West Edmonton Mall Inn

We have booked with this hotel for six years and reserved 30 rooms for four nights, so it was disappointing to find our group rate was $30 per night higher than the rate on the hotel's own website. When we asked about it, we were told nothing could be done. The property itself is very clean and has provided a wonderful stay over the years, but I wouldn't recommend booking a group block here. I'd book individually instead, and we'll be looking at other options going forward.

The one good part was that housekeeping cleaned our room every day for the remaining three days after we made a formal complaint. That should have been standard from the start. The first room had a strong sewage smell from an active bathroom backup, and it didn't seem to have been inspected before we arrived. During check-in, our booking wasn't properly arranged, so we waited nearly 2.5 hours for reservations to send paperwork that should have reached the front desk almost a week earlier. They also wanted a partial payment upfront despite taking a damage deposit. We'd specifically asked if bedding was changed between guests, and found blood stains on my girlfriend's mattress cover. When we asked for fresh bedding and help with the cold room, the front desk attendant said she didn't like going to the basement for it and handed us sheets from behind the desk. They were dirty and full of hair. She later went downstairs for pillowcases, but the whole exchange felt careless and unprofessional. During the long wait she stood around instead of checking with reservations about the delay. There was no pool, gym, vending machine, or enough luggage carts, so carrying everything down from the third floor in the morning was exhausting. This was my first and last stay. A hotel so close to a major destination should be more organized and treat guests with basic care.

We picked this place because it's close to West Edmonton Mall, but that didn't make up for the stay. The elevator smelled like urine, the beds were musty, and the hallways stank of weed. Breakfast was mediocre, there wasn't even plain water, and staff stood by the door watching people eat, which felt intrusive. Check-in was robotic and unfriendly. Once in the room, we were hit by a horrible sewage smell from an active backup in the bathroom. It was obvious the room hadn't been checked before we arrived. We won't come back.

The room's toilet didn't work properly, and another guest told me their shower had no water pressure. Breakfast was basic but good. The location and the lovely woman at the checkout desk at 5:30 this morning were the best parts. The rate is good during the week, and it's easy to walk to the mall, so I'd stay then. The weekend price felt far too high for the rooms and service. We were meant to check out yesterday, but my husband went to breakfast with a friend and got into a fender bender. While we were trying to work out what to do over the phone around 10:30, I asked about a late checkout. They said the hotel was full and 11:30 was the latest, and the woman suggested I “just” take my infant and toddler to the mall by myself on Black Friday. We did that, which would have been inconvenient but manageable if we hadn't later learned the hotel wasn't actually full. We were able to get another room for the night because the car had to go to the mechanic.