I spent $1,000 to stay in a hotel directly facing Niagara Falls. Here are 4 things that surprised me about my room.

In August of 2022, during a train trip through Eastern Canada, I visited Niagara Falls, an iconic landmark known for massive waterfalls located on the border of the US and Canada. I wanted to make the most of my first time seeing the falls, so when I booked my trip, I searched for hotels with a direct view.

According to Trip Advisor, Niagara Falls, Ontario, has more than 150 hotels ranging from three to five stars. In the low season in winter, the most affordable hotels in the city start at around $47 a night, whereas luxury hotels can start around $250 a night, according to the same source.

I chose the Sheraton Fallsview, a well-located hotel that faces Niagara Falls on the Canadian side, which I thought made it an exceptional place to stay to enjoy front-row views at every turn.

Part of the Marriott Bonvoy hotel collection, the Sheraton Fallsview is a four-star hotel with rooms ranging from interior view with no window starting at $130, to falls-view guest rooms and suites, which can cost between $150 and $600 according to a search I conducted a month in advance. Since I visited in the summer during the high tourism season, my room was more expensive at the top end of that range at $500 per night.

Since I had never previously visited Niagara Falls or even seen large waterfalls of this scale, I decided to upgrade to a premium 258-square-foot American Fallsview room with a direct view for my two-night stay.

There are several hotels in Niagara Falls, Ontario, that offer views of the falls, but I chose the Sheraton Fallsview hotel because of its reputation on the Niagara Falls tourism website as the best hotel for prime views of all three falls: the American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and Horseshoe Falls, the U-shaped falls on the right.

When I checked into the hotel, I anticipated being blown away by the scenery from my room's window, but staying at the Sheraton Fallsview also brought on some unexpected surprises that made me feel like my stay was worth the $1,000 price tag.

I knew I'd be able to see Niagara Falls from my room when I booked it, but I didn't know how the room would be laid out. So, I was surprised to find that due to the room's open floor-plan and floor-to-ceiling windows, I'd be able to view the epic site from the comfort of my bed.

I thought it was relaxing to watch the falls from my queen-size bed, and I felt excited falling asleep at night knowing that the falls would be the first thing I'd see when I opened my eyes in the morning without having to face any of the crowds outside.

Unlike most other hotel stays I've experienced, the falls were so entrancing that I didn't turn on the TV once during my time there. I was too busy enjoying the view instead.

My room advertised a Juliette balcony. According to the hotel's website, the Sheraton is the only hotel in Niagara Falls to offer this type of terrace, which has a glass door that opens up to outside, though I couldn't actually step onto it.

I didn't know my room would have a balcony before I arrived.

I didn't anticipate being able to hear the waterfalls from my hotel room without the barrier of a window, and with the door open, thought the falls were surprisingly loud. I also thought that opening the door gave me a better glimpse of Niagara Falls.

I found listening to the falls to be calming. It reminded me of the white noise audio I sometimes use to fall asleep, except smoother and more powerful.

Usually, I put on a playlist to start my day, but at the Sheraton Fallsview, I hopped out of bed and opened the door so I could get ready to the sounds of the crashing water.

While the falls are breathtaking during the day, staying in this hotel room made me think they may be even more beautiful at night. After the sun went down, I looked out the window to find the falls glowing in changing colors, courtesy of the Niagara Falls Illumination board.

According to Niagara Parks, these lights are projected onto the water from the Illumination Tower and the Table Rock Centre rooftop. The edge of Horseshoe Falls also has lights on it.

The falls glow every night of the year, and the changing colors represent sunrises, the aurora borealis, rainbows, and sunsets, according to the same source.

I had no idea that the falls would glow at night in color like this before visiting Niagara Falls, so if I hadn't stayed in a hotel with a view of the falls, I may have never seen them. Each night at the Sheraton Fallsview, I pulled a chair up to the window to watch the show.

I also didn't realize my room would give me a front-row view of a nightly fireworks show.

During my first night in the hotel, after I was already mesmerized by the light show, I was completely awestruck when fireworks started popping off above the falls.

The fireworks display happens every night at 10 p.m. from late May to early October, according to Niagara Falls Live. The show went on for about six minutes each night. I thought it felt magical.

Seeing the fireworks show from my bed was a happy surprise, and I relished in avoiding the crowds of people rushing to admire them from the same viewpoints below. I felt like a VIP on my own private perch and thought it made the nightly $500 price totally worth it.