Waterfront and Harbour Stays in Windsor, Ontario
Windsor faces Detroit across the Detroit River, and the waterfront label points to four hotels with different answers to that setting. Holiday Inn Express Windsor Waterfront looks over the Detroit skyline from downtown, and the Best Western Plus Waterfront Hotel has river-view rooms and sits 2 km from the Detroit Windsor Tunnel. The SureStay Plus by Best Western is off Highway 401 with access to the riverfront, while Stonecroft Inn is a short drive from the Windsor Riverfront, Devonshire Mall and Roseland Golf Club. They are not equivalent, so I sort them below by how directly each one puts you on the water.
Windsor's waterfront is a river, not a lake or a sea: the city lines the Detroit River, with the Detroit skyline directly across the water. The Riverfront Trail and its parks run for several kilometres along the bank, from the Ambassador Bridge towards Caesars Windsor and the downtown core. I would pick a hotel here for a view of Detroit at night and an easy walk by the water, keeping in mind that the riverside is a city park rather than a beach.
Four Ways to Stay Near the River
Waterfront in Windsor ranges from rooms with a view of the Detroit skyline to a hotel a short drive from the river. The label covers all of them, so what matters is whether you want the view from your window, a walk along the water, or simply a base within reach of it.
Holiday Inn Express Windsor Waterfront is the one I would book for the view. Its listing describes a downtown location with views of the Detroit River skyline, which in Windsor means looking across the water at the Detroit buildings. It has an indoor pool and spa and wellness facilities, accepts pets, and the rooms come with a work desk, coffee maker, cable TV and ironing facilities, plus free WiFi and local calls. With a guest score of 8.6, it is the best rated of the three waterfront-first options, and it suits a short stay where you want to be downtown and on the river at once.
The Best Western Plus Waterfront Hotel is the closest match to what the label promises on paper. The listing places it downtown, with some rooms offering river views, an indoor pool, a fitness centre and a sauna, and it is pet-friendly and described as suited to families or romantic getaways. The Detroit Windsor Tunnel is only 2 km away, handy if you are crossing the border by car. Its 7.7 score across 473 reviews is the lowest of the group, so I would see it as a practical riverside base rather than a standout, worth choosing when a river-view room is available.
The SureStay Plus by Best Western Windsor takes a different approach: it sits off Highway 401, and the listing promises easy access to the Detroit River waterfront rather than a view of it. It has a spa and wellness area, an on-site casino and free breakfast and WiFi, and it earns 7.9 across 1,013 reviews. I would choose it if you are arriving by highway, want breakfast included, or plan an evening at the casino, and I would drive or take a taxi for the actual walk along the water.
Stonecroft Inn is the outlier, and I want to be clear about it. The listing calls it centrally located and a short drive from Devonshire Mall, Roseland Golf Club and the Windsor Riverfront, so the waterfront is nearby but not at the door. What it offers is spacious, warmly decorated rooms, free WiFi, Keurig coffee makers and mini-fridges in every room, free parking, and the highest score here, 9.2. I would pick it for comfort and quiet, and plan a short drive to the river each day. If the river is only part of your plan and you would rather sleep well than overlook the water, this is the listing I would send you to first.
A traveler's takeIf the river is the point of the trip, I would book Holiday Inn Express Windsor Waterfront and ask for a room facing the Detroit skyline, since the listing highlights that view from its downtown location. For a family that wants a pool and sauna, I would look at the Best Western Plus Waterfront Hotel, which also lists river-view rooms. I would keep Stonecroft Inn for travelers who value room quality and a 9.2 score over a waterfront address, and accept the short drive to the Windsor Riverfront.
4.6Stonecroft Inn
Waterfront & Harbour · 924 reviewsA 60-room inn on Dougall Avenue, about ten minutes' walk from Devonshire Mall, with free parking and a 24-hour desk
Why guests love itStonecroft Inn's 924 reviews average 9.2, mostly for clean, roomy rooms, and that space is what a family on the road needs. Every room has a mini-fridge for milk and snacks and a Keurig for the parents' first coffee, and the car stays in the free lot. Devonshire Mall, about ten minutes on foot, is an easy outing with children on a wet day. There is no pool or play area to keep kids busy, so plan your days around the car: Windsor's riverfront parks and downtown are a short drive north. For a cross-border day in Detroit, children need their own travel documents, as the tunnel operator lists. It is a place to sleep well, not a destination in itself.
4.3Holiday Inn Express Windsor Waterfront by IHG
Waterfront & Harbour · 924 reviewsWaterfront views, downtown convenience, and a pet-friendly welcome
Why guests love itThe view across the Detroit River to the Detroit skyline is the memorable part of a family stay here, and the downtown location puts the riverfront paths within easy reach for an evening walk. An indoor pool keeps children busy after a day out, and the spa and wellness facilities give parents a break. Pets are welcome. Rooms are practical rather than spacious, with a coffee maker and a desk, and the whole hotel is non-smoking.
4.0SureStay Plus by Best Western Windsor
Waterfront & Harbour · 1013 reviewsAffordable stays with a spa, casino, and waterfront access near Detroit River
Why guests love itI would suggest the SureStay Plus by Best Western Windsor to families who need a practical base just off Highway 401, especially on a road trip through southwestern Ontario. Breakfast and Wi-Fi are included, which simplifies mornings with children, and the listing mentions a spa and wellness area for a quieter evening. It is a budget-minded two-star stay, so expect simple comfort rather than polish. Check the distance to the Detroit River waterfront against your plans.
3.9Best Western Plus Waterfront Hotel
Waterfront & Harbour · 473 reviewsRiverside Drive hotel facing the Detroit skyline, an eight-minute walk from the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel
Why guests love itBest Western Plus Waterfront's 277 Riverside Drive address puts families straight onto the Windsor riverfront, where the parks and the walking path along the Detroit River are across the street, a good first outing after a long drive. The indoor pool and sauna help on a cold or wet day, and the mini-fridge handles milk and snacks. Pets are welcome, which makes it one of the easier downtown options with a dog. Parents should weigh the downsides: parking is paid, and the downtown casino district is busy late on weekends. For a day in Detroit, children need their own documents to cross by the tunnel. A 7.7 from 473 reviews says the river view does more of the work than the rooms.
Local tips
- 1Ask for a river-facing room at the Best Western Plus Waterfront Hotel, since its listing says some rooms have river views.
- 2Book Holiday Inn Express Windsor Waterfront if you want the Detroit skyline view as part of the stay.
- 3Remember the Detroit Windsor Tunnel is about 2 km from the Best Western Plus, which helps if you are crossing the border by car.
- 4Choose the SureStay Plus by Best Western for highway access and breakfast, and treat the riverfront as a short drive or taxi ride.
- 5Plan a short drive from Stonecroft Inn to the Windsor Riverfront each day, as the listing places it nearby but not on the water.
- 6Take the indoor pool at Holiday Inn Express or the Best Western Plus to relax after a day of walking along the water.