I stayed at the hotel that's home to Niagara Falls' first-ever observation tower

Ranked as the top tourist attraction in Canada, Niagara Falls is an easy pick for a weekend getaway from Toronto. While there are plenty of places to stay, there’s only one hotel in Niagara that gives you an unparalleled view right from your hotel room window: The Tower Hotel.

Once known as the Seagram Tower, this 1962 landmark was actually the first observation tower near the falls. These days, it's been transformed into a boutique-style hotel with an in-house restaurant that lets you dine with the falls in full view.

Located in Niagara's Fallsview district, I checked into this unique piece of Niagara Falls history to see if this 325-foot icon still lives up to the hype — and its height.

Views you'll fall in love with

The Tower Hotel offers a few different room options, depending on what kind of view you want — whether that's up close and personal with Horseshoe Falls or the serenity of the Niagara River.

I ended up with a city view room, which gave me a sweet panorama of Niagara’s skyline. But if I wanted to see the falls without leaving the building, I headed down to the 25th-floor observation deck.

View from the observation deck. (Chris Middleton)

The deck has a self-guided tour through QR codes that takes you through iconic moments in Niagara's history — like the time the falls were literally turned off, or when the Ontario-U.S. bridge collapsed.

Get up close to the falls

After settling in and checking out the deck, I made my way over to Niagara Parks to get into the thick of it. Luckily, the hotel is just around the corner from the Falls Incline Railway, which takes you straight to all the action.

Chris Middleton

And since I was right in Fallsview, it was only a few steps away to a bunch of other attractions, casinos, and restaurants. So if I wanted to go full tourist or just have a chill night out, the location honestly couldn’t be better.

Picture-perfect dining

After a day of sightseeing and getting in the splash zone, it was time to eat — and luckily, I had a reservation at Sky Fallsview Steakhouse, the hotel’s in-house dining spot with an insane view on the 26th floor.

The cocktail and wine menu had something for everyone, but I went for the Cucumber Mint Cooler — a vodka drink with lemonade, cucumber, and mint. I’m not usually a vodka person, but it was super refreshing after a hot summer day.

As for the food, I started with the crab cakes and followed that up with a filet mignon, plus a shrimp skewer on the side — mainly because I was too scared to go all in on the surf and turf, but after tasting everything, I wish I had.

Chris Middleton

The crab cakes were flaky and tender with a spicy hit from the romesco, and the bordelaise sauce was an unctuous addition to the perfectly seasoned steak. And the shrimp? Grilled to perfection.

Chris Middleton

A unique hotel experience

The observation deck is not only for daytime views, as Niagara Falls does nightly fireworks shows, and the deck puts you right in the action.

Chris Middleton

The next morning, the 26th-floor restaurant was transformed into the most scenic IHOP you could imagine, which was an immediate stop for me. A delicious stack of pancakes and an idyllic view of the falls capped off my trip nicely.

The Tower Hotel has a retro charm that’s totally unforgettable, and if you’re heading to Niagara and want views that’ll make your Instagram followers jealous, this is the spot.

You can book your stay now through the Tower Hotel website.