OverviewStyled in Canadian chateau architecture, the Fort Garry Hotel, a landmark luxury hotel was built in 1913 as a Grand Trunk Pacific railway hotel, and is located in the heart of downtown Winnipeg. It is a national historic site located near to the junction of the Red and Assinaboine rivers where Upper Fort Garry was originally built. Due to its central downtown location it is well suited to the business traveller and leisure guest alike for accessing nearby offices or shopping and attractions, either on foot or by car.
The 100% smoke-free and air-conditioned property has 12 storeys, 246 guest rooms and suites, 4 grand ballrooms and 14 conference and meeting rooms that accommodate from 10 to 600 guests for business functions, banquets and weddings. Hotel Fort Garry offers Winnipeg's only Glatt Kosher service.
Food facilities at the hotel feature an on-site restaurant called The Palm Lounge which offers light culinary fare for lunch, dinner and late night dining Monday to Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to midnight, Friday to Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m., and Sunday from 3:00 p.m. to midnight. It is open to both hotel guests and the public and offers live Jazz performances.
The Broadway Room serves an award winning, and free to most guests, hot and cold deluxe breakfast buffet each morning beginning at 6:00 a.m. and continuing to 11:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday and from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. on Sundays. (Sunday brunch is also offered to the public on Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at an extra charge of $47 per plate (for adults) in the Palm Lounge, the Broadway Room and the Provencher Ballroom.)
The Gallery Deli and Gift Shop located in the lobby offers confections and grab-n-go snacks.
The hotel provides 24-hour room service as well as a 24-hour, on-request, complimentary coffee and tea service delivered to guest rooms fresh, along with home-made cookies and biscotti.
The Fort Garry Hotel boasts a world-class luxury spa, the only co-ed hamam spa in Canada offering a full complement of therapeutic and rejuvenating facial and body care treatments.
Hotel amenities also include a 24-hour business centre, hair salon (adjacent on Garry St.), indoor pool, hot tub, steam room, fully equipped fitness centre (indoor walk to Fort Garry Place), valet, and self-parking which costs $12 per night extra.
Other hotel services include a 24-hour Front Desk and Concierge service, and dry cleaning services. The hotel has an in-house ATM, and safe-deposit boxes are available in-room upon request at the Front Desk.
Children under 12 stay free but do not qualify for the free buffet breakfast unless they are under 5 years of age or under. Cribs are supplied free of charge, but extra twin size cots cost $15. Pets are not allowed in the hotel and the hotel has a strict no-party policy.
Wi-Fi is available free in the lobby along with the complimentary use of laptops supplied by the Front Desk, however there are charges of $15 per day and $25 for 5 days, for the use of Wi-Fi in the guest rooms.
The room types available are: 1 Double Bed; 2 Double Beds; 1 Queen Bed; 1 King Bed; Executive Suites offering 1 King size bed, with separate living room, dining room, and in-room safe, which can also adjoin a second bedroom; Corporate Junior Suites offering an upgraded large bedroom with luxurious sitting area, work desk with chair, 2 closets, oversize tub and deluxe body shower, and hardwood floors; and the Vice Regal Suite which offers 2 levels and includes a living room, dining room, bedroom with a King bed, 22 ft. ceiling in the bedroom and living room, in-room safe and option to adjoin a second bedroom.
Basic room amenities include: 10 ft. ceilings, table and armchair, choice of feather or tempurpedic mattress, fine Italian linens, down duvets and pillows, Turkish cotton bathrobes, deluxe beauty products, hair dryer, iron and ironing board, individual climate control, alarm clock, dual-line speakerphone, computer data ports, modem hook-up, television with 45 channels and video game channel, pay-per-view movies, free local calls, (long distance costs $1.00 per call with the purchase of a calling card), and free national newspaper.
The hotel is located within a 15 minute walk or a 4-minute drive of the following sites, venues and attractions:
The Winnipeg Convention Centre
The Winnipeg Art Gallery
Portage Place Shopping Centre
The Imax Theatre
The Forks Market and River Walk
The MTS Centre
(Google Maps are referenced for walking and driving times.)
Check-in is at 3:00 p.m. and check-out is at 12:00 noon.
Verified with a Front Desk Agent on June 25, 2012: basic room amenities, breakfast is included in most room rates, pet policy, smoking policy, no-party policy, the cost of wireless Internet, the cost of self-parking, the cost of long distance calls, and local calls are free
The GoodThis hotel was enjoyed by the majority of its guests who recently reviewed their stay in online reviews used for this analysis.
There were a great deal of guests who praised the hotel's food, and buffet breakfast in particular, saying that they considered it to be delicious.
A few guests thought the hotel's overall cost to be an excellent value, and even a bargain with the included breakfast. A few commented on the good value of the food in the restaurant considering it to be very reasonably priced.
The spa was another highlight for guests who availed themselves of this amenity. They described it with superlatives such as: really phenomenal, fantastic and sensational. Another guest provided a little more detail by saying, "I had a massage that was excellent."
The staff received many compliments as well. Guests said they were friendly, helpful and competent.
Many praised the atmosphere and ambiance of the hotel and described it as charming and hospitable.
The location was another plus with hotel guests who mentioned the convenience of walking to downtown businesses and The Forks and called it a nice walking area.
Many thought the beds were comfortable and someone exclaimed that the hotel offered "probably the most comfortable hotel bed I've ever slept in". Another said, "we loved the huge shower head and cozy robes".
Some called the hotel in general clean and comfortable with old touches of luxury. One person said, "the lobby is breathtaking" and another recommended, "if you're looking for comfort, you'll find it here".
The Bad
Some areas of concern were mentioned by guests in recent online reviews sourced for this analysis.
A few guests found the room decor to be somewhat tired. This seemed to displease younger people more than the mature couples who appeared to enjoy some aspects of the older style drapes and furniture. One young person complained about the furniture and decor saying it was "closer to your grandma's style".
Not all the rooms have been upgraded with flat screen televisions, and it appears that some still have very old TVs. This was an area that displeased a couple of guests although it appears that one can make a request for an updated room with more modern decor (according to the hotel manager's comments to a reviewer).
A couple of reviewers mentioned that they found the wireless service in the hotel to be unreliable and there were also a couple of complaints about having to pay a surcharge for Internet.
TripAdvisor.com ranked the hotel 11th out of 57 properties in Winnipeg and the site had 208 reviews. Guest ratings averaged 4 out of 5 points.
CanadianHotelGuide.com guest ratings averaged 8 out of 10 points and the property was ranked 14th out of 33 properties from 172 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviews gave this hotel a score of 8.8 out of 10 from 91 reviews.
Verified with a Front Desk Agent on June 25, 2012: basic room amenities, breakfast is included in most room rates, pet policy, smoking policy, no-party policy, the cost of wireless Internet, the cost of self-parking, the cost of long distance calls, and local calls are free
