juice cereal for breakfast and a plethora of snacks for grazing – so the milk stayed in the ice bucket to stay cold).  The beds were hard and everyone had trouble sleeping.  No sleep + all day swimming @ waterpark = grumpy kids There were house rules too.  Street clothes were to be worn when passing through the lobby on the way to the waterpark.  What the heck?  How kid friendly is a hotel that promotes a waterpark then makes you dress for the occasion, then undress to use the waterpark , and dress to come back to your room.

The waterpark is fun and comparable to Great Wolf Lodge and the Americana Hotels nearby.  The proximity to the falls is great and it is walking distance to all the attractions on Clifton Hill (although as a parent I would avoid those places like the plague!)  If you go in the winter, the lights are still on and the falls is amazing at night time!   But the hotel’s $40 restaurant coupon and the “kids eat free breakfast” coupons are not for the family budget consumer.  Oh did I mention the $20 parking fee and the locker fees to keep your “stuff” safe at the pool are all part of the package too.  Lesson learned.

Gotta be honest here, I know that Great Wolf Lodge sounds like more money on paper, but the value is there if you are travelling as a family.  Bigger rooms, fridges and microwaves in the rooms, affordable food on-site (including pizza delivery to your room), free waterpark lockers, free parking, free story time and craft sessions for the kids.  Lots to do without ever leaving the facility.  Americana is OK if you have little children, but your older kids (tweens) will quickly get bored and want to do more than that facility has to offer.

My analysis, from the Mom/Family Event Planner perspective, two thumbs up for Great Wolf Lodge (go midweek if you can for the best room rate and more room in the waterpark), Americana if you have little kids, and the Crowne Plaza should stick to their corporate clients with expense accounts or adults looking for a Casino get away.  (Yes, I did sneak out when the kids were asleep and invest $40 in the Niagara economy!)