Get $5 off your next order through my link sponsr.is/magicspoon_trav_0824 or use code TRAV at checkout. Or look for Magic Spoon in your nearest grocery store! This is Edmonton's castle on the river, the Hotel Macdonald. Join me for my captivating 2 night stay inside Edmonton's grand railway hotel. From a century old riverboat cruise, to a culinary experience, in natural beauty that surrounds it, while standing as a symbol of elegance in the river valley for over a century. Would you stay here?
Thank you so much for watching Kailey! Hope you loved the rest of the video and is there anything else that stood out history wise? You should check out my other railway hotel videos at the Fort Garry in Winnipeg and Bessborough in Saskatoon, you'll love them :)
My favourite story from the Mac's renovations in the 80s told of how the guys tearing out the old ceiling in the ballroom were showered with thousands of rusty razor blades because every bathroom had a little slot in the wall for blade disposal, but that's all it was - a hole in the wall. No collection or removal.
thats so cool! Thank you so much for watching! You should check out my other episodes on the other railway hotels, youll love them! especially the fort garry in winnipeg
@@trav4oilers It's hard to believe that once upon a time the Mac was all boarded up ! We all looked at it every day with sadness because we thought it would be demolished but thankfully that never happened and it's still here today !!
Queen Elizabeth stayed there once, and as my Husband and I were looking for a room for our wedding night and doing tours, they gave us a tour of it. You open the hotel door and walk up a huge flight of stairs. I was more impressed that the Queen was able to do that than anything else lol.
The lady was mobile, even had a hotel named after her in Montreal at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel. Thanks for watching though, you should check out my other railway hotel episodes. You'll love the one I did on the Fort Garry in WInnipeg and Palliser in Calgary!
there were lots of people mad that Mick Jagger stayed in that room when the Stones performed in Edmonton the first time. Everyone thought that the room was the Queens only room
As an Edmontonian myself, I'm so glad I saw this video! My husband and I have been looking for date night ideas forever, and it just ever occurred to me to try the riverboat! Also maybe a staycation to the hotel is in order! Thank you for doing my city so much justice and reminding me how beautiful it is. I guess when you live in the middle of it all, you kind of forget. It's hard to see the forest through the trees sometimes, I suppose. ♥
The riverboat is the perfect date night, especially with those fall colors and sunsets coming. You'll have to let them know that you saw my video and came down :) I loved visiting your city. I look forward to coming back next year :)
That's inexcusable for such a prestigious hotel. I haven't eaten there in years, but it was always considered 'fine dining'. I'm kind of embarrassed, as an Edmontonian. Maybe they can't afford a decent chef? Edmonton was once considered quite a "foody" city, not sure if that is true anymore.
Yeah it was pretty disappointing but the hotel said they want to have me back next year to do a redo so hopefully they can piece everything together and I can share a much better experience with you!. Thank you for watching. Have you seen my other railway hotel videos?
Edmonton has a great food scene This is one hotel restaurant and isn't a reflection on what Edmonton offers. However the Mac better up their game a bit.
This is where my dad stays on business. I talked with the concierge about haunted stories because I had someone knocking on my bathroom door all night, lol! My sister and I go back without my dad when we are shopping. I love it! Oh! One time, when we were there for Christmas, the riverboat was abandoned and half in the water, and half on the land. It was eerie!
I think they doc it up for the winter but they do some functions. glad you loved the video though :) you should check out the other railway hotel episodes!
Having been once in the Mac back in the 70's rooms were tiny and having modeled once in the Mac as well as having dined once as well for lunch ...so different looking... the hallways were so small ...So much better looking today !
@@marlenegold280 the closed smallness was a turn off to me and why was not interested in ever returning back to it.. just did not feel safe at the time ...was very maze like ... Glad it may have improved
Living in Edmonton, we've stayed here a few times. It's a stunning hotel and the grounds and gorgeous river valley views are breathtaking!!!! We've never had a bad night, a bad meal, or bad service!! I'm sorry your meals were less than expected! The Confederation Lounge is beautiful and the patio is incredible!!! I'm so glad it was declared a heritage site because it would have been a tragedy to lose this beautiful hotel!!! Your puppy is adorable!!
It would have been so awful to see this stunning hotel demolished! Did you see the other episodes in my series on the grand railway hotels? It's all about the railway history of canada and cities it built just like this one, I'd love to hear what you think )
I thoroughly enjoyed your series on these Canadian rail road grand hotels; they are truly nostalgic and historic as well as aesthetic. I've visited some of them over the years and stayed at Banff Springs Hotel & Chateau Lake Louise just last month. I visited the Mac once and I believe HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH Prince Philip stayed there on their last visit to Alberta in 2005. They also stayed at the Jasper Park Lodge during that trip while visiting Jasper, and I also visited the "recreated" Outlook Cabin in which King George VI & Queen Elizabeth (The Queen Mother) stayed at during their royal visit in 1939 as well as Queen Elizabeth II & Prince Philip's stay in 2005. During the recent Jasper wildfire I heard the Jasper Park Lodge suffered some minimal damage; hopefully no major architecture/structural damage happened. Thank you for making this series; I will continue to enjoy them for the future and share them with my family and friends.
David thank you so much for the kind words man that really means a lot! Do you have a favourite episode in the series so far? Also my apologies next week is the last episode but I'll do 10 more next summer :) The lodge did burn a bit but I'm sure they'll build it back again like they did after it burnt down in 1950. I was amazed nobody has done videos like this but it's truly my love letter to our country :)
Jasper Park Lodge had damage to staff accommodations. 1/3 of the town of Jasper is gone… burnt to the ground… the whole west side of town. People are dealing with heavy metals and asbestos in the air and in the existing properties. Many, many people lost their home, their job, everything they owned. Now some are homeless, without a job. Hopefully, Jasper National Park will rebuild soon… properly. And hopefully, they do better forest management… to prevent that ever happening again.
The Sunday Brunch there is AMAZING!!!! Omlette bar, crepe bar (my favourite), sea food table, cheese table, hot dishes both breakfast type and lunch type. Do not eat for about a week before or after just so you can sample everything
I havn't tried the buffet but the hotel wants to have me back next summer so hopefully I can report on all of it. I hope you get a chance to enjoy the other episodes in the series I did this summer. :)
Your historical research and backstory was outstanding! I’m from Edmonton. I’ve never stayed at the hotel before because I just live 12 mins from the hotel! But your video gave me some great insight of how the hotel came to be. Thanks for sharing Edmonton and its river valley!
Hey thank you so much Jimmy. I loved my time in Edmonton. I'm a bit of a history nerd so glad I could teach you something. Have you had a chance to look at my other railway hotel videos? You'll love the last episode at the Bessborough Hotel in saskatoon
@@trav4oilersI’ve been really enjoying your Grand Railway Hotel series. You present the hotels and cities so well. Couldn’t have done any better than that. I’ve already watched Royal York in Toronto and Bessborough in Saskatoon! I’m glad this channel popped up randomly on my feed! lol. Looking forward to many more videos like this from you! 😁
I've been binging these videos since I recently found your channel. Love the history you give and the Canadian content. It's not just the history, it's more the way you deliver it with the slides and voice over. The behind the scenes in kitchens etc is the cherry on top. Also being a Winnipegger I'm a Dave Wheeler fan myself. Go Jets Go! Cheers from Winnipeg
Thank you so much for watching man, I'm stoked you've really gotten into the series. Have you watched them all? Bad news is there is only 1 more left next Sunday then back to my regular programming but I'll do 10 more next summer :) Thanks again for the love and go jets go, hope you loved wheeler in last weeks episode :)
Another great episode Trav, so far every one makes you want to get on the road or ride the rails to visit and stay at all of these castles. But this one with that view out the window, a ride on that paddle-wheeler is very tempting.
Local Edmontonian. The mac is where we go for a special cocktail. I highly recommend there old fashioned. Probably the best I've had in western Canada.
Welcome to Edmonton. You should give a hotel and room tour. You should share this video to the hotel so they will know how your visit was. Disappointing food , etc. Canada should have train service like other countries. Also there should have been a group of people to continue the vision of train service in Canada.
Thank you very much Cheryl! I love your city. I sent the video to the hotel and although didn't seem to do much about it, they are aware of it and hopefully can build off it moving forward and deliver more.
Thanks for the history n your opinion on it, me and my girlfriend as well stayed in 2021 and thought it was good. Little did I know we were seeing Canadian history & now I’m thinking about what if lol. Vids are always good to see Trav keep it up!
Hey thanks for watching man :) That's awesome, well now you got a few more reasons to remember it :) do you have a favourite video in the series so far?
@@trav4oilersthanks for responding! Loved the Winnipeg and Banff ones so far as I have stayed there before so was cool to learn the history. Sweet work on the pod with Matt Murray as well! Thanks for all the awesome entertainment over the years!
I love the hotel MAC! In the early 60s my dad transferred from CN in Winnipeg to CN in Edmonton. Oue family of 5 stayed at the edmonton mac for 6 weeks until our house was built. I was born the year after so i'm thinking my life "started" at the mac lol. It's truly a wonderful experience to celebrate special occasions at the buffet or high tea.
@@trav4oilers Almost every year, we would go from Edmonton heading West on a family pass. It was when passenger trains had priority and absolutely glorious!
Another 10/10 video bro! all episodes in this series on Canada’s grand railway hotels have been absolutely fantastic so far and I’m definitely glad I was able to give you some ideas on what you could talk about in these vids since I do remember suggesting you could mention things such as the histories and famous events that happened at each hotel before you officially started it But anyways, I just figured I could comment appreciating your hard work man since I noticed you commented on my “Calgary Desperately Needs VIA Rail” video not too long ago
This is not what I expected when I first clicked on this video... Really amazing video, your hard work shows and I love all the history that you went through. Thank you for sharing!
thank you so much Courtney! I loved my visit to Edmonton. I appreciate your kind words. Are you from edmonton? You should check out the other railway hotel episodes I did at the other properties like the fort garry in winnipeg :)
The 3 members of Zz Top stayed there way back in the day and all their road crew stayed at the Sheraton where I worked. Party got so loud security kicked out Zz Top 😅
That's a legendary story, if I get a chance to stay at the mac again I will absolutely be mentioning that one! Hope you loved the video and get a chance to check out the other episodes at the other hotels :) would love to hear what you think
Edmonton is pretty beautiful! Thank you so much for watching! You should check out my other episodes on the other railway hotels, youll love them! especially the bessborough in saskatoon!
Hey Just thought i would check this video out. Awesome video!! I love all the history u put in this video. Its really well done. Where did u ever find all about this history? And the details that went in to this video was amazing. I can't wait to watch more of ur videos tc have a wonderful day love ur dogo so very cute
Hey thank you so much for the kind words and watching! I loved my time in edmonton. I'm a super passionate history nerd so books, websites, forums or anything else I could get my hands on. You'll love the other episodes in my series on the grand railway hotels of Canada. I'd love to hear what you think, even the corgi is in a few more :)
Trav; Amazing video... If you looked across the street to the west at the ATB Tower North (which used to be the Telus Tower North, but started out at the AGT Tower North), you would have seen me working on the 15th floor, making sure all Canadians had good Healthcare Insurance, whether you are an Albertan or a visitor to Alberta. If you REALLY want to see Edmonton (an potentially Fort Saskatchewan to Devon), one of the best ways you can see it is on a jet boat on the North Saskatchewan. Come back next spring/summer and I can set you and your wife up with my buddy and I and we can take a nice tour up the North Saskatchewan in a Jet Boat. Amazing scenery, amazing sites, amazing trip.
Hey man thanks for watching. Any chance you could get me up there for some better shots of the Mac? That all sounds great and the hotel is asking me to come back next summer. Send me an email travisridgen35@gmail.com
Originally from Edmonton though, I’m now living in Winnipeg. Never stayed at The Mac but we held my high school graduation there in 1983. I’m so sorry the food was so utterly disappointing. It used to be outstanding. Though I’m now divorced, I got married at the Jasper Park Lodge. I was wondering if the recent devastating fires had any impact on your state when you were there.
I won to stay at the hotel. I gave it to my parents but my Mom was sick so they gave it to my sister and her husband for their anniversary. I am sad I did not get to stay there.Also if you had a tour of the hotel you could have seen the room that the Queen stayed in.
Interesting video. We’ve stayed at the Mac many times, often for Christmas. The food used to be so good! Many Mother’s Day dinners in the ball room. Unfortunately the quality has dived as much as the prices have soared. We don’t stay or eat there anymore. But I love the old girl and we have many great memories . That patio is beautiful on sunny days. Rooms were comfortable. One of the maids gave us a tour of the Queen suite. It was pretty run down at the time. Darn shame.
I've stayed at The Mac a couple times and have been to the Confederation Lounge more than a few times. The food used to be an amazing experience. Since they have reopened after Covid, yeah have to agree the food has gone way down hill. They still charge as if it was fine dining but any home cook can usually do better than they offer. Sadly Edmonton has become home of the franchise, Chinese and Pizza/Donair places and not much in between.
Although I do love donair, super disappointing. I hope they can fix it and I'd love to build off that again for next summer and revisit again. Tee have you seen the other railway hotel episodes in this series?
thats amazing. What was that like? Is anything still the same as it was in the video? Hope you loved this one, you should check out the other railway hotel episodes I did at the other properties like the fort garry in winnipeg :)
We all make mistakes my friend but I hope you get a chance to check out the other episodes at the other railway hotels I did this summer. Would love to hear your thoughts
Thanks for sharing your experience once again Trav, another fantastic looking hotel. Shame the food wasn't as good as expected, at least the Riverboat cruise seemed very pleasant. Take care bud !
It's a series my friend. Did you see the other episodes in my series on the grand railway hotels? It's all about the railway history of canada and cities it built just like this one, I'd love to hear what you think )
Not a flex at all my friend, it's a travel series covering the history of canada, cool stories and the modern experience. Have you seen the rest of my railway hotel series?
it absolutely is! all the railway hotels are. Thanks for watching though, you should check out my other railway hotel episodes. You'll love the one I did on the Fort Garry in WInnipeg and Palliser in Calgary!
Perhaps you don't know that Edmonton was all native land. And they pushed all the natives off the land and didn't allow the natives to stay as per their treaties. The bands affected were the Papaschase First nation and Michel Band. I wish more people would acknowledge the true history of this land.
@@allisonyellowknee7708 hey Allison! Thank you so much for watching. maybe I could touch on that for a 2nd version of the video. As a fellow native myself, I think this style of video can reach the most people and I just wanted to make a sweet tribute to the hotel and city, You should check out my Fort Garry video where I mentioned my heritage more :)
Nice, homeboy jumped in on new GF wagon real quick, not throwing shade she cute but i kinda miss the ex, they could have made some serious killer babies to rule ice! 👽👿😁
hey thanks for watching brother. I wish her the best in whatever she's doing these days. Bella is a significantly better compliment to my life and where I wanna take my life / future family. Hope you enjoy the rest of my railway hotel videos :)
Lived there for 44 years, before moving to the west coast. Never stayed at The Mac, but went to a glorious party there in one of the terraced banquet halls. Yeah, it was mind boggling that it was closed for so many years - in limbo. Sorry your food wasn't to your standards, but to be honest, it looked better than your description. It all depends on the manager and the chef I guess. Maybe it's time to switch them up. Thanks for the great video.
First time viewer! While I don’t wish to bicker, your script about Canada being established in 1864 felt wrong. July 1, 1867 is the commonly accepted date that Canada was created. www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/canada-day-history.html#
