Tower Hotel (Niagara Falls): Difference between revisions
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==Observation Deck== |
==Observation Deck== |
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Located on the 25th floor of the tower, approximately 160 |
Located on the 25th floor of the tower, approximately 160 meters (525 feet) above the falls, the Observation Deck features floor-to-ceiling windows with a full 360-degree view. To improve picture-taking, the windows are treated with a non-glare finish. There are multiple postings of educational information around the deck, and pay-per-use [[telescope]]s are also available. Admission to the Observation Deck is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and students, and free for children under the age of five. (Prices are in [[Canadian dollars]].) |
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==Pinnacle Restaurant== |
==Pinnacle Restaurant== |
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Revision as of 14:56, 18 December 2006
The first tower built in Niagara Falls, the Minolta Tower features an indoor observation deck, restaurant, wedding chapel, and hotel. Open daily year-round since 1962, the tower - also known as the Konica Minolta Tower Centre - is located on the Canadian side of the twin cities. The tower, from street level, is 99 meters (325 feet) tall, however it is situated 160 meters (525 feet) above the falls. The tower was originally the Seagram Tower, and as such its design reflected that of a whiskey bottle. Later, the tower was called the Panasonic Tower, before becoming the Minolta Tower and the Konica Minolta Tower.
Observation Deck
Located on the 25th floor of the tower, approximately 160 meters (525 feet) above the falls, the Observation Deck features floor-to-ceiling windows with a full 360-degree view. To improve picture-taking, the windows are treated with a non-glare finish. There are multiple postings of educational information around the deck, and pay-per-use telescopes are also available. Admission to the Observation Deck is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and students, and free for children under the age of five. (Prices are in Canadian dollars.)
Pinnacle Restaurant
Renovated in March 2005, the tower's restaurant offers gourmet meals featuring steak and seafood. At the same elevation as the Observation Deck, the restaurant is open for three meals per day. Group and à la carte menus are available, and the restaurant can be reserved for wedding receptions. In addition, the Pinnacle Lounge can be booked for private gatherings. The Pinnacle Restaurant was recently transformed by Robin De Groot for his television program Restaurant Makeover, completely transforming the environment and menu to the delight of Niagara Falls.
Weddings
Marketed through Niagara Fallsview Weddings, the tower chapel provides fully-serviced weddings including consultants, cake and flowers, an officiant, and photography. Multiple packages are available and include accommodations. Fully legal same-sex weddings are offered.
Ramada Plaza Hotel
Since 2002, floors 27-30 of the Minolta Tower have held hotel rooms franchised by Ramada. Some rooms feature views of the falls, while others offer a view of Niagara Falls, Ontario. Deluxe rooms feature a queen bed, while suites feature a king bed. The hotel's front desk sells tickets to the observation deck as well as accommodations.
Changing Skyline
In recent years, with the boom in large hotel construction in Niagara Falls, the tower's prominence as a landmark has been diminished. The Embassy Suites hotel, which is 42 storeys tall, was built directly adjacent to the Minolta Tower to the north, the Sheraton Fallsview hotel, 32 storeys after a renovation in 2000 is just to the south, and the Marriott hotel is directly in front of the tower, to the east and facing Niagara Falls. All of these hotels strive to give their guests as good a view of the falls as possible by taking advantage of their position of the height on land above the falls, which was once dominated solely by the tower. The Marriott was built to essentially wrap around the front facing direction of the tower, below the level of the tower's floors, so that the view of the falls would not be obstructed. The Embassy Suites is angled in an effort to give all surrounding buildings a good view of the falls. However, the addition of all these large hotels so close to the tower has essentially hidden it unless viewing it directly from west or east, the result being it is no longer a major feature of the Niagara Falls skyline like it once was.
In contrast, the airspace around the Skylon tower remains fairly open, thanks to its position further back from the river.
Trivia
Some say that this tower is where Lois Lane discovered Clark Kent's identity in the movie Superman II. However, although the tower does appear in the background of the film in one shot (the Skylon Tower and the Kodak Tower at Maple Leaf Village appear in another shot), there is nothing to suggest that the honeymoon suite scenes were actually filmed in the hotel. In fact, these scenes were very obviously shot in a studio, given the purposefully ridiculous design of the room, the very dark walls and the lack of scenery through the window.