Best Waterfront Harbour Stay in Sault Ste. Marie
Waterfront and harbour stays in Sault Ste. Marie come down to one property on the tagged list: Delta Hotels by Marriott Waterfront, positioned near the boardwalk about 2.6 km from the Sault Ste. Marie Canal and its historic shipping locks. It is the city's clearest waterfront address, with an indoor pool, its own restaurant, View Restaurant + Bar, and the Gateway Casinos property a two-minute drive away for an evening out. Anyone picturing a wider marina district of waterfront hotels should adjust expectations, since Delta stands alone on this specific tag, though its position genuinely delivers the river and boardwalk access the axis promises.
The St. Marys River and the Canal locks give Sault Ste. Marie its working-harbour identity, a shipping history rather than a leisure marina, and the boardwalk along it draws both casino traffic and Tour Train visitors passing through on their way to the Agawa Canyon depot. Delta's position on this stretch puts it at the centre of that harbour activity, close to the locks, the boardwalk and the casino, in a way no other hotel in the city currently matches.
One Hotel Truly Owns This Stretch
Sault Ste. Marie's waterfront runs along the St. Marys River and the Canal locks, a genuine harbour setting built around shipping history rather than a resort marina, and Delta Hotels by Marriott Waterfront is the one hotel in the city's inventory positioned directly on it. The honest picture for this axis is a single strong option rather than a spread of choices, which simplifies the decision but means anyone wanting alternatives should broaden the search to the wider waterfront-adjacent downtown hotels instead.
Delta Hotels by Marriott Waterfront sits about 2.6 km from the Sault Ste. Marie Canal itself, close enough that the boardwalk and the locks are a short walk or drive rather than a planned excursion, and the hotel's own View Restaurant + Bar serves breakfast through dinner with a view over the river setting. Every room includes a coffee maker and fridge, and the indoor pool gives a fallback for the colder months when the boardwalk itself is less inviting for a long walk along the water in a Northern Ontario winter.
The Gateway Casinos Sault Ste. Marie property sits a two-minute drive from Delta, making the hotel a practical single base for a trip combining the waterfront, an evening at the casino and a meal at the hotel's own restaurant without much driving between the three. The hotel's picnic area and sun terrace add outdoor space directly on the property, useful for a quieter stretch of harbour time between the busier boardwalk sections nearer the locks and the casino strip further along the water, away from the crowds that gather there most evenings during the busier summer months.
As the only hotel carrying the waterfront-harbour tag, Delta effectively sets the bar for this axis in Sault Ste. Marie rather than competing against alternatives, which means the honest comparison for a traveller is less about picking the best waterfront hotel and more about deciding whether the waterfront angle matters enough to book here specifically rather than a downtown or Great Northern Road property with a shorter drive to other city attractions and heritage sites further from the actual water itself and the boardwalk running alongside it toward the locks.
Travellers wanting a broader spread of waterfront-adjacent options rather than the single Delta property should look at the downtown hotels near the Canal boardwalk more generally, several of which sit within a short walk of the river even without carrying the specific harbour tag themselves. Delta remains the strongest single pick for genuine proximity to the locks and the working harbour setting that defines this particular stretch of the Sault Ste. Marie riverfront and its long shipping history along the St. Marys River connecting Ontario and Michigan across the international border.
A traveler's takeFor a harbour-focused weekend in Sault Ste. Marie, I recommend Delta Hotels by Marriott Waterfront, the only hotel here tagged for the waterfront and rated 8.1. The Sault Ste. Marie Canal locks sit about 2.6 km along the boardwalk, Gateway Casinos is a two-minute drive away, and I would ask for a river-facing room when booking, since the standard category does not guarantee the view.
Local tips
- 1Book Delta Hotels by Marriott Waterfront directly if genuine harbour proximity matters, it is the only hotel in Sault Ste. Marie's inventory carrying the specific waterfront-harbour tag.
- 2Walk the roughly 2.6 km to the Sault Ste. Marie Canal locks on a clear day rather than driving, the boardwalk route makes for a pleasant stretch along the river.
- 3Pair a Delta stay with an evening at Gateway Casinos, it sits a two-minute drive away, simplifying a waterfront-and-casino weekend into one easy base.
- 4Consider the broader downtown hotel selection near the boardwalk if Delta's rate does not fit the budget, several sit within a short walk of the river.
- 5Request a room with a river-facing outlook specifically at booking, the standard room category does not guarantee the view at this property.
- 6Use the picnic area and sun terrace for a quieter waterfront moment away from the busier boardwalk stretch nearer the casino and locks.