Edmonton’s ICE District is not named after the city’s winter weather, although many locals actually enjoy the often below-zero winter nights, but after the Edmonton Oilers, the city’s revered National Hockey League team, and Rogers Place, the team’s ice hockey arena that opened downtown in 2016. The arena is physically connected to the new JW Marriott Edmonton ICE District Hotel and, despite the use of the word ICE, both venues are the hottest destinations in Edmonton’s newly revitalized neighborhood.

Driving from the new Edmonton International Airport, 18 miles from downtown, cattle ranches and vast agricultural farms give way to suburban malls, housing developments, office parks, a lush green river valley and the gleaming glass skyscrapers of the city.

At 5 p.m. the JW Marriott’s lobby was filled with city office workers, fancy-suited business travelers and tourists in hockey jerseys and sweat pants, everyone socializing with drinks and snacks at the Lobby Bar. With its high ceiling, comfortable furniture and large marble bar, the lobby is sleek and modern, casual and sophisticated. During the evenings a DJ or live band plays until last call. On the “plaza” side of the lobby, behind large glass windows, an outdoor skating rink nears completion, to be repurposed as an outdoor food and beverage patio during the short but sweet summer months.

I made my way to the check-in desk, located in a quiet corner off the lobby, and was in my room in minutes. Each of the 346 guestrooms at the new JW Marriott property, opened August 2019, is decorated with three iconic works of art — a framed, multi-panel work from Crow Design showing oil rigs on the Alberta prairie, created with gold leaf on black paper; and two small sculptures that symbolize the hotel’s “fire, ice and snow” design concept.

The room has carpeting in muted colors, a 55-inch Samsung TV with many channel selections and complimentary WiFi.  A locally made “distressed” wood bench sits at the foot of the bed, and a comfortable blue couch is great for reading. Large windows overlook ICE District streets, Rogers Place and into the windows of the 66-story Stantec Tower next door.

There is plenty to explore within the hotel. I enjoyed visiting Archetype, a cutting-edge health and fitness club that offers lots of new equipment, including Sorinex rig systems and a high-end Somadome meditation pod. Numerous rooms accommodate group yoga, boxing and spin classes. The fitness equipment is so high-tech, and the workout spaces so large, the facility handles organized workout visits from Edmonton Oilers players as well as visiting NHL teams with time in their schedules.

The Spa by JW is Edmonton’s only full-service luxury hotel spa, offering five treatment rooms, some with private outdoor balconies. A sauna, steam rooms and a beautiful indoor swimming pool are also within the spa facility.

In addition to the Lobby Bar guests have access to four restaurants and bars, including Braven, a fine-dining destination; Kindred Food + Drink, an all-day eatery focusing on locally sourced seasonal cuisine; and Alchemy, a cocktail bar with the look and feel of a speakeasy. In the hotel’s 22^nd-floor Executive Lounge, members can access private breakfasts and evening hors d’oeuvres and drinks.

The property’s extensive meeting and conference level includes the Wayne Gretzky Ballroom, the city’s largest all-event ballroom. All the meeting rooms are named after former Edmonton Oilers players, including Jari Kurri Ballroom, Mark Messier meeting room and others.

Edmonton’s ICE District is the largest urban mixed-use sports and entertainment district in Canada, and within walking distance of the hotel are museums, art galleries, live theater and a light rail line.

JW Marriott Edmonton ICE District Hotel & Residences 

10344 102 St. N.W.
Edmonton, AB T5J 0K9
Canada
tel 780 784 7950