To the point
The Fairfield Inn and Suites Calgary Downtown is an affordable hotel to enjoy a day in downtown Calgary.
Booking
The Fairfield Inn and Suites Calgary Downtown is a Marriott Bonvoy Category 3 hotel.
We had originally booked at the Hilton Garden Inn Calgary Downtown, since we wanted to enjoy lunch at the hotel’s restaurant with Hilton Honors Gold status (obtained with the Platinum CardMD from American Express).
Since the day before our stay in Calgary, Alberta went back to “Step 1” (closing all dining rooms), it would be an in-room breakfast anyway.
After checking availability and prices for a possible change, I found:
- Several interesting last minute offers for Marriott Bonvoy
- Many hotels under $90 per night.
- Several hotels in pointsavers between 8,000 and 10,000 points per night.
We booked 2 rooms (there were 3 of us) at the Fairfield Inn and Suites Calgary Downtown for $78 a room ($87 with tax).
We were able to cancel at the Hilton as the reservation was cancelable without charge until 11:59 pm the day before.
We always book our hotel rooms and car rentals for our trips well in advance with the option to cancel up to 24 hours in advance. This allows us to re-book with the new benefits when the price drops or when there is a promotion.
Finally we wrote to the hotel using the mobile app messaging to get an upgrade for at least one of the rooms (again, thanks to the Gold Elite Status obtained with my Platinum CardMD from American Express).
No problem: Anthony at the reception desk will arrange it for us. We paid for our stay with the Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express® Card to earn 5 points per dollar.
Location
The Fairfield Inn and Suites Calgary Downtown is centrally located in the trendy Beltline area with lots of pubs and restaurants. Next door is the Calgary Stampede, home of the famous rodeo of the same name, and downtown.
Around the hotel
The hotel is really well located and it allows you to enjoy the attractions of the city centre on foot.
Hotel reception
We were leaving from the Kananaskis Mountain Lodge, Autograph Collection which is also owned by Marriott Bonvoy. Check out the story on milesopedia here:
In Kananaskis, we had requested a late departure to enjoy a last sunny morning in the snowy mountain (granted thanks to the Gold Elite Status). So we left around noon instead of 11am.
After asking via chat if our rooms were available, we headed to Calgary which is 1 hour and 15 minutes from Kanasaskis.
The lobby is welcoming with bright colors and a modern touch.
Fun fact: the receptionist made a mistake in the reservations and did not give us the right rooms the first time. As an apology, he offered us parking.
On the ground floor, there are two restaurants: we took the opportunity to order a take-away meal at the “Beltliner” which we ate in our room.
Our room
As we had two reservations, we tested two room models (a standard room and a Suite). They had a beautiful decoration which is a nice change from some older hotels.
Each TV comes with a ChromeCast device, which allowed us to stream our shows directly from our phone.
Standard room (with a king size bed)
The room is not very big but still functional with a fridge, a microwave and a desk.
The bathroom comes with a glass shower which is a plus compared to the classic bath-shower.
The view is from the north side, thus overlooking the city centre.
Accessible Suite with a king-size bed
In order to have more space and a king bed, we decided to use the Accessible Suite instead of a suite with two queens.
The Suite comes with a large lounge with a sofa bed, a removable desk, a chair and a footstool. So there are enough chairs to eat around the table with 3-4 people.
There is also a fridge and a microwave.
The room is equipped with a king bed.
The bathroom is large, with a shower.
This time the view is to the south.
Hotel services
The hotel has a reserved breakfast area on the 2nd floor and a gym. However, these sections were closed during our visit due to the pandemic.
Parking
The hotel has a parking lot at a cost of $19 per day.
The entrance is not easy to find and you have to call the reception to get the gate opened.
Our general impression of the hotel
The Fairfield Inn and Suites Calgary Downtown is a great value for a one or two-day stopover in Calgary to enjoy the downtown area.
Earning Marriott Bonvoy Points
The best way to earn Marriott Bonvoy points to stay for free at over 7,000 hotels worldwide is to be a Marriott Bonvoy American Express (and/or Marriott Bonvoy Business American ExpressMD Card) cardholder.
In addition to the great welcome bonus on both cards, you’ll earn 2 points per dollar on all purchases and 5 points per dollar at Marriott locations.
And each year, you’ll earn a free hotel night certificate (35,000 point value) as well as 15 Elite nights towards your Marriott Bonvoy status.
Alternatively, you can earn Marriott Bonvoy points with American Express Membership Rewards credit cards. You can transfer Membership Rewards points to Marriott Bonvoy points at a rate of 5:6 (50,000 Membership Rewards points = 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points).
For example, with the American Express CobaltMD Card, you earn 6 Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar of purchases at grocery stores, restaurants, bars, convenience stores and home delivery. It is one of the best credit cards in Canada for travellers. Find out why here.
Check out this page for all the welcome offers on cards that earn Marriott Bonvoy points.
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