Oakes Hotel Overlooking the Falls

Horrible experience with rude, unprofessional, misleading staff. We called to cancel over 48 hours in advance due to a medical emergency. When asked to supply documentation from the emergency room, we submitted it the next morning. After hours on the phone, we were told we were not going to be refunded, we could not use the credit for a different night, not even a partial refund. Fortunately, our credit card provider blocked the charge and will deal with this unreputable establishment on our behalf. Will never book here again!

My partner chose this hotel for a last-​minute Spring getaway at the very beginning of May. I had been to Niagara Falls plenty of times before but had never stayed overnight in a hotel, so I was looking forward to the experience. We tried to get a room at the Embassy Suites, but since we were booking so late, a falls-​view room with a jacuzzi tub was topping $ 500/​night, and since we were just doing this as a pass-​through mini-​vacay on the drive back from Toronto, we didn’t feel like paying for an overpriced, last-​minute room, so to the Oakes we went.
I could tell upon arrival that this hotel was severely outdated. We paid for an upgrade to guarantee us a falls-​view room with a jacuzzi tub, but when we arrived, we were given the lowest floor that they designate as a «falls view» with a jacuzzi (I believe it was the 8^th floor). When we got up to the room, we could see the falls from the window, but most of the view was blocked by the row of trees that are in the park that run parallel to the falls. If it were any later in the season and leaves were on the trees, the view would have been totally blocked. We went down to the concierge and asked for a higher floor room, but they said they were all reserved. They offered us a room on the top floor, so we decided to go take a look. The top floor rooms aren’t suites and there are no panoramic windows — the windows are so tiny you barely get any natural light in. We went back downstairs and asked for our suite back, begrudgingly. The receptionist said you can call the day or two before your trip and ask to reserve a higher floor — something we didn’t know that was allowed. So if you care about actually seeing the falls in a «guaranteed falls-​view room,» please call ahead to make sure you’re not in a «guaranteed trees-​view room.»
Like I mentioned before, the outside of the hotel and the lobby were severely outdated, but I thought I’d give it a chance, perhaps, it’s what’s on the inside that counts? Not so much. Outdated suite and outdated bathroom, which was really a turn-​off. The separate, stand-​alone shower is so tiny you can pretty much only wash your hair in there. Forget about cleaning any other body parts. Shaving legs? Ha! You’re dreaming. The «heart-​shaped jetted tub» was very awkward for two people to sit in and enjoy and relax. Not to mention it was enclosed within the entire bathroom, meaning no falls view while in the tub, and you’re staring at the toilet and sink the whole time — not to mention wrap-​around mirrors. Pretty bad steam ventilation even with the door open, not to mention, very unromantic.
I believe we had the casino package, which gave us $ 50 in casino credit a day, which was probably the best part of the trip, gambling with «free money.» It also came with free breakfast vouchers to use at the Applebee’s next door. I haven’t eaten at an Applebee’s in probably more than 15 years, but I thought, who could mess up eggs? The menu was so limited and the food was so bad, my partner and I were sick the rest of the day. Needless to say, we skipped the free breakfast on the second day of our stay. We didn’t use the other restaurant vouchers because the reviews didn’t look good and it was pricey and the vouchers wouldn’t have covered ¼ of our meal.
The icing on the cake at this place is the «pool/​jacuzzi» and «gym» on the first floor. The pool area just didn’t feel sanitary at all and the gym equipment was at least 25 years old.
All in all, I think most of Niagara Falls is just one big tourist trap as most of the hotels and restaurants just aren’t up to par and are severely overpriced. I was actually surprised when I found it that it’s the «honeymoon capital of the world.» Yes, the falls are pretty, but that’s about it. If you must stay over, pony up the cash and stay at the Embassy Suites. Much better.

Sell you a room under the pretense that you get the view of the Niagara Falls. Then you get a room with viewing the trees and they will say you booked «falls side view». Tv wasn’t working, and then later that night we try to unwind and found out jacuzzi was broken.
When I called they said they have no one on staff to fix it, call in the morning and talk to the manager.
The morning I talked to a not so friendly manager who without asking if the compensation was okay, just handed me the bill with $ 50 removed.
I was here for one day and this hotel ruined both my fiancé and I’s mood for the whole time.

Stayed for 3 nights, it was very disappointing. The room was run down, with tiny, tiny bathroom and I also found a huge spider in the bathroom. :(The fire alarm went off twice, one at night and one very early in the morning. The room key didn’t work to let us into the room or the parking lot after we used it a couple times, so we had to get a new key every single day. I would never go back.

The view is great. We were on the 20^th floor and really enjoyed the view. The room facilities were not that good. Try to get a room on the highest floors facing the falls. The reception and room service were not that much good. You only pay for the view in this hotel. That’s it.

I was visiting from Oregon and bought this hotel online as a package through wag jag. The heading said falls view so I figured I would be getting a room with a view. I was given a room that was a courtyard view, that was looking at the parking lot. When I called to ask I was told that’s what I bought and I could pay $ 80 more to upgrade and since it was what I came to see I upgraded. The new view was spectacular.
Now the room was nice but the curtains were missing a panel so in the morning it was very bright at 6am so I got up to shower. When I turned the shower on it sounded like a jack hammer so I quickly got out figuring the neighbors probably wouldn’t appreciate this.
Time to check out and at the front desk was the guest service manager Nicole. I explained the curtains and the shower and she really could care less about it.
Would never return to this hotel.

We booked the hotel for 3 nights We got the falls view with Jacuzzi tub we were on the 9^th floor on the end WE HAD A FABULOUS VIEW!!! Could not stop looking out the window We had 2 chairs and a table facing the falls Nice. It was quiet very very clean. Large room with a king bed. A very large bathroom which was immaculate. The wifi was included and was strong. No complaints.
The Jacuzzi tub was heart shaped with lots of hot water. All in All it was a very good deal for what we paid. Parking is what it is. 20 dollars a day Canadian You pay for parking no matter where you are in the falls region. We too had a upgrade Dining package 4 different wineries to sample, a chocolate factory tour (a little lame) but really nice people. A breakfast meal at applebys and A great meal at Remingtons. We really enjoyed the location of the Hotel We travel alot and found it a clean great place to stay. Staff were great Would stay again

The room was clean and had a great location! Great view of the falls, and the staff was friendly.
For being so close to the falls, the price was great. Clean hotel.
The only downfall– The lot was snow covered and icy all 4 days (it seemed like it wasn’t salted at all).

I stayed 2 nights recently (Dec. 30 — Jan. 1)
The view from the room’s window (10^th floor) was amazing! The observation window on floor 14 wasn’t anything special if you have a falls view room though. On NYE they had free apps and sparkling wine in the lobby for guests, and put New Years swag in our room. And NYE fireworks were better from bed than outside and on the ground (since they went off at 9pm and midnight).
The room itself was nice and clean but nothing special. The beds were considered queen sized but smaller than I’m used to. (I don’t mind but my 6′ 6″ husband does.) No fridge in the room so we put ice in the sink to keep food/​drinks cold.
Ice machines on even floors 2 – 12.
The bathroom in the hotel lobby smelled disgusting all 3 days we were there (I’m 6 months pregnant so I had use the bathroom each time we came back to the hotel.)
I thought the casino was attached to the hotel but it’s not (unless there was someway to get from A to B without going outside that nobody told me). And you also have to walk outside to get to Applebee’s (which I didn’t go to).
When you check in and sign the contract it mentions parking so you need to tell them you aren’t using their parking lot. As far as parking at the casino’s garage — you park there, and when you leave you can swipe your Players Advantage Club card, which you get for free at the casino and use it as proof of playing. (I put it in the slot machines when using.) Also, other reviews said the wifi wasn’t free but they included the password when they gave us our room keys. It could’ve been one of those random charges that they had but overall it was the same cost when we left as it was on our reservation email. They broke it down from CAD to USD, which was helpful.
There’s so much to see and do that you can walk to from the hotel, which is nice.
The pool was warmer than expected (which was a good thing), and the hot tub was just okay. An employee came in to check the water levels and mentioned he was supposed to check it hourly but hadn’t done it in awhile. Probably something you shouldn’t tell the guests.
The exercise room had 10 or less pieces of equipment, including 2 broken treadmills (the only treadmills).
It was a good experience for my husband’s first time seeing the falls but I don’t know if it will really be worth the money for the next trip.

Stayed here in November during the slower season and booked the king suite with the heart shaped jacuzzi… not impressed. The only good deal was the casino package. The view is okay (I’ve seen better because I’m a local) on the 21^st floor. The room was not impressive. The «heart» shaped jacuzzi was not a heart at all, located in the bathroom and it got VERY hot. There’s no ventilation in the bathroom so we only used the jacuzzi once. The bed was hard and not comfortable at all. We paid for parking and luckily we got a spot but we watched people drive around multiple times at night looking for spots because they fill up fast.
The package was a plus. $ 50 voucher for the casino. $ 30 for Remingtons (they provided a shuttle there every 20 mins– btw the waiters sing at this steakhouse) and $ 20 for Applebee’s that we didn’t use. The wine tours were a plus.
Overall, wouldn’t stay here again. Nothing impressive about the room or the amenities. Getting a package and the exchange rate were the only positives!

The view sucks ! We are on the 8 th floor and can barely see the falls through the trees. Great view of the parking lot!
No refrigerator in the room
Do not stay here! Pick the Marriott or embassy if u want a great view of the falls

I was really happy at this hotel. Apparently there are two sections — we got a room in the tower and it had a fantastic view of the falls. We were out early every morning to go exploring, so I can’t say much about the amenities it may or may not have, but it was perfect for us as we just really needed a place to sleep at night and nothing more. The room was decent, the view was great, and the staff were friendly. The location of the hotel is perfect if you want to be near the casino area, and it’s only a short drive to the Clifton Hill area. I’d stay here again, especially for the price.

The hotel:
I booked this hotel through
and I got a very discounted deal. Something very important to know about this hotel is there are two parts to it. There’s the main building and then there’s the outside access section. The outside access section is a motel style section of the building attached to the main building but has no access to the main building. The outside access portion of the building looks very unappealing. This seems to be where discounted rooms go, so I requested to be upgraded to a room in the main building. Obviously after having to pay the difference, there was a room available.
Has an indoor pool, but it was a little on the cold side.
Room was clean.
The staff: the staff was very friendly and accommodating.
Location:
Walking distance to the casino. Plenty of restaurants close by. If you get a view of the falls from your room, the view is GREAT. Although, the have an observation floor on the 14^th floor.
Overall, I wouldn’t trust getting discounts for this hotel cuz you’re most likely end up in the outside access part of the hotel. They really rely on being close to the casino, because their non discounted room rates are comparable to other hotels just as close to the casino, but I’ve had better experiences at the other ones.

I booked this hotel through
and thought I was getting a pretty good deal. I thought included in this deal was parking, breakfast and wifi. Turns out I was wrong. I’m not sure where the false advertising happened but once I checked in I learned none of these things were included. The front desk staff member was very curt and didn’t care to hear what I had to say.
The room was clean and comfortable. Although I don’t understand why there were only three towels for a family of four.
The TV channels were a joke! Other than the news, nothing to watch at any time. At least give your guests one movie channel.
Parking was $ 20 per day and wifi access in the hotel will cost you $ 10 per day.
We had a room with a view of the falls and that did not disappoint. It was great to see the falls day and night.

Worst hotel experience ever. The only positive thing I can say is the view of the falls is great (we stayed on the 21^th floor).
There are virtually no amenities to be had here. No on site restaurant or bar… instead you can have room service via the adjacent Applebee’s…um, no thanks. There are many restaurants in the immediate area, but not quite the same. Parking is expensive and inconvenient. No real concierge service. Common areas and rooms are drab, unremarkable and not well appointed for the price. Cable is horrible, wi fi up charged. Never again.

One of the worse hotels I have ever seen. I have travelled the world and stayed in some bad places and this tops the list. The room was falsely advertised, smells really bad, the floors were highly stained, and smaller than a closet. Their customer service sucks and will not fix issues. I would recommend against this hotel, unless you want to have a crap stay in Niagara Falls. We have complained about the accommodations and they say they do not have a manager on duty. They have also over charged us on this room and say it’s a security deposit so if we destroyed anything. You cannot destroy what should be condemned.

THIS PLACE IS A SHIT HOLE. They promise decent rooms but they are beyond terrible. There are bugs in the bathroom, terrible service, rooms smell of smoke.
DO NOT STAY HERE. This place ruins Niagara Falls.

Well the view is good. But the bed and sofa and coffee maker and TV are all the same that you would see in a motel 6 really bad rooms for the price really disappointed. I like the embassy suits more.

We came to Oakes Hotel Overlooking The Falls with not very high expectations, and yet we were still disappointed.
The staff were very polite and helpful, that must be said. They are also near all the tourist attractions that we were able to walk to and view the falls, walk the Rainbow Bridge, and check out Clifton Hill on the very first night of our arrival. The hotel also has a viewing floor from which one can check out the falls. However, these are all the positive things that I can say about them.
Upon arrival, we are told that we have to pay $ 20 a day for parking. This is not really that big of a deal, but I do think that it would be helpful if they put this down on their website or other reservation websites. What truly was disappointing was that the hotel was just… a mess. The hallway was constantly littered and seemed like it was falling apart. I would like to give them the benefit of a doubt and think that they are renovating, but I did not really see much trace of renovation. Also, they advertise that they have free wi-​fi, but it turned out that this is only applicable to premium rooms.
I know that we paid for the courtyard rooms, but the rate was not by any means a bargain price. It felt like we overpaid for a hotel that is comparable to a dated two-​star hotel.

#TEAMBUY #DEAL # Unilocal #NIAGARA #HOTEL
This is no Embassy Suites, but it certainly makes me wonder — if Oakes is a proper few stars «hotel,» what’s the Ramada or Best Western around this area like?
Anyway, I got a pretty sweet deal on Teambuy — Hotel room, $ 25 Remingtons Voucher, Complimentary shuttle service to Remingtons, $ 25 Casino Voucher, 4 Wine Sample Tours for 2 people, Chocolate tour & Tasting at FX, Breakfast for 2 at Applebees, complimentary wifi — all this for $ 69.
I upgraded the room to a cityview jacuzzi suite for about $ 30. Apparently, because those rooms aren’t cleaned on Sundays, we got upgraded to a fallsview jacuzzi for no extra charge. Now, here’s the difference:
— Cityview Jacuzzi is a bigger room and includes an in-​room Jacuzzi
— Fallsview Jacuzzi has a nicer view, but does not really include an in-​room Jacuzzi — just a whirlpool tub in the bathroom. Which isn’t bad… but I was hoping to take a nap in the jacuzzi — and that didn’t happen.
Reception: Check-​in and Check-​out were smooth. We had a few different people answering our questions, etc. The grumpy ones, I could tell, were Americans. The sweethearts were obviously Canadian. All the vouchers were nicely arranged in an envelope. Which I liked, as opposed to one of our deals at Embassy where we were just handed a bunch of things and had to sift through the material.
Room: A few things were from 1988 — the carpet, the couch and the TV. The Jacuzzi in the bathroom wasn’t sparkly … but it was clean. The bedding, lighting and bathroom were very 2014, for which I am thankful — the three things that really matter. The coffee machine was on the bathroom counter, weird placement there. There was an icebox in the room; however, no wine glasses or bottle opener… just cheap plastic cups. What can I say? I am not used to such un-​luxury! LOL.
Wi-​fi: Non existent. We had an end-​suite so we weren’t able to access the Wi-​fi. It did work in the corridor… but that really beats the purpose.
Amernities we wished we took advantage of: The hotel boasts amazing view of the falls, and apparently there’s a viewing deck on the 14^th floor that we missed. It also has pool, sauna and hot tub — all of which we didn’t have time for.
Parking: $ 15 — $ 20. Park next door at the Fallsview Casino. It’s indoor parking for about $ 5.
Ankie Tip: Get a PAC card for free parking!
Location of the hotel: In-​between the Fallsview Casino and the Embassy Suites. The good thing? Dead on the hotel strip, very close to good eateries. Close to the falls. A 20 minute walk to Clifton Hill.
Shuttle Service: To and from Remingtons, every 20 minutes — starting at 5.10pm and ending at 9.30pm (from the hotel).
Ankie Tip: If you’re not feeling the walk to Clifton Hill, take the shuttle. CH is a 2 minute walk from Remingtons.
The other deals: Great Deals! I’ll be reviewing each business separately. Just a note — we quite enjoyed 4 wineries.
Verdict? Probably not going back to this hotel. I think I could do better. :)