Fairmont Hotel Macdonald – Edmonton, Alberta

I love historic hotels and Fairmont has a bunch of them that are spectacular! We got to stay overnight at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald in their standard room which they call Fairmont Room. It was a decent room, it’s not huge but it’s comfortable. The lobby wasn’t large, but they do have the pool/spa facilities on the lower floor which is like an extension of their lobby.

Once into the room, it wasn’t very big and it’s definitely got everything you need! There’s the bathroom the the left and a closet with tons of space including an in-room safe in the closet. The bathroom wasn’t bad, there was plenty of space.

Our room had a queen bed in it and it overlook the bus Central Station which was extremely noisy. The view wasn’t bad at night as you can see some of the river – but if noise is an issue, this isn’t the view you’d like!

The overall feel and room was comfortable. The hotel staff was able to accommodate me checking in early and the hotel was great! The staff was friendly – but their valet staff did take longer than expected. At least twice we asked for our vehicle, they claimed it would be there about 15-20 minutes. We’d get down closer to half an hour and we’d still have to wait. So, make sure you leave yourself with enough time to retrieve your vehicle.

The hotel is located right by the river in downtown and it’s really convenient by foot and transit if you need to commute that way! It’s a great location and it’s safe both day and night.

The pool although we didn’t get to use, it was pretty large and looks like fun!

The video clip below is a room walk through of the room we stayed in:

Fairmont Hotel Macdonald – Edmonton

10065 100th Street
Edmonton, Alberta
780-424-5181

Bak Hauk Orient Delight – Sherwood Park, Alberta

We were driving across Edmonton when we ventured into Sherwood Park and found ourselves hungry. We stumbled upon Bak Hauk Orient Delight kind of in a strip plaza. There’s tons of parking here and the restaurant is very spacious in size.

I love places with Hokkigai which is surf clams, so I had to order some, kind of like an appetizer. I know it’s werid, but it was decent!

For the actual meal, I ordered their Pineapple Chicken & Beef on Rice which wasn’t bad! It was a large plate of rice with chicken and beef stir fried with pineapples.

My husband had their Malaysian Laksa which looked and smelled delicious. The soup was actually kind of watered down and the shrimp was actually soggy.

Overall, it was a decent experience although I do not recommend their laksa.

Bak Hauk Orient Delight on Urbanspoon

Bak Hauk Orient Delight

120 – 270 Baseline Rd
Sherwood Park, AB
(780) 449-5462

Tacos La Mexicana – Edmonton, Alberta

We originally wanted to eat something else along Whyte Ave, and it was full – so we wandered around for a little while when we walked into Tacos La Mexicana. On the wall, there’s a board of all the “compliments” they get. So, it was quite promising. The restaurant is very little and it doesn’t have AC. It was quite stuffy for a hot summer day.

We were quite excited to be here as last time we randomly walked into a taco place it was very delightful. We ordered a burrito each and I got the mixed fajita burrito where they didn’t actually ask which kind of protein I wanted, so they gave beef. The burrito was warm in the inside and the beef was quite tough making it a little tough to eat. The burrito was stuffed with some onions, peppers, rice and of course beef.

My husband ordered their Chili Cheese Burrito with beef and it was decent. It was really hot and heated through – as it should be so the cheese was melted. The ground beef was really ground up it was almost like a paste. It wasn’t too bad at all, but it was loaded with onions and cabbage which seemed a little weird.

Overall, it’s probably a good place to go if you’re just not wanting to wait in line anywhere else. Otherwise, the burritos were average.

Tacos La Mexicana on Urbanspoon

Tacos La Mexicana

8123 104 St
Edmonton, AB
(780) 988-9210

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Edmonton Airport – Nisku, Alberta

We were lucky to unwind a week in Edmonton, Alberta where we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express – Edmonton International Airport which is just outside of the actual city in Nisku/Leduc. The hotel is easy to find and it’s right by the train tracks – which could be noisy when the train goes by.

The room was really large and offered a seating area. The suites are relatively quiet except when a train goes by. The train doesn’t go by too often which makes this a nice hotel for business or personal. There is also complimentary breakfast with the hotel.

In the event of not wanting to eat complimentary breakfast, or you missed it, or you just have something else in mind – this hotel is ideal as it offers both a mini fridge and microwave! You can do almost anything!

The bathrooms are quite standard as any other hotel bathroom – and they use really nice bathroom amenities. Bath and Body works was the brand of their choice which is a lovely brand and growing in popularity!

The beds are so comfortable and the pillows were plush yet firm. We had a great night sleep and wouldn’t mind returning to this hotel again! The hotel itself offers amenities like dining, and pool & hot tub. Unfortunately during our stay, the hot tub was down and I was going to use it to soak the stress for the week away.

The video shows the room walk through – which was a fantastic room!

Holiday Inn Express – Edmonton International Airport

1102-4th Street Edmonton International Airport
Nisku, Alberta T9E8E2 Canada
1 877 660 8550 |

Barb & Ernie’s Old Country Inn – Edmonton, AB

One relaxing weekend while in Edmonton, we decided to change up our routine and go out for breakfast instead of enjoying “complimentary breakfast” at the hotel. We ventured to Barb & Ernie’s Old Country Inn which is located right on 72nd Ave and it looks like a German house.

We ordered both sweet and savoury breakfast, so I picked their Breakfast Special which was mango crepes filled with mango cream cheese, then topped with some mango and raspberry coulee. The portions were huge, the food was fresh and delicious!

We also ordered Breaded Pork Schnitzel which was much thicker than the schnitzel that I’m use too, but it was a delicious fried pork chop!

Overall, the breakfast was extremely filling and delicious. We enjoyed our experience here and everyone was so friendly and happy.

Barb & Ernie's on Urbanspoon

Barb & Ernie’s Old Country Inn

9906-72 Ave. NW
Edmonton, AB
(780) 433-3242