Ramada Emerald Park/Regina East

This was the only hotel I could find that let us buy access to its waterslides without charging an exorbitant price or requiring a large group booking. We only used the slides and had a blast. Unfortunately, the hot tub wasn't working, but we received a discount because of that. Overall, it's a great place.

I booked a room for myself and my older children for one night. We went to the casino and got back pretty late. When we came in, security greeted us by saying, “Get out, leave.” I had to explain that we were hotel guests, which should have been enough for us to go to our room. Instead, he questioned us and checked his computer to confirm what I had told him. I was shocked and annoyed. Was he doing that to every guest returning to their room? Apart from that incident, it was a good stay. The rooms were clean, the pool was nice and large, and security was terrible.

The location is good, with easy access from the highway and close enough to Regina without being in the city. The beds are comfortable and the rooms have big TVs, but that's where the positives end. I won't stay here again and can't recommend it. The hotel seems poorly built, with thin walls and floors and doors that don't seal properly. Noise from upstairs, downstairs, next door, or the hallway carries into the rooms. Staff don't seem concerned about noise before 10 p.m., and neither do the parents of children staying here. Until 10 p.m., expect running and screaming from every direction. Our room wasn't very clean. The furniture and carpet were stained, and there was buildup on the shower fixtures and on the soap and shampoo containers. The drywall was cracked in several places and the paint was peeling. Breakfast feels dated, has no hot options for people who don't eat pork, and offers no dairy alternatives. The pool is the hotel's main attraction, but it isn't very good. The main pool and its surrounding area are quite cold. They still use wristbands, and staff at the door check them and make sure nobody takes towels, with no exceptions. Pool staff enforce only the towel and wristband rules; they don't monitor or enforce anything else. For some reason, the pool area slopes away from the pool and has no proper drainage, leaving standing water throughout. Staff don't seem to clean it up, and there is buildup in the tiles and under the slides. I wouldn't be surprised if it were mold. Finally, the front desk staff aren't as friendly as I'd expect at a hotel these days. Apart from some automated text messages, they don't acknowledge loyalty members or ask how the stay was at checkout.

The hotel has excellent facilities and a very nice pool, but the management was extremely disappointing. During our stay, a hockey team was in town for a competition and staying at the hotel. They set up goals and left equipment in the hallways, and played late into the night. There was constant noise, including pucks hitting room doors. Several guests called the front desk to complain. The receptionist asked the team to stop, but no firm action followed. Management never properly stepped in or set clear limits for the group. At breakfast on all three days of our stay, guests kept talking about the situation, and everyone was unhappy. Still, nothing changed. It was clear the hotel chose to give its other guests a very poor experience in order to keep the team's reservation. It's unfortunate because the hotel has a lot of potential, but the lack of proper management completely affected our stay.