niagara falls

No Sale For Hotel Niagara

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Auctions

A hotel that once hosted President John F. Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe and sports legend Joe DiMaggio failed to sell at auction this week. The Hotel Niagara was built in 1925 and was considered one of the top hotels in Niagara Falls, New York for decades through the 1980s. The hotel fell into disrepair in recent years but in 2008 it looked like the hotel would have a second chance at glory when Amidee Hotel Niagara, LLC started work on a multi-million dollar restoration. Local news station WKBW reports that the parent company, Amidee Capital Group hit hard times and work stopped. Eventually Amidee Hotel Niagara LLC was unable to pay State Bank of Texas $3,277,803.61 for principle, interest, and past due fees and a court-ordered auction was ordered. Although many people attended including Buffalo developer and former NY gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino, the only one bidding was Hotel Niagara's former mortgage holder, State Bank of Texas, which offered one million dollars to purchase the property. The bank will be seeking a new owner for the hotel.

Tags: bankruptcy, hotel niagara, niagara falls

Jeff Bridges Takes His Act To Canadian Casino

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events

If you loved "Crazy Heart" and want to hear Jeff Bridges sing live your chance is coming this September at Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls. The Academy Award winner will play two shows, September 1 and September 2. He'll perform songs from "Crazy Heart" as well as from his album Be Here Soon.

"We are very excited to have a Best Actor winner grace the stage of the Avalon Theatre. Jeff Bridges is best known for his great acting skills, and now our audiences will get to experience his great singing talents as well," said Larry Gregson, VP Marketing at Fallsview Casino Resort.

Tickets to see Jeff Bridges at Fallsview Casino Resort cost $60. Fallsview Casino Resort overlooks Horseshoe Falls and has a 374-room luxury hotel, a full-service spa and fitness center and more.

Tags: Crazy Heart, fallsview casino resort, jeff bridges, niagara falls

How To Avoid Niagara Falls

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wine

If there's one thing that's often said about Niagara Falls, besides "wow", it's that it's a pity that such an impressive show by Mother Nature is surrounded by such a dreadfully tacky tourist town.

Yes, you've got more than 3,000 tons of water pounding over both water falls, per second, with rainbows floating in the mist. But you've also got Tussaud' Wax Museum, Planet Hollywood and, in summer at least, hordes of sweaty tourists sporting black knee socks and sandals.

The Niagara Parks Commission appears to be engaged in an effort to change this perception, at least among its most easy drive-in market, Torontonians. It recently launched a campaign called "Shake Off the City", which portrays city dwellers confronting urban blight -- graffiti, traffic, stolen bikes -- and escaping to the wonders of the Niagara region. This portrayal of their city has evidently annoyed some Toronto-dwellers, although that apparently wasn't the intention.

The intention was to showcase the "arid side" of the region, as Joel Noden, executive director of the Niagara Parks Commission, told the Toronto Star. I presume he meant the area beyond the big-whoop waterfalls, and leaving aside clumsy urban stereotyping, he's got a good point. The Niagara Escarpment in Ontario is actually quite lovely -- with loads of hiking, the full sweep of Lake Ontario, and, a number of excellent wineries, growing Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling. (The area has a strong reputation for ice wine as well, given the cold winters.)

Gallery: Niagara-on-the-Lake and Niagara Falls

Wineries and Inns in the Niagara Escarpment

Tags: niagara, niagara falls, niagara-on-the-lake, ontario, OntarioCanada, shaw festival, waterfalls

Continue reading “How To Avoid Niagara Falls”

Barton Hill Hotel Plans To Bring Boutique To Niagara

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Niagara Falls is a beautiful place to visit but the hotel situation isn't the most fabulous. The Barton Hill Hotel & Spa seeks to change that. The hotel in Lewiston, New York will open in June 2007 and has already started taking reservations. The 78-room boutique hotel will have guest rooms with fireplaces and river gorge views and the spa will offer aromatherapy, body wraps and other treatments. Hotel owner Diane Finkbeiner sees the property as a chance to educate travelers about lovely Lewiston while delivering a luxe American vacation. Rates start at $179.

Source

Tags: barton hill, boutique hotel, hotel, new york, niagara falls, NiagaraFalls, travel

Great Wolf Resort Opens In Niagara

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

A waterpark in Canada in springtime sounds a bit chilly but the Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls has a massive 103,000 square-foot waterpark that is indoors.The family-oriented resort is now open after a launch party on April 13 that featured the band Smash Mouth.The 406-suite resort has a variety of things to entertain the kids including 13 water slides, an arcade, mini-golf, a fitness room and Cub Club, the Children's frequent guest club where activities including crafts are held. For adults there is an Aveda spa and the Great Outdoor Spa which has an adults-only hot tub overlooking the Niagara River Gorge. The rooms are also all designed for families. Prices start at $278 US for a room that has a queen bed plus a sofa sleeper.

Source

Tags: canadian vacation, CanadianVacation, family resorts, family vacation, journey, niagara falls, resort, travel, waterslide