Motel 6 Niagara Falls

Standing six stories high, the Niagara Falls property is one of the larger and newer in the budget motel’s expansive chain, but inside, it’s still a no-frills operation. The lobby is sterile and small -- including only of a reception desk, a couple of chairs, and brochure shelf. There is no breakfast room or restaurant on-site, but lobby does have a small corner area with three tall tables and stools, a coffee dispenser (free for guests), a microwave, a few vending machines, and an arcade game. Besides the lobby, an indoor pool is the only other common area, and guests here are predominantly families and couples. 

This Motel 6 is located on a commercial block across the street from a gas station and next door to a residential community -- it's not the most attractive location, but it's far enough away from the hectic downtown area to be quiet. The touristy shops and restaurants lining Clifton Hill are a 10-minute walk from the motel and the falls themselves can be reached in 20 minutes on foot. Casino Niagara is a 15-minute walk and Bird Kingdom, a family favorite, is five minutes beyond that. Fallsview Indoor Waterpark, another family-friendly destination, is an 18-minute walk and the closest major airport is Buffalo Niagara International Airport, a 42-minute drive away, while Toronto Pearson International Airport is an hour and 17 minutes away by car.

Are these the most attractive rooms to be had in Niagara Falls? No. But in a city chock full of cheap motels and shabby hotels, they are clean and comfortable. The most notable design feature in the otherwise neutral rooms are the loud motel-style comforters -- which look straight off of a child's bed from 1987 -- that pick up turquoise accents walls and blue carpets, in what are otherwise neutral rooms. There is no wall art and furnishings are minimal and limited to a desk and chair(s). All rooms include small wall-mounted flat-screen TVs, individual air-conditioning/heating units, telephones, and mini-fridges. The motel offers and array of room sizes and arrangement, from Double Rooms with two double beds to accommodate families, wheelchair accessible Queen Rooms, and Queen Rooms with in-room private hot tubs. All rooms besides the hot tub rooms have bathrooms with oddly shaped bathtub/shower combos as well as generic toiletries and fixtures; the hot tub room bathrooms have a small, stand-up shower.

The no-frills approach here means features are scant, but the motel offers free Wi-Fi throughout and free coffee in the lobby every morning. There are soda and snack vending machines, a microwave, and small dining area but no restaurant or breakfast facilities. The motel welcomes pets for an extra fee and children under age 17 stay for free. The indoor pool area is nice, with vaulted ceilings and huge windows, but has just a few plastic chairs, and there is coin laundry available on site. Outdoor parking is ample, but subject to a daily fee.