Calgary's BEST Kept Secret: Days Inn Northwest! (Amazing Deals Inside!)
Calgary's "Best Kept Secret" Days Inn Northwest: A Truthful Tell-All (Amazing Deals Still Inside!)
Alright, buckle up buttercups, because we're diving deep into Calgary's…well, let's just say it… quirky gem: the Days Inn Northwest. Forget the five-star fluff, this is the down-to-earth, slightly-worn-around-the-edges reality check that's actually kind of perfect if you know what you're getting into. And, yes, I saw the "Amazing Deals Inside!" sign. Don't worry, I'll tell you if the deals are actually amazing. Here goes…
First Impressions & The Vibe (aka, Is It REALLY a Secret?)
First off, it ain’t exactly a secret. You can't miss it. It's right there, kinda chugging along, looking… well, like a Days Inn. You know the vibe. You expect the vibe. It's like a friendly handshake, a familiar face in a vast, chilly city. It’s not trying to be pretentious, which, in Calgary, is a breath of fresh air. You’re not expecting a swanky boutique hotel. You're expecting…a place to lay your head, maybe grab some grub, and keep your wallet from weeping. And that's exactly what you get.
Accessibility & Creature Comforts - The Good, The Okay, and the "Hmmmm…"
- Accessibility: Pretty decent! They've got facilities for disabled guests, and an elevator which is a must! I didn't go exploring for every single detail, but I saw ramp access and the general layout seemed okay. Definitely call ahead if you need specifics.
- Internet Access: Yes, they have Wi-Fi. And it's free! In all the rooms! Praise the tech gods! (though sometimes it's…a little slow. More on that later). They also offer LAN, if you’re a super old-school gamer.
- Available in all rooms: Standard stuff like Air Conditioning (thank goodness, because Calgary gets SUNNY), an alarm clock, and a desk. Coffee/tea maker? Yep. Free bottled water? Yup. The essentials are covered.
Rooms: My Space, My Fortress, My… Spotlessly Cleanish Spot?
Okay, let’s talk rooms. Mine was… functional! Clean-ish is a better description than spotless. You know, the kind of clean where you hope they really did the sanitizing, but you're not entirely convinced. No judgement, I’m messy! The bed was comfy enough. They had a TV with all the channels. The bathroom had a shower and a bathtub. And the all-important "window that opens" - yes! Airing out the room after a long day is a must.
- Room Sanitization: This is where they try, and from what I can tell, it looks like they do. Between stays, they sanitize - and they have options to opt out of that…which is weird to me. Are you sure you don't want the extra scrub-down? Your call, though.
- The Extras: They had a mini-bar (yay!), and a safe (double yay!), and sometimes a fridge. Mine did, sometimes it didn't. It's the kind of place where you have to be ready for ANYTHING.
Food, Glorious, Potentially Questionable Food!
- Breakfast: The breakfast? Classic Days Inn. A buffet, if memory serves (pre-COVID, that is), which included the standard bagels, toast, and some (slightly questionable) scrambled eggs. Honestly, I’m not a breakfast person, so who cares?
- Restaurants, Drinking, and Snacking: Okay. The restaurants… there's one on-site. I think. I think it was open. Again, it'd depend on the day and the hour. It was more about getting the basics right and focusing on the price. It’s not gourmet food, but it’s there!
- Coffee Shop: There might be a coffee shop. I think I saw one. Or maybe I dreamed it. Either way, it's Calgary, there are 500 coffee shops within a 5-minute drive. Problem solved.
Pampering, Relaxation, and The Mythical Spa?
- Fitness Center: Yeah, they have a fitness center. Pretty sure it's there! Didn't check it out myself, but I bet it has the basics.
- Spa/Sauna…and Everything Else: Hmmm… I think there was talk of a spa. And the pool…well I will mention that later!
Cleanliness and Safety: Did They Survive the Apocalypse?
- Anti-viral cleaning products: Yeah! They're using them!
- Daily disinfection in common areas: Check.
- Hand sanitizer: Everywhere. Seriously, you can't swing a cat without hitting a hand sanitizer dispenser.
- Staff trained in safety protocol: This is crucial, and from what I could tell, the staff seemed to be trying their best. Masks were on, things were wiped down, and they seemed… generally, concerned about hygiene.
For the Kids (And the Kid in Me - The Most Important!)
- Family/child friendly: Yep. Totally. They’re used to families. No snooty vibes.
- Babysitting service: I didn’t go with a kid, so I don't know. Call ahead!
Services and Conveniences: The Good, The Bad, and The Forgotten
- Business Facilities: They have some of these! Do they work? I have no idea!
- Cash withdrawal: I'm pretty sure they have one.
- Laundry service: Yes! Another win!
- Doorman: Yes!
- Daily housekeeping, and Front desk [24-hour]: Yes!
- Car park [free of charge]: YES!
Getting Around: Wheels, Wheels, Everywhere!
- Car park [free of charge]: Amazing!
- Airport transfer, Taxi service: They offer it.
The "Amazing Deals" - Were They?
Honestly? Yes. I got a good rate. A really good rate. Now, I may have been lucky, or maybe that "Amazing Deals" sign was totally legit. But hey, I’m not complaining.
The Good (or Maybe It's Just Memorable) Stuff
- The staff were genuinely friendly. Even if they weren't always perfect, they were trying. And that counts for a lot.
- The location is pretty decent - you can get around.
- Priced right
The "Needs a Little Love" Stuff (and a few Rants)
- The Wi-Fi… sometimes it’d work, sometimes it’d… well, it'd be like watching paint dry.
- Parking was ample!
- The overall "vibe." It’s not glamorous. It’s not fancy. It’s… functional.
- I'm not sure I would go back to the sauna.
The Emotional Verdict (and the Final Score)
Look, the Days Inn Northwest isn't going to win any awards for fancy décor or gourmet dining. What it does offer is a clean, comfortable, and affordable place to lay your head in Calgary. Would I stay there again? Honestly… yeah, probably. Especially if I wanted a good deal and a no-fuss experience. It's a solid, reliable choice, and, if you can get a good rate, you'll leave happy. It's the kind of place you tell your friends, "Yeah, it's a Days Inn, but the prices are good and you can get to where you want to go." That's a win in my book.
Final Score: 3.5 Stars (Rounded up for the sheer value and the fact that it's not trying to be something it's not).
SEO & Metadata: (Because We Have To, Right?)
- Title: Days Inn Northwest Calgary Review: Honest Truths & Amazing Deals!
- Keywords: Days Inn Calgary, Northwest Calgary Hotels, Calgary Hotel Deals, Affordable Calgary Hotels, Budget Hotels Calgary, Clean Hotels Calgary, Swimming Pool Calgary, Free Wi-Fi Calgary, Parking Calgary, Days Inn Review, Calgary Travel.
- Meta Description: Unfiltered review of Calgary's Days Inn Northwest! Find out about amenities, accessibility, cleanliness, and if those "Amazing Deals" are real. Honest, quirky, and packed with useful info!
- Categories: Travel, Hotels, Calgary, Canada, Hotel Reviews
- Focus Keyword: Days Inn Calgary Review
- Alt Text (for any images): Days Inn Northwest Calgary Exterior, Hotel Room, Breakfast Buffet, Pool
Okay, buckle up, buttercups. This isn't your pristine, perfectly-planned travel guide. This is my attempt at a Calgary Northwest (Days Inn by Wyndham, specifically) diary. Warning: Contains mild chaos. And potentially, a desperate need for a good cup of coffee.
Calgary Chaos: A Days Inn Odyssey (Or: How I Survived a Weekend in Alberta)
Day 1: Arrival and the Great Parking Lot Predicament
- 1:00 PM - Arrival at YYC (Calgary International Airport): Okay, so the flight was… long. Let's just say my armrest and I have a newfound respect for each other (mostly because we shared it). Grabbed my luggage, which, miraculously, contained all the essentials and no rogue bananas. Win!
- 1:30 PM - Rental Car Rendezvous: Picking up a rental was a bit of a clown show. I'd booked a compact, they gave me a… uh… "slightly larger" vehicle. Think mini-van cross-bred with a monster truck. Apparently, the "compact" fleet had spontaneously combusted. First thought? "How the HELL am I gonna parallel park this thing?"
- 2:30 PM - Days Inn Check-In: Found the Days Inn. It looked… exactly like a generic hotel. Beige. Beige. More beige. Check-in was smooth, thankfully. The receptionist had a charmingly tired air, like she'd seen things. Like, really seen things. (I’m betting a lot of things in Calgary. Probably those monster truck vehicles.)
- 3:00 PM - Room Reconnaissance: Room 217. Standard. Two beds that looked like they'd been through a war, a TV the size of a postage stamp, and a surprisingly clean bathroom. I'm not complaining. The air conditioning was working, and that, my friends, is a victory. Threw my stuff down, had a mini internal debate of whether to leave my shoes on the bed. I decided I would and then had to get back on the bed again.
- 3:30 PM - The Great Calgary Traffic Adventure: Attempted to drive to downtown Calgary. That behemoth of a rental car was a disaster in rush hour, but somehow I made it, navigating through the "interesting" Calgary traffic. And the construction. Oh, the construction! Seems Calgary is perpetually undergoing some form of road-based surgery. Made it alive, though still a bit shaken… and hungry.
- 4:00 PM - Finding Food and Forgetting the Route: The first mission was to find food. This is where things went a little sideways. I thought I knew where I was going on the map but ended up in an industrial area, the only option being a sketchy looking diner. I didn’t go in, got even more turned around, and ended up back at the Days Inn. Fine.. guess I'll walk.
- 4:30 PM - The Days Inn's Best Friend, Tim Hortons: Okay, so I’m a basic. Walked to the Tim Hortons across the street. Needed a coffee and a donut. The coffee was lukewarm, and the donut made me wonder if I had developed a sudden aversion to sugar. But I ate it anyway. This is the type of struggle that makes travel exciting.
- 5:00 PM - Settling In and Netflix: Back in the beige embrace of Room 217. Decided I could live with the TV size, and binged some streaming. This is what I needed.
- 7:00 PM - The Great Pizza Quest: Ordered pizza. The delivery guy was wearing a t-shirt that said "I Heart Calgary" and looked utterly miserable. (I get it.) Pizza was… okay. Not award-winning, but edible and satisfying.
- 8:00 PM - Bedtime… for realsies: Started getting ready for bed. The beds looked as comfortable as ever. I'm in, maybe I'll survive this trip.
Day 2: The Calgary Stampede… and Meltdown
- 9:00 AM - Wakey Wakey, Eggs and…. Well, Coffee: The hotel breakfast was included – a true godsend. The options were… minimal. Cereal that tasted suspiciously like paper, some sad-looking fruit, and coffee that was slightly better than yesterday's. I loaded up on caffeine and resigned myself to the inevitable.
- 10:00 AM - The Calgary Stampede: A Sensory Overload: This was the main event. The Stampede. Or as I'm now calling it, the "Mosh Pit of Cowboy Hats." It was… intense. People, music, the smell of livestock (yep, lots of it!), and way too many deep-fried things. I'm not sure I'll ever be the same.
- 11:00 AM - The Stampede: Part Two (AKA: The "Cowboy Up" Attempt): I tried to embrace the spirit! I got myself a cowboy hat (it looked ridiculous), watched some rodeo events (impressive, and slightly terrifying).
- 1:00 PM - Lunch! (But Was It Really Lunch?): Ate a corn dog and watched a tractor-trailer demo. The truck was… alright. The lines were horrendous. The food was… disappointing.
- 2:00 - Meltdown at the Ferris Wheel: I’m not a fan of heights. Thought I could handle the Ferris Wheel. Nope. I panicked. I may have whimpered. I clung to the bar like my life depended on it. The view from up top was nice, though… when I wasn't hyperventilating.
- 4:00 PM - Escape from Stampede: I needed an escape. Seriously. Made it back to the car (which, by this point, I was starting to handle), and drove away.
- 5:00 PM - The Brewery Refuge: Needed a beer. Found a brewery. The beer was cold, and the atmosphere was calm. It felt like I had arrived in heaven.
- 7:00 PM - Pizza Redux: Realized that I need to find something to eat. The first pizza location I planned to try had a 1-hour wait. I then found another pizza place a little further out. This time I ordered something with pineapple (I'm controversial). I'm getting better at being spontaneous.
- 8:00 PM - Room Service TV Night: I spent the rest of the night watching TV in my room. It had been a long day.
- 9:00 PM - Bed Time: Bed, maybe I'll survive this.
Day 3: Departure and Reflections (Mostly of the Slightly Panicked Variety)
- 9:00 AM - Breakfast, AKA "The Last Stand": Faced the breakfast buffet again. Considered just eating a handful of napkins, but I opted for another questionable pastry and even worse instant coffee.
- 10:00 AM - Check Out: Check-out was painless. The clerk had a weary smile. I got the feeling that she understood everything.
- 11:00 AM - The Drive to YYC: Drove to the airport. Parking was a nightmare, but I managed. The rental car, miraculously, was still in one piece. I was starting to feel like I had almost survived the weekend.
- 12:00 PM - Airport Angst and Goodbye: The airport was crazy. Security lines stretched for miles. The plane was delayed. I just wanted to go home.
- 1:00 PM - The Final Thoughts: Sitting on the plane, ready to go home, I had a few final thoughts:
- Calgary is… an experience.
- The Days Inn was… a place to sleep.
- I will NEVER eat a corn dog again.
- Maybe I need a vacation from my vacation.
- 2:00 PM - Take Ooff: The plane lifted off. The adventure was over. I was starting to think about the next one.
Final Verdict: Would I go back? Maybe. But next time, there's going to be a better quality coffee, more solid plans, and definitely less chaos. But hey, for now, I'm alive. And that, in itself, is a victory.
Denver Downtown Getaway: Unbeatable Residence Inn Deals!
Days Inn Northwest: Calgary's "Best Kept Secret"? (Let's Find Out!)
Okay, seriously, what *is* this "Best Kept Secret" hype? I mean, it's a Days Inn, right? Aren't they all...well...you know?
Alright, settle down, fellow budget traveler! Look, I get it. "Days Inn" doesn't exactly scream "luxury getaway." But hear me out, because this place...this particular Days Inn Northwest in Calgary...it's different. Maybe the "secret" is more about expectations. You're not getting the Ritz. You're also not paying Ritz prices! Instead, you're getting a clean, surprisingly spacious room (sometimes!), free breakfast (decent!), and seriously, *seriously* tempting deals. I've snagged rooms there for less than the price of a greasy pizza sometimes. That, my friends, is a secret worth keeping...mostly.
Speaking of deals, what kind of "amazing deals" are we talking about? Are we talking "too good to be true" or "actually good"?
This is where things get exciting, or maybe a little stressful, depending on your personality. Okay, so the prices fluctuate. Wildly. Like a caffeinated squirrel on a sugar rush. But I've personally experienced the "too good to be true" side. Think: Last-minute bookings on a slow Tuesday night? Bam! Major discounts. Shoulder season? Jackpot! You might find deals you almost feel guilty about. I once got a suite (yeah, a SUITE!) for LESS than a standard room at some of the chain hotels. Now, the catch? You gotta be flexible. Weekends can be pricier, and sometimes the price is...well, it's still Days Inn pricing, which is not always appealing, especially if it's competing with other hotels, but they do try! Checking multiple booking sites is absolutely crucial. And don't be afraid to call the hotel DIRECTLY. Sometimes, they have unadvertised offers. Pro tip: check their website, too! Ahh, the joys of bargain hunting...
Let's talk rooms. What's the overall vibe? Cleanliness? Noise? Are we talking "motel chic" or something...better?
Okay, honesty time. "Motel chic" is probably fair. But the "Northwest" part? It makes a difference! The rooms are generally clean. I've had a couple of tiny hiccups – once, a rogue crumb on the carpet (okay, maybe two, but I might be a bit of a neat freak!) - but usually, they're well-maintained. Don't expect the latest design trends. Think functional. The beds are comfortable enough. And the noise...depends. I once had a room near the elevator, and... ugh. Constant 'ding' throughout the day. But other times, it's been surprisingly quiet. My advice? Request a room away from the elevators, the pool (if they have one), and the (possible) highway, or at least choose a high floor.
Breakfast! Tell me about the breakfast. The make-or-break moment for many budget travelers...
Ah, breakfast. The most unpredictable of hotel experiences! Okay, look, the Days Inn Northwest's breakfast is...well, it's *breakfast*. They usually offer your standard fare: waffles (yes!), cereal, toast, muffins, yogurt, scrambled eggs (sometimes), bacon (sometimes), coffee (always needed!). It's not gourmet. It's not a Michelin-star experience. But it's FREE. And after a long drive or a night out exploring Calgary, free food is pretty darn appealing, right? I've witnessed moments of breakfast glory (fresh waffles, crispy bacon!) and moments of...less glory (stale muffins, lukewarm coffee). But hey, it fills you up, it's convenient, and it saves you money. Just don't expect miracles, and you'll survive!
Location, location, location! Where exactly is this "secret" located? Is it convenient?
Location: A mixed bag. It's Northwest, which is generally a good thing in Calgary – you're closer to the mountains and some cool neighborhoods. But, the immediate area doesn't offer much in the way of walk-around-ability. You'll need a car (or be prepared to use public transport). However, you're relatively close to a lot of things. I once had a truly epic day trip out of the hotel when I booked it, driving up towards Banff and the surrounding area. The location is convenient to the Trans-Canada Highway for easier access to the mountains and the city's core (driving time will vary depending on traffic!). There are shops and restaurants nearby, but you'll likely need to drive. It's not perfect, but it's not a deal-breaker either. It's a good base camp!
What about parking? Is that a hassle?
Parking? Generally, no hassle. They have a decent-sized lot. I've never had a problem finding a spot. That being said, always double-check to ensure it's free if you're on a tight budget.
Okay, you mentioned a 'suite' earlier. Tell me more. Are suites actually worth it at this place?
Oh. My. God. The suites... Okay, so I've only had the pleasure of experiencing the suite *once*. And it was glorious. It was that aforementioned "too good to be true" deal. Huge, spacious, two rooms, a sofa, maybe even a microwave! (I can't fully remember, it was a bargain!) Let me tell you, after a long day of driving and exploring, collapsing on that sofa felt like pure luxury. And yes, it was worth it. Usually, Suites are worth it if you're traveling with friends or family and are looking for a little more space and privacy, but when this Days Inn Northwest goes the extra mile and makes the experience... it's hard to resist. However, I think they're usually more expensive. So watch out, because if, like me, you are a sucker for a big bed, this place is not going to disappoint. But don't count on it. They're not always available, and the price might not always be right.
Are there any hidden fees or annoying surprises to be aware of?
Generally, no. But always read the fine print! Double-check for resort fees (a nasty surprise!), parking fees (mentioned earlier), or any other hidden costs that might pop up. I haven't personally encountered anything major, but it's always smart to be vigilant. And one time, a hotel employee was... let's say, "less than enthusiastic." It's not the Four Seasons. But the staff is generally friendly and helpful. But be prepared for the occasional blip. It's part of the charm, I guess?
Hotel Search Trek
Days Inn by Wyndham Calgary Northwest Calgary (AB) Canada
Days Inn by Wyndham Calgary Northwest Calgary (AB) Canada
Post a Comment for "Calgary's BEST Kept Secret: Days Inn Northwest! (Amazing Deals Inside!)"