Where to Stay

Niagara Falls, NY, has them all…

Be it five-star high-rise on the edge of the Falls or no-frills campground on Grand Island…

Cozy bed & breakfast on a shady tree-lined side-street or convenient back-up-and-park motel along the main drag…

Downtown deluxe or suburban sanctuary…

Jacuzzi honeymoon apartment or simple single with shared bath…

Family efficiency or business traveler's all-equipped and fax/modem computer ready executive suite…

And it has them in numbers, boasting a whopping 3,700 rooms within the city limits. Of those, there's a concentration of more than 1,800 within walking distance of the Falls and other attractions such as the Niagara Falls Convention Center, Aquarium of Niagara, and Maid of the Mist boat ride. And that's not counting the hundreds more in the surrounding areas such as Lewiston, Youngstown and Lockport (or the many thousands more across the river in Canada).

Action central: downtown Facing the Niagara Reservation State Park, home to the Falls, can be found close to a dozen hotels and inns. All of these, starting with the nearest one, Comfort Inn The Pointe, offer spectacular views of the cascading waters amid a high-class upscale ambience. The “big boys” include Holiday Inn at the Falls and Holiday Inn Select, Sheraton Four Points with amenities for both families and business travelers, Days Inn at the Falls, and Ramada By The Falls, a Gold Key award-winning hotel. For added value, couples with an itch to get hitched can do so right at the Quality Hotel & Suites' Falls Wedding Chapel.

Those looking for slightly more low-key accommodations have their choice of several inns and motels in the downtown area. These include the 18-room Coachman Motel, and the Econolodge, formerly The Red Maple Inn, featuring brailled exits and elevators. If you're a backpacker or like to save your money for shopping and the sights, try Hostelling International-Niagara Falls, where you can get a bed for $13 a night.

Bed & Breakfasts abound in the Niagara Falls area—and not just on the outskirts of town either. Victoria's Angel Rose, for example, is a cozy four-room B&B whose backyard faces the Niagara River while the Rainbow House Bed & Breakfast is a combination inn and wedding chapel, and Manchester House Bed and Breakfast offers homemade breads and muffins for breakfast.

Along the boulevard On the eastern outskirts of the city, Niagara Falls Boulevard or Route 62 abounds with hotels and motels, especially in the area close to Niagara Falls International Airport, Niagara Falls Prime Outlet Malls, and Summit Park Mall. The Best Western Summit Inn lies directly across from the airport while both the Econo Lodge and Howard Johnson Inn are poised at major intersections to help travelers get quickly from place to place.

As for motels, the choice is vast with more than two dozen lined up along the boulevard and ranging from the tiny 3 Star and 17-room Sands to the 50- and 55-room Thruway Inn and Scottish Inns respectively. Some have heated pools; others Jacuzzi suites; some welcome pets; others have kitchenettes. But the motels, small or large, have one thing in common: clean, comfortable rooms at affordable prices.

Pitching that tent Couples and families looking to make Niagara Falls part of their camping vacation have several options, including the Niagara Falls KOA on Grand Island, directly opposite Martin's Fantasy Island, Niagara Falls North KOA, outside the historic town Lewiston, Four Mile Creek State Campgrounds in Four Mile Creek State Park, and the Niagara County Camping Resort, with 240 wooded sites near Lockport. For RV'ers, the Knights Inn grounds along Niagara Falls Boulevard feature the Beacon Trailer Park, offering sites at USD20 a pop. No matter what you choose, it's a swell way to get closer to nature.

Those who like to be in touch with nature but from within the comfort of a cozy, quilt-covered bed need look no further than the line-up of B&Bs along the country roads and Niagara River banks north and east of the Falls. From the stately almost Southern feel of the Cameo Inn and Cameo Manor North along the Seaway Trail in Lewiston to Joanne's Bed and Breakfast in Youngstown with its singing Irish host and Lockport's Hambleton House B&B, a short walk from the Erie Canal, there's something here just for you.

So, whether you choose five-star service and heated swimming pool or pastel-colored motel with pink flamingos, whether you seek your thrills in an antique-furnished B&B or a tent with electric hookup, you're bound to find something to your taste and budget in the land of the roaring waters.

Please Note: Room rates and other costs fluctuate greatly depending on the time of year. So please check all rates to make sure you're not in for a surprise when you arrive.