Loved this hotel! I booked this hotel in Kingston for my annual birthday trip. Really enjoyed my…read morestay there.
I usually travel to the States for my birthday, but the fascist regime down there in my country o' birth had me looking at options in my home country of Canada, and I got to discover Kingston!
This hotel was great for so many reasons:
The first was location. It was close to the downtown on the water, where everything was going on, so literally if I was going to dinner, doing a haunted tour of Fort Henry, going shopping or for ice cream, everything was a 10-15 minute drive.
Of course, there was a heat dome effect for my trip (I HATE summer and hot weather) but the a/c in my room was glorious. I kept it on 18 the whole time and stayed very comfortable (for a 50 something woman, this is a must!).
The hotel is obviously an older property, but is VERY well maintained. Nice parking lot that is lit up like daytime at night, everything freshly painted, pool and hot tub working and parking lot in great shape.
The bed was a tad firm for my personal liking, but with my RA and fibro, I like a softer bed than most, so I get that. The sheets and blankets were clean and soft. Very comfy sleep. Pillows were nice too.
Room was spotless! Not a hair in the bathroom, which with the work those girls do, if there is a stray one, I don't judge. There was no Keurig, which I prefer, so I went over to the Canadian Tire and picked up one to travel with from now on. I'd brought my own K-cups from my last trip.
Everything you need is here. Was impressed with the stand alone wardrobe with plenty of hangers. I always bring my own too, so I can hang up my shirts. There was a microwave, super clean fridge, ice bucket, iron and board, hairdryer, luggage rack - which is a love for me. Nice desk that I did some work at, as this was partly a working trip. TV wasn't huge and they could've had more channels, but I wasn't in the room that much, so all good. Full-length mirror is always a nice touch too, along with the blackout drapes.
The pool was amazing. I was lucky enough to catch it with no one there on an afternoon. The jets in the hot tub could've been stronger and there was so stuff floating on the surface...almost looked like wax when it flakes off a candle...otherwise was refreshing and relaxing. The sleep was good and the hotel was quiet at night.
The staff was always friendly, but in Canada they always want to clean your room every day and slip a note under the door to remind you to ask for anything you need because they missed you with the DND sign on the door, but I assured the girl I don't like the wasteful washing of things unnecessarily and was able to grab anything I needed from them in the hallway. Kudos to them because that hallway was like an oven!
The hallway being hot was a tad annoying, but I applaud them for saving energy...and who's going to hang out in the hallway? There was an elevator, a little slow, but just glad there was one.
The worst thing about the room is that the TP holder is right on the side of the vanity, painfully close to the toilet. So I banged my elbow more than once but finally took the roll off and put it on the side of the tub. That holder should be in front of the person.
There is a $100 deposit, so be mindful of that. I really enjoyed the stay here. There was one weird thing. Kingston is supposed to be a haunted city, and the clock radio on the side of the bed came on with static, like when you are searching for a station, and I had it turned off! I was thinking of my dearly departed bunnies over the years at the time. Could be a coincidence...but still weird.
I would definitely stay here again and can say the hotels in Canada (so far) are much better maintained than in the US. If you stay here, I don't see how you could regret it. Good security too, as you need your key to get in the doors around the property. There is a One Eyed Jack restaurant across the street and a huge shopping centre at the bottom of the hill with LCBO, CAD Tire, No Frills and a movie theatre.