This past week, Mister and I were hosting our friends Bob and Nancy from Chicago, and while it was the first time they saw our new home in St. Vital, we could tell they were much more enamoured with their stay at the Best Western Plus Winnipeg Airport Hotel.
And who could blame them?
Sure, I was hoping Bob and Nancy would notice all the new additions to our living room, and that we’d get more compliments about our bedrooms, but when compared to where they were staying it was clear our abode was following a tough act.
It was like a band coming on to play a set after a modern class act like Josh Groban — you just can’t follow those notes.
For starters, you can’t beat the location: After their short flight in from the Windy City our friends were checked in and shown their room literally within minutes from the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport.
The lobby of the Best Western Plus Winnipeg Airport
We came by to shortly after, whereby Nancy and I decided to head to CF Polo Park to catch up over a little mall therapy. CF Polo Park is just a two-minute drive away (or a ten minute walk, which Nancy was game for after the flight, but I declined as I was in heels) and is Winnipeg’s biggest mall. It arguably has the best brands in the city, and it provided a shopping experience that even Nancy — with her Chicago tastes — was extremely impressed with.
While us girls were catching up, Mister and Bob did so over drinks at Finnegans Lounge — the hotel’s stylish bar, before walking over to the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada, our country’s second largest aviation museum which is just a couple blocks away.
Bob is a big plane buff, and he got a total kick out of all the unique aircrafts that were on display — especially the Canadian Innovations section which houses the Aero Avrocar “flying saucer” which Bob could not stop talking about that night over dinner.
Finnegans Lounge
And speaking of that dinner, we had it at Dalton’s, the Best Western’s excellent restaurant, before we took a short taxi ride downtown to catch the Winnipeg Jets play the Chicago Blackhawks.
Dalton’s is known for its Sterling Silver steaks which I eagerly ordered. I went with the rib steak, which was cooked perfectly medium rare and proceeded by a terrific wild mushroom soup that I had for my starter. Mister raved about his Crown Royal baby back ribs, while Nancy tucked into the Manitoba pickerel, electing for a local ingredient which she says she’s now going to try to find a source for in Chicago.
Bob, in-between telling us about the planes and how Chicago was going to win that night (he was even wearing a Blackhawks jersey) managed to take down a bison burger that looked delightful. He was particularly fond of the local New Bothwell horseradish cheese that was on it.
We were all almost as pleased with our meal as I was with the Jets winning later that night — which I may or may not have rubbed in Bob’s face a bit.
The next day, before heading for the short trip from the hotel to Assiniboine Park Zoo, we brought ‘Lil over to go for a swim in the Best Western’s pool, while the four of us adults had a soak in the hot tub.
I tell you, the Best Western Plus Winnipeg Airport Hotel certainly has all the amenities you could ask for, along with pristine modern rooms that Nancy adored. She was certainly a big fan of the premium bedding and king size mattress in their room — as she frequently noted.
And before I finish, I should tell you that I was already aware of some of the finer points of the Best Western Plus Winnipeg Airport Hotel before we spent some time with Bob and Nancy there.
First off, Mister and I have hit up Dalton’s “Fabulous Sunday Brunch” several times where a carving station, an impressive array of desserts (including a chocolate fondue) and a bountiful buffet that features charcuterie, a modern salad bar, and excellent takes on brunch standards are all well-executed. It’s also colourfully decorated with carved fruits and vegetables that one would expect at a high-end resort in the Caribbean.
We’ve also attended weddings at their Greenwood Ballroom, where the decor is always drop-dead gorgeous and the three-course dinners spot on. For locals looking for a venue, I could not recommend the Greenwood experience anymore — check out their packages and rates here, which range from a very reasonable $88 to $118 per person.
Best Western Plus Winnipeg Airport is located at 1715 Wellington Avenue.
Only in The Peg chronicles the adventures of the Peg family–Missus, Mister and Lil’ Peg–as they discover everything there is to see and do in Winnipeg. Follow them on Twitter at @tourismwpg or visit them on Facebook. For even more info on Winnipeg, visit www.tourismwinnipeg.com. Subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter to stay in the loop on the latest information, contests, and upcoming events!
