“Very good staff. Poor F&B offering.”

I stayed a night when in Winnipeg for work. The strongest aspect of the Delta is the service. All of the staff were very good. The only weak part was the valet/doorman/bellman situation. There is a valet for parking who seems to do double duty as a doorman and bellman. Only one was working. So i... more

I stayed a night when in Winnipeg for work. The strongest aspect of the Delta is the service. All of the staff were very good. The only weak part was the valet/doorman/bellman situation. There is a valet for parking who seems to do double duty as a doorman and bellman. Only one was working. So if he's parking or retrieving a car, there is nobody to assist with luggage. I requested a newspaper and received one the first day. I didn't receive one the second day, despite the request. I also didn't see any newspapers in either the lobby or Club Lounge. I also didn't see any local information, not even a Manitoba or Winnipeg travel magazine. Bonvoy elite status recognition is also very good. I was proactively upgraded to a 1-bedroom suite several days before my arrival. I also received a handwritten note from management and a thoughtful welcome amenity. While I appreciated the upgrade, my reservation requested a high-floor room. The suite was on the 6th floor. The hotel has 18 floors. I would have preferred a room or suite on a higher floor; at least the 12th floor, which is where the Club Lounge is located. The Club Longe has grab-and-go sodas, snacks, etc. The food offering at night was limited, but the quality was decent. There was only one hot item plus a variety of cheeses, fruits, berries, etc. However, no desserts were offered. The alcohol is not complimentary. $14 for a glass of chardonnay that by the bottle sells for $5-7 retail is absurd. The quality was awful too. Given the fact the hotel sells Club Lounge access to guests without Bonvoy elite status, the quality of alcohol needs to be improved. I would be very disappointed if I paid for Club Lounge access only to be asked for pay $14 for a glass of $5 wine. It would be nice if they improved the alcohol offering and had extended hours, like 5 to 9 pm for drinks. Or have wine dispensers that could be activated with a swipe of your key card. Other club lounges have this. Additionally, the evening offering is limited to a 2-hour period from 5:30 pm, which is a very short window. Especially given how small the actual lounge is. There isn't enough space for the number of rooms in the hotel. You're unlikely to catch the club if you're working and then doing a dinner. My room, again actually a 1-bedroom suite, was clean and extremely comfortable. Everything was in working order. However, the room like most of the hotel felt tired. No USB outlets. Poor lighting. No coffee table for the sofa in the living room. There was a mini-fridge, but no stocked mini-bar. You would think a suite would have a stocked mini-bar. I had one of those fancy Nespresso machines. There was also an electric kettle. I had two wine glasses but no corkscrew. And like I said, no wine in the mini-bar. In terms of amenities, there was a bathrobe, slippers, mouthwash, shoe mint, 1 bar of soap, and a small bottle of lotion. The shampoo, conditioner and body wash were dispensers in the shower. There was no extra bar of soap or any kind of bath product for the whirlpool bathtub. Everything in the lobby, the hallways, the rooms, room balconies, and the pool area felt overdue for an extensive renovation. The balcony, which was accessed through a sliding glass door that also had a screen, needed a paint job. At the end of the day, this is a late 1960s or early 1970s hotel that has had a lot of lipstick updates over the years. It is beyond due for an extensive renovation; floor to ceiling. Carpet looked old. Some furniture was scuffed and scratched. The bathroom was dated with an old-fashioned whirlpool jetted tub and an extremely small walk-in shower that had mold and mildew in the tiles. The lobby was depressing with no atmosphere at the bar and restaurant. While nominally open, there were only 1 or 2 customers in the bar and nobody in the restaurant. It might be because the wine list is awful and beyond uncompetitive. The food menu is okay with reasonable prices. But there is zero incentive offered for guests to eat and drink at the hotel. Within 10 minutes or maybe 15 minutes you can go to The Forks and eat better food and drink better wine for less money. You don't need to offer $500 vintage wine. They literally could have a 100% Canadian wine list with 2-3 reds, 2-3 whites, 1-2 roses, and 1-2 sparkling wines. The idea that they're importing the cheapest, lowest quality wine at a 4-star hotel is absurd. The lobby bar is also in a poor location. It's possible to check-in at the front desk and go to the elevator without ever seeing the lobby bar. And if you aren't going to make a real effort with the restaurant, why even have a restaurant that's open for dinner? All things considered, the reason you stay here is the staff. And maybe Marriott points are important to you. But you don't stay here because of the F&B. It's really a travesty that they don't have a better F&B offering at the lobby bar and restaurant. I would probably consider returning if the rates were good but I might also look at either the Fort Garry Hotel or Fairmont. And when compared to the Fairmont, the Delta could really up its game.

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