Christmas Magic At The Fairmont Hotel MacDonald

Want to REALLY get in the Christmas Spirit? All it takes is one step into the grand lobby of The Fairmont Hotel MacDonald. As part of the Edmonton’s Best Hotels group; the magic is felt throughout your entire stay and beyond. We were lucky enough to spend a night on the Gold Floor and invite you to do the same.

WHERE WE STAYED

The Fairmont Hotel MacDonald is one of the most recognizable buildings in Edmonton. It looks exactly like a castle and that’s why it’s nicknamed “ Edmonton’s River Valley Castle”. It was built in 1915 as a part of the Canadian railway hotel development as an early-20th century railway hotel. This Châteauesque-styled building is considered one of Canada's grand railway hotels. It is truly spectacular.

ROOMS

For our stay we were located on the 7th floor which is their Fairmont Gold Floor. It is like an exclusive hotel-within-a-hotel experience. There is a private check in located on that floor, an exclusive lounge with deluxe continental breakfast, all day coffee and tea service, and evening canapés & honour bar. The breakfast and canapés are included with your stay.

Our room was incredible. We stayed as a family so it had a King size bed in a separated bedroom for Bobby and I along with a hideaway bed in the main area for the girls. Lots of room for all of us- even Cactus our dog! (More on how well they treated him later!). There was a mini bar as well as a Nespresso machine. Robes and personalized photos were also in there for us.

No detail was left untouched. I was very impressed.

The bathroom was GIANT. It included a marble vanity, porcelain flooring, and a European-style spa shower. Tons of room for all of us and that shower was so beautiful!

A really neat thing was the PURA Botanicals In-Room Luxury Facial Kit. It was a real treat to have that in our room at night and it was designed exclusively for the Fairmont Hotel MacDonald. Kits can be purchased at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald Health Club. For anyone on the go ( I’m looking at you busy moms!!) the Overnight Watermelon Mask to soften, revitalize and hydrate the skin for the ultimate beauty rest is MUST.

The Rose 31 toiletries were a family fav. They smelt so wonderful.

Complimentary WiFi is also included and their outlets are USB cord compatible!

THE HOLIDAYS

The holidays are a VERY special time at the hotel. You can feel it right when you step through those front doors and are greeted by the giant Christmas Tree and life-size gingerbread house. Yes - there is a life-size gingerbread house in the lobby that you can actually walk through! There is also a train set up; which was a fav of the girls.

Throughout the entire hotel there is holiday cheer. You can’t help but smile.

THE POOL

You know we love a good pool sesh! And the Fairmont did not disappoint. They are super kid friendly and private swimming lessons for your little fishes are offered through Lil Betta’s Swim School. Nikaela was UNREAL. And I say this because both girls accomplished more in their half an hour lessons than they had in the last year of classes. I was so impressed.

These lessons are a great option for parents wanting to just relax with a coffee poolside or catch up in the hot tub. Let’s us relax while the kids have that special one on one time too with the instructor.

They have a main pool (where the swimming lessons were), a hot tub and a kiddie (shallow) pool.

There is also an extensive health club including a big workout room, sauna and steam room at the Fairmont Hotel MacDonald. They also offer massage therapy.

FOOD

There are lots of dining options at the hotel. They have their main restaurant, The Harvest Room, which is where we had dinner. It was wonderful. They offer breakfast, dinner and an all day dining menu. They also had a great kids menu. You will see in pictures I forgot to take a “before” of the Chicken Fingers before we broke them up for the girls haha. Whoops.

Sunday Brunch at The Fairmont Hotel MacDonald is legendary. You can enjoy everything from made-to-order omelettes, specialty crepes, to savoury carving stations, and so much more.

For Christmas; their Festive Dining does not disappoint. They have special menus for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Years Day. And of course; you know they will be celebrating New Years Eve in style!

More information on their Festive Dining this season can be found HERE.

As mentioned above, part of the Fairmont Gold Experience is an exclusive lounge with deluxe continental breakfast, all day coffee and tea service, and evening canapés & honour bar. The breakfast and canapés are included with your stay.

DOGS

I am so happy to tell you that The Fairmont Hotel MacDonald is pet friendly. And oh they treated Cactus so well! When we arrived there was a dog bed and a bowl waiting for him and all of the staff greeted him by name. I know it’s just a little thing but it was really sweet.

Both dogs and cats are permitted at a charge of $35 CAD + GST per pet, per day, which includes a $5 CAD per day donation to the Edmonton Humane Society. There is a designated pet relief area on the premises, and waste bags are available.

The Hotel MacDonald has a longtime love for dogs. They had an ambassador, Smudge, who just recently passed away. For years, guests were often greeted by her and she hung out in the lobby.

Her legacy lives on throughout the hotel and even through the little stuffies that Kennedy and Lilly were so generously gifted in our room. It was really special.

PARKING

They do offer valet parking and self-parking with in and out privileges.

Rates:

$50.00 CAD daily for valet parking overnight or over four hours, excluding tax
$25.00 CAD for valet parking up to four hours, excluding tax
$40.00 CAD for overnight self-parking, excluding tax

EDMONTONS BEST HOTELS

We stayed at The Fairmont Hotel MacDonald in partnership with Edmonton’s Best Hotels. It’s a website where you can book a hotel, get the BEST available rates and receive additional perks at no extra cost! You know I love a good deal and this website is awesome. Why not get something extra for something you were going to book anyways.

Great News- Fairmont Gold IS included in the 1-2-3 Deal. You get to pick your reward based on how many nights you stay!! You choose what is best for your lifestyle and your ideal vacation.

Book One Night & Choose From $50 in Rewards:

• One Night Reward 1: $50 Gas Card

• One Night Reward 2: $50 Prepaid Mastercard

• One Night Reward 3: $50 Ultimate Dining Card

(That’s $50 in FREE rewards!)

OR

Book Two Nights & Choose From $150 In Rewards:

• Two Night Reward 1: $150 Prepaid Mastercard

• Two Night Reward 2: $75 Prepaid Mastercard + $75 Gas Card

• Two Night Reward 3: $75 Gas Card + $75 Ultimate Dining Card

(That’s $150 in FREE rewards!)

OR

Book Three Nights and Choose From $225 in Rewards:

• Three Night Reward 1: $225 Prepaid Mastercard

• Three Night Reward 2: $75 Ultimate Dining Card + $75 Prepaid Mastercard + $75 Gas Card

(That’s $225 in FREE rewards!)

*Included rewards will be emailed to guests within 24 hours after checking in to their hotel. Rewards are not provided by the hotel’s front desk. While supplies last.

If you are looking for a little luxury in the city; look no further than the Fairmont Hotel MacDonald. We absolutely loved our stay and will cherish these memories forever. The girls keep calling it the “Castle Hotel” and I think they truly thought they were princesses running through those fabulous hallways. This may have been our first stay at The Fairmont Hotel MacDonald but it will not be the last. I hope you can find the chance to enjoy it and treat yourself too.

xoxo Jacks

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