Best Western Plus East Side

We called the front desk on Dec 1st to book a two-night stay for Dec 19th, after the online booking portal wouldn’t let me enter more than two children. We chose this hotel because it was closest to our relatives in Saskatoon. I explained we had a newborn, a toddler, and three older boys, the oldest 12. Since the only option was a standard room with two queen beds, we planned to bring a playpen for the baby and share the beds with the other kids, which is very normal for our family. The woman who answered took our details and booked us. After a horrible six-hour drive through a blizzard with low visibility, we arrived in freezing weather at 9:30 pm. The front desk clerk then told us we had to buy a second room and split up our family because we were “too many guests” under their fire code. It was shocking and upsetting, but we didn’t argue, though we should have. I called my parents, and they had to pick up two of our children because the hotel allowed only three to stay with us. ICK. The next morning, our freshly two-year-old pulled the microwave’s glass tray onto the tile floor and it shattered. The microwave was about a foot off the ground. My partner called the desk, and the first thing they said was, “There’s likely going to be a charge for that.” Sure, but there was glass all over the floor with a toddler there. We needed help cleaning it, not a warning about the cost, and they didn’t even ask if our toddler was okay. Housekeeping swept twice and left. After breakfast, we came back to find glass still under the cabinet corner and bed frame. We hadn’t left our things everywhere, just had a bare floor with broken glass and children in the room. My partner asked housekeeping in the hallway for a vacuum and was told, “LATER, COFFEE.” That same morning, my dad brought the two children who weren’t allowed to stay with us to swim. He had a travel mug of coffee and was told he couldn’t supervise them with it, so he had to leave. A very disappointing stay for our family. If you have more than two children and want to be treated with care, patience, and compassion, go elsewhere.

I spent three days there over Christmas, and the stay was great. The breakfast was far better than I expected, with lots of variety. My room was clean, and the staff were great and helpful. I also loved the pool and spent a lot of time swimming by myself, since the adult daughters I was travelling with aren’t swimmers.

We booked by phone and clearly told them we were a family of seven. They said it was fine, but when we arrived at Best Western Plus Saskatoon East Side, they said they couldn’t put us in one room “for safety reasons.” Our oldest is 12 and the youngest is four months old. It made no sense to say it was safer to split up small kids into another room. Thankfully, the grandparents could help, but this should have been explained before we arrived. The next morning, our two-year-old opened the microwave, which was almost on the floor, and the glass tray fell onto the tile and shattered. I called the front desk. Their first response was, “There will likely be a charge for that.” I understood, but my priority was getting help to clear broken glass around small children. Staff came and swept it up, but left shards around the room. I went into the hallway looking for someone to vacuum properly, and the staff member didn’t understand what I was asking. When I finally explained, she said she was going on a coffee break and would come back afterward, while my two-year-old and nine-year-old were still in the room. It wasn’t a family-friendly or safety-focused experience. If you’re visiting Saskatoon with kids, there are probably better options.

A nice, clean, quiet hotel for a good night’s sleep. The underground parking was especially helpful in winter. They also had fresh cookies and cucumber and lemon water by the entrance.