Since my first Fairfield Inn stay in 2014, I’ve been hooked with Marriott. Now, I am on a person quest to stay at every Marriott Bonvoy brand at least once. Welcome to my #EveryMarriottBrandChallenge, #3.
Table of Contents
| Date | Room type | Status | Rating |
| June 9, 2023 (2 nights) June 12, 2023 (1 night) | 1 Bedroom Suite Standard Room with river view | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite | 4/5 |
In one sentence
A landmark hotel in Saskatoon with top-notch service, the Bessborough is not your typical Delta Hotel – in fact, there are plans to give it a much needed facelift and convert it to an Autograph Collection Hotel, but until then, stay for the vibe, service, and amazing breakfast and bear with the very dated rooms and common areas.
Premise
Saskatchewan, as the quintessential prairie province, has always fascinated me. As part of my plan to visit every Canadian province and territory, and thanks to Flair Airlines’ cheap, no-frills flights (only around $160 round-trip from Toronto), I decided to seize the opportunity and book a trip to Saskatoon (the province’s largest city but NOT its capital) in mid-June 2023.
I also managed to convince a friend (who has Marriott Titanium status) to join me on my trip. The accommodations were arranged as follows:
- 2 nights at the Delta Hotels Bessborough – booked by my friend on points
- 1 night at the Courtyard Saskatoon Airport – booked by myself on cash
- And…an unexpected 1 extra night at the Delta Hotels Bessborough, after narrowly missing a flight – booked by myself on points, using a PointsSaver rate of just 12,800 points a night
Arrival/first impressions
On Friday evening, I picked up my rental car (and my friend) upon arrival at Saskatoon Airport and drove straight to the hotel. Saskatoon is a small city, and it took me only around 15 minutes to get from the airport to downtown, and that is without highways. As I will discover, for better or for worse, the city is extremely car friendly.
The Bessborough is a stately building that cannot be missed in the city, although the best view of the building would be from the river side or across the river. The hotel has a small parking lot where it costs $15 to park overnight but downtown Saskatoon has plenty of street parking that allows overnight parking for free (and very affordable parking, compared with cities like Toronto, during the daytime). More information can be found on the City’s website.
After parking, we took a short walk to the hotel, which is located between the Sheraton Cavalier and the Delta Hotels Saskatoon Downtown – Marriott Bonvoy really dominates accommodation in downtown Saskatoon!
Upon entering the hotel, I was rather underwhelmed by the lobby. Looking up above the opening, the lobby’s second level and ceiling have some nice features, but the ground level is rather tight and simply furnished, with a small seating area. Overall, it did not match the grandeur of the building’s exterior or the lobbies of other grand railway hotels that I’ve visited in Canada.
Despite the underwhelming lobby, I had a great first impression of the hotel staff, service-wise, which would become a theme throughout my stay. The staff members at the front desk were warm, friendly and efficient, and confirmed our upgrade to a 1-bedroom Suite for my friend’s booking. Upon hearing that I have an interest in architecture and history, the front desk agent gave me a small pamphlet on the hotel’s historical background and suggested that I check out the mezzanine and conference floors. Vouchers were also given out for free breakfasts due to my friend’s Titanium status.
During my second stay, I arrived at the hotel from the airport in a rather dejected mood after having missed my flight (due to my own fault). Although I was only Silver Elite, the front desk staff kindly upgraded me to a river view room (the views were very comforting after a hectic journey to and from the airport) and even offered me a smoothie voucher at the Garden Court Café. I was impressed by this level of elite recognition, which goes to show the extent to which the hotel values its guests.
Room
Our 1-bedroom Suite was on the sixth floor. Upon exiting the elevator, I was greeted by a wide but rather grab looking foyer and corridor. The lamps on the table facing the elevator were slanted, although the historical photos on the walls was a nice touch.
The suite is placed at an angle. Oddly, it has two doors, but only one of them could be opened with our room key. The door opens to a very generously sized living area with two full-height swing doors towards bedroom, which is also of a decent size.
Although the size of the suite is a plus, it feels oddly empty, and the décor is decidedly dated and dull. The fixtures and furniture of the living room are placed in the far half, leaving a large empty (and seemingly forgotten) space in the half closer to the door. It has more than enough space for a small dining table but instead your vision is occupied by the blue-and-brown carpeting that covers the entire suite which, although clean, looks like it belongs in the 1970s or 1980s. Many of the fixtures and furniture are worn and some of them do not function properly. There are two or three photographs or depictions of the hotel hanging in the suite, but beyond those, nothing else that reflects the hotel’s historical charm. Ironically, the standard room I stayed in during my second stay near the end of the trip felt much better than the suite. Without the large, void space, the standard room felt cozier and more coherent.
The suite has a closet, situated to the left of the entrance, with a small table that contains the coffee and cup tray with a cheap-looking coffee machine that does not fit the vibe of the hotel at all. The abomination is the closet’s ceiling, which reminded me of the ceiling of a high school built in the 1970s.
The bathroom, to the right of the entrance and just outside of the bedroom, is surprisingly small compared to the overall size of the suite. The space is tight, and the sink is of an old style with exposed plumbing. Furthermore, the bathroom mirror is not entirely attached to the wall. Only the top part is fixed, and you could actually swing out the bottom part to see the wall behind, which is not that pleasant to look at to say the least.
The saving grace of the room was the welcome touch put together by the hotel staff. There was a plate of cakes and fruits placed on the table alongside a handwritten welcome note. Additionally, although the room was dated and the fixtures were not in the best conditions, the housekeeping staff did a great job in keeping the room clean. The hotel’s staff members really did their best for the guests despite the state of the hotel’s hardware.
The room I had during my second stay at the hotel, a Standard Room with river view, was a lot more compact but somehow it felt more characteristic and coherent than the suite, perhaps due to a lack of empty space. The room had a direct view towards the river with a lovely view of the hotel’s historic architecture, as the photo below shows, which was really nice. The bathroom seemed to be of the same size or even slightly larger than the suite’s bathroom. Overall, I would recommend booking or asking for a room with a river view.
Food
The hotel has one lounge at the ground level and one restaurant. In contrast to the overall state of the hotel’s hardware, the breakfast/brunch offerings at the Garden Court Café, which is the hotel’s only full-service restaurant, are simply outstanding.
Over the course of three breakfasts, and between my friend and I, we tasted five different items from the breakfast menu. Each plate was beautifully presented, and even the plates looked special. The chef was able to put a creative spin even for something as simple as pancakes or French toast while not going overboard, keeping a great mix and balance of ingredients and flavours. Furthermore, the portions were large, especially given the reasonable price.
There are two themes in the hotel that continued in the restaurant. On the negative side, the furnishing of the restaurant is dated, although that is made up by the bright atmosphere if you come on a sunny day, especially if you grab a seat by the windows overlooking the pool or the riverside gardens.
On the positive side, the servers were all very kind and warm, making you comfortable even if you are dining alone. They are willing to strike up some small talk but also know when to leave you alone. There is a homey atmosphere there, which made me feel especially great during the last day while I was staying alone. It is a restaurant that I would be willing to go again in a heartbeat.
Amenities
I did not make use of the other amenities at the hotel, such as the pool or the fitness centre. However, I did get a sense that the pool is of a good size while looking over it during breakfast from the Garden Court Café.
The hotel has a Delta Club Lounge on the second (Mezzanine) level, which we technically had the privilege of accessing by way of my friend’s Titanium status. However, it was closed during weekends, so we did not make use of it.
Aside from the standard hotel amenities, I would highly recommend checking out the Mezzanine and Conference levels of the hotel. There is a wooden telephone booth on the Conference level, which is a true gem. In the rest of the space, you can easily spot peeling paint or wallpaper but also beautifully designed ceilings, lighting fixtures and curtains. This is where you could truly imagine how beautiful the hotel could be after proper, extensive renovations.
I would also recommend taking a stroll along the river or around the hotel’s riverside greens on a good day. That is the best vantage point, in my opinion, to take photos of the hotel’s building.
Verdict
The Delta Bessborough is a grand dame in Saskatoon that has great potentials if given the proper care and treatment. In the meantime, you will be warmed by the service and filled by the food, two elements that I hope the hotel stick with in its planned renovation and rebranding.
