The Crystal Inn on the Parkway

the hotel is moderately priced, was clean and mostly comfortable. The people at the front desk are friendly and helpful. On the negative, there is no wifi in the room and there was no telephone. Also, the people above us decided to turn on their whirlpool at midnight, which is not very quiet. Not luxury, but clean and safe!

I stayed here for three nights on a recent mini-vacation to the area, visiting the Falls and doing some hiking at other places. The location was perfect and the price was very good. I don't need a lot of extra stuff so this was exactly what I was looking for: a clean room with a comfortable bed at a reasonable price. It also had a microwave oven, a fridge, and electric fireplace in the room I had. It was a little over 2 km to the Rainbow Bridge, so I walked on the one day I spent the entire day at the Falls. (You'll pay $20-$30 for parking down there, so it was nice staying at a place within walking distance for me.) No, there is no on-site restaurant, but there is no shortage of places to eat nearby. And even though it sits right on the parkway/River Road, it was still quiet, certainly more quiet than anything around Clifton Hill. I liked being able to pull out of the parking lot and get right to where I was going when I was driving. The staff was friendly, especially Vicki who checked me in when I got there. She made some eating recommendations too that were very good. (Thanks Vicki!) Altogether, it was a good place to stay and I'd stay there again.

Located a long walk but a short drive along the Parkway, Crystal Inn is located in the old part of Niagara Falls across the road from the edge of the gorge near the former international road and railway Suspension Bridge and the railway station. In early March, everything in Niagara Falls is quiet with relatively few tourists around. As a result, hotel and motel prices are cheap and the CAN$35 that we were charged for a room at the Crystal Inn is hard to beat. A city bus service to the falls passes the entrance to the motel and stops nearby. The room that we had was a traditional motel room similar to many that I've stayed in over the last 50 years! Basic but comfortable. Everything worked as it should. Coffee maker and supplies included. No included breakfast or on site restaurant... but there are plenty of eateries of all kinds nearby. The office was closed when we arrived late afternoon and we were directed to checkin at another motel just down the road. This we did with no difficulty. Similarly in the morning or early (7:30am) checkout was done simply by leaving the key in the unit as the office didn't open till sometime later. Note that you can only use the nearby bridge to and from the USA if you have a NEXUS pass. Otherwise you have to use the Queenstown-Levistown or Rainbow bridges. All in all, a good value motel and the lowest rate that we had in a two week plus vacation in Ontario and the Northeast USA staying at similar accommodations. We would stay at the Crystal Inn in the future should we visit Niagara Falls again.