JW Marriott Edmonton ICE District: Not Only For Hockey Fans

If you’re traveling to Edmonton, Alberta’s provincial capital, whether on business or en route to Jasper National Park in the Canadian Rockies, there’s plenty to do in this western Canada city, from cool museums like the Art Gallery of Alberta and the Royal Alberta Museum, the excellent Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market, and a number of experiences that can help you learn more about the region’s Indigenous cultures. But if you’re in town for a hockey game or major concert, make your base in the city’s ICE District, the entertainment zone built around the Rogers Place arena where the National Hockey League’s Edmonton Oilers play. The JW Marriott Edmonton ICE District — connected directly to the arena — is a modern, business-friendly lodging that offers plenty for leisure travelers, too.

Here’s the scoop:

JW Marriott Edmonton ICE District

This city center tower opened in 2019. It has 22 floors of hotel rooms and residential condominiums on the upper levels. The JW Marriott Edmonton ICE District has several food and beverage outlets, an enormous fitness facility, and 346 guest rooms ranging from standard kings to lavish suites.

Eating and Drinking

The Oliver & Bonacini restaurant group, which runs eateries in several Canadian cities, operates the JW Marriott’s restaurants.

In the hotel’s always bustling lobby lounge, both guests and hockey fans stop in for drinks and snacks throughout the day. Kindred Food + Drink serves an Italian-inspired menu of pizzas, pastas, and sandwiches, and you can pick up coffee or a quick bite at the adjacent grab-and-go counter, open during the daytime hours.

Also on the lobby level, Braven Restaurant is a more upscale steakhouse centered around a long chef’s counter with a wood-fired grill. Most guests seem to come for big slabs of Alberta beef, but smaller dishes, like the carrot ginger soup, topped with a scoop of ricotta cheese, a focaccia crouton, and a splash of dill oil, are tasty as accompaniments or as smaller meals.

Tip: You can find plenty of other eating and drinking options a short walk from the hotel, including Bar Henry on the plaza just outside the JW Marriott, which serves cocktails and creative Italian-style small plates. Make a reservation at Bernadette’s, on nearby 104 Street NW, where Indigenous chef Scott Iserhoff crafts creative dishes like potato dumplings with rabbit ragú or brisket with Saskatoon berries, using regionally grown or sourced ingredients.

Fitness and Wellness

One of the property’s best features, at least if you’re into wellness, is the 5th-floor fitness center and spa. The giant gym facility with huge windows overlooking the arena and surrounding plaza has all the fitness machines and equipment you might need. You can also sign up for yoga, boxing, and other exercise classes.

The indoor lap pool isn’t large, but the wall of windows almost makes it feel like you’re swimming outdoors — only warmer, especially if you soak in the adjacent whirlpool tub after your swim.

A unique wellness option is the “Somadome,” which looks something like a space capsule but is designed for private meditation sessions. Book your time in the dome (for an additional charge) through The Spa by JW, the hotel’s spa facility, which also offers massages and other treatments.

If your idea of wellness includes refreshments in a secret lounge, the JW Marriott has got you covered here, too. Hidden behind a bookshelf outside the 5th-floor fitness center, the hotel’s Alchemy Bar is a cozy drinking nook with a large outdoor patio.

Guest Rooms and Amenities

All the guest rooms and suites at the JW Marriott are decorated in neutral colors with dark wood furnishings. They are equipped with Illy coffee makers and mini fridges. The hotel has no ice machines, but there is an ice menu offering different varieties of frozen food that you can order from room service. Bathrooms are modern, with separate compartments for the toilet and shower.

The entry-level standard guest rooms have one king or two queen beds, a work desk, and an armchair. In the slightly larger deluxe rooms, a chaise longue replaces the chair. Many of the guest rooms are decorated with prints that recall Alberta’s oil-producing heritage. Since the JW Marriott is taller than many of the surrounding structures, the rooms on the upper floors look out over downtown or the arena, which is illuminated at night.

The hotel has 20 one-bedroom suites with a living room, dining area, and bar, along with a separate bedroom. The suites are the only units with a bathtub; other rooms have showers only. Many of the suites are located on the corners of the building, offering more light and more expansive views over the city.

The hotel’s premium suites are even larger, with more spacious living rooms, plus kitchenettes with a microwave, full-sized fridge, and a smaller wine fridge. If you were hosting a corporate event or a hockey party, these units would give you a lot more room to play.

But if you’re just in town for a hockey game, even the standard rooms at the JW Marriott Edmonton ICE District will make you a fan of this Canadian city center hotel.

Rates

Double room rates at the JW Marriott Edmonton ICE District start at about CAD$280 per night, though like many properties, the hotel changes its rates based on availability, seasons, and special events.

Check rates online at Expedia, Booking.com, or Hotels.com.

Hotel feature by Vancouver-based travel, food, and feature writer Carolyn B. Heller. Photos © Carolyn B. Heller. Travel Alberta and Explore Edmonton provided support for my Edmonton travels.