Hotel4Real!

I was hesitant when I made my reservation here due to the lower rating on TripAdvisor (where anything lower than a 4 is pretty much unacceptable). Though, the location was ideal for me and their recent renovation seemed promising on the pictures, so I decided to give it a try anyways. It did not disappoint – in fact, I was quite happy with what they had to offer.

Downtown Edmonton is not big at all, but this hotel is literally located in the centre of the centre – right upstairs from the “Edmonton City Centre” mall complex – hence the name Edmonton City Centre Suites. I arrived quite early, but the lady at the front desk did not struggle at all and found me an upgraded suite right away. Due to the unique location and layout of the hotel, half of the rooms/suites would face the mall interior and the other half facing the city on the outer circle. The first suite I was assigned was an interior one and was lacking natural light. It was an intriguing view to say the least, and I would not have cared if I was only staying for one day. I was in for a few more nights, so I requested to move to the outer circle instead.

My request to move was satisfied with no delay, and Pipeto from engineering made a couple trips to make sure I was taken care of. It turned out that the hotel proactively secure inside-facing rooms for elite members during sunny days for better air conditioning – nice gesture for sure. Pipeto also went out of his way to show me some tricks to control the temperature in room should it become too hot, which didn’t happen – the A/C didn’t seem challenged at all.

The suites were very spacious and was tastefully decorated – a nice deviation from the cookie-cutter Delta look. Although, the living room can use some more lighting for sure, and I found it quite empty – another chair would have made it feel cozier. Quality of sleep was great, and I liked the view from the second suite facing the city. The interior view was quite intriguing as well, although the lack of privacy and natural light as mentioned drove me away.

Parking was relatively easy and the front desk was extremely helpful in planning my parking arrangements to minimize costs. They also went above and beyond to secure me a parking pass at reduced rate due to a confusion that was completely my fault – very much appreciated.

The only bummer was that the restaurant was not available during my stay, which came as a surprise as they disclosed the opposite on their website. As a result, points were offered in lieu of breakfast. The wrong amount was deposited initially and this was quickly rectified by the hotel upon contact.

In general I really did enjoy my stay here more than expected. This was the first hotel on my 21-day road trip and I’m happy to report that the Delta started my trip on a high note. Bottom line – they definitely deserve more than 3.5/5 on TripAdvisor for sure!

RealScore

Service: 8.0

Design and Room Size: 8.0

In-room Amenities: 7

Bathroom Size and Layout: 7

View from (my) Room: 8

Hotel Location: 10

Available Guest Facilities: 8

Food Quality: N/A

Food and Beverage Service: N/A

Executive Lounge Quality: N/A

Final RealScore: 7.98

Final RealRating: A

Hotel is built/opened: 1987

Total number of rooms: 169

Length of stay: 3 nights

Membership level at check-in: Platinum

Room type experienced: Premium One-bedroom Suite