- We are gonna segway through the park.
We got a lot of fall foliage. - Okay, how you guys feelin'?
- And ready to go.
- [gunnarolla] Hey everyone, gunnarolla here,
and today we're taking a trip to
the Canadian city of Edmonton,
the capital of Alberta.
- All right I just made it to Edmonton,
the last time I was here was eight years ago,
let's see what's changed.
- [gunnarolla] We'll be spending most
of our visit in the brand new Ice District downtown,
a $2.5 billion mixed-used sports and entertainment
district that's also home to the JW Marriott,
a modern luxury hotel.
Each of the over 300 rooms and suites at the JW
are beautifully designed
with a number of different layouts
to suit your needs.
The hotel complex also has some incredible
amenities that we'll be exploring during our stay.
It's not our first time at the JW Marriott,
and although each location shares common elements
no two hotels are the same.
The JW Marriott Edmonton Ice District brings you
luxury design and service that's approachable
and celebrates the city.
It's time to check in, you'll be welcomed
not only by a bright and social lobby
but some other goodies as well.
I could get used to this.
- [Andrew] Oh that doesn't go there. That goes down there!
All right time to check into our room.
I'm on the seventh floor, in a corner suite.
(bright pop music)
What?
Oh.
So there's a door
that leads to another door.
Wow!
Okay.
Very nice.
We got my name on the TV,
what a beautiful room, is there a bathroom here though?
Where's the bathroom?
What?
Is this it?
No.
Did they give me a room without a bathroom?
Oh, Oh, this is nice.
So we've got a beautiful shower
and the toilet.
Beautiful room, the perfect size for me.
I love that it's a corner suite 'cause I get this
nice wrap-around view.
And the bathroom, inconspicuously,
hidden way over here!
Thank you so much JW!
I am gonna take care
of some very important business.
(grunts) That's good.
The lobby at the JW isn't just a place to wait,
grab a snack or drink and socialize at the bar
seamlessly integrated into the space.
On the menu today, the Duchess: a fresh cocktail
that's the perfect welcome after a flight.
Just across from the bar you'll find Kindred Food + Drink,
brought to you by Oliver and Bonacini.
Here you'll find a menu of light and bright salads
and grain bowls and hardier Canadian comfort food.
You've got to try the massive chicken pot pie
followed by an equally impressive carrot cake.
Whew, it's a little brisk out here.
I just had an amazing lunch
and now we're heading to a new museum.
Just steps away from the hotel
is the Royal Alberta Museum,
currently the largest museum in western Canada.
This new building has it's galleries
and exhibitions dedicated to human and natural history,
and stories unique to Alberta.
You'll also find special traveling exhibitions,
an interactive children's gallery,
and a bug room.
(squeals)
(suspenseful music)
I'm not usually ever much of a bug person,
but it was cool to see them up-close,
behind a window.
All right, heading to the Roger's Place arena.
It's connected to the hotel through the Pedway,
which is a series of walkways
so you don't have to go outside.
Tonight we're attending a hockey game
at Roger's Place, a multi-use indoor arena
that's also home to the Edmonton Oilers.
We've got access to an exclusive moment tonight,
starting with a tour behind the scenes.
We are on the home bench,
there's the ice. (Man speaking in background)
(loud electronic music)
We're watching the game from the V.I.P. luxury
suites with incredible food and an incredible view.
(upbeat techno music)
The captain of the Edmonton Oilers is Connor McDavid,
a Canadian who is considered to be one of the
best hockey players in the world.
And if he looks familiar, here's why.
I have nightmares that I'm gonna get to
the baggage carousel and my bag is just exploded everywhere,
like my underwear, like no?
Rather have your bag-- - Are you gonna get
embarrassed or something? - I mean--
- It sounds like you've got something to hide.
- That's for another time.
We're gonna go check out a neon sign museum?
- It's gonna be lit.
- Literally. - Lit up.
- Literally, love neon so--
- Literally lit up! - Let's see what
this is about.
A couple blocks away from the arena is
the neon sign museum, a collection of restored
historic neon signs.
No admission is required,
but it's obviously best experienced at night.
Good morning, we're gonna go check out the spa by JW.
Gonna get a treatment, and then see what else
they have planned for us.
The fifth floor of the JW Marriott is dedicated
to health and wellness.
You'll find the spa by JW offering
a comprehensive selection of treatments
and massage therapy in a serene
and tranquil environment.
Alrighty it's time for a massage, but unfortunately
this is where we end our video documentation.
I'll see you in an hour.
Guests of the hotel also have access
to a sauna and pools to recharge.
There's also Archetype fitness where you have
access to state of the art equipment, expert trainers,
group classes offering you yoga, spin, and more,
and even a Somadome, for an immersive
and guided meditation experience.
Travel can cause a lot of mental and physical stress
so it's great to have access to these kinds of facilities.
Now it's time to head out
of the Ice District and explore the city.
We'll start with brunch at Cafe Linnea,
serving up a menu that's inspired by local
farmers and seasonal ingredients.
Next we're taking a tour of another local business,
Strathcona Spirits, the smallest distillery
in North America and the first distillery ever in
Edmonton.
Utilizing locally farmed and foraged
ingredients to create an assortment
of award-winning spirits, Strathcona is a great
Edmonton success story.
It smells like a delicious bread factory in here.
You just had a taste of our wheat vodka, different?
- Little bit, little bit sweeter I think
and a little bit creamier you can say.
Still strong.
- Now we're exploring 124th street,
where you'll find an array of galleries,
boutiques, cafes and restaurants.
It's great to explore on foot,
even in the rain.
Gettin' that fresh Alberta air.
- And it is fresh!
- Make a stop into Duchess Bake Shop,
serving every type of pastry
and baked good you could imagine.
It's a local favourite, and it's not hard
to see why.
The river valley is the largest urban park
in Canada with more than 160 km of maintained pathways
and 20 major parks.
And if you get tired of walking,
there's a unique way to explore it.
When in doubt, stick your butt out.
All right, gettin' used to this again.
I haven't died yet, but there's still time.
Trust the machine, trust the machine,
trust the machine, trust the machine,
trust the machine!
(bright pop music)
Survived.
We did good.
Until next time!
All right, rockin' the blazer on my way
to a fancy dinner.
Mostly fancy, didn't pack dress shoes.
We're wrapping up our weekend back
at the JW Marriott starting with drinks at Alchemy,
a somewhat secret bar with a heated patio
overlooking Edmonton's Ice District.
All right I'm going alcohol free tonight,
I asked them to whip up a cocktail
that did not have any booze in it, they came up with this.
I don't really know what's in it,
it's kind of like a lemonade but a little sweeter.
It does have lavender in it, which is very nice.
I love the scent of lavender.
Coincidentally, or maybe not,
our bath products are lavender scented,
but every time I take a sip, I can smell that.
It's delicious and fragrant.
For dinner we're heading downstairs to Braven,
a mecca for dry-aged steaks and fresh seafood
and an extensive wine list with over 500 labels.
This is nothing like your average hotel restaurant
and it's sure to become a destination in its own right.
I abstained from drinking this entire trip,
but when Kyle presents you with a shot,
you gotta do a shot.
Cheers, cheers, welcome to Edmonton!
Welcome to Edmonton!
So that was just a taste of some of
the things to do in Edmonton's new Ice District.
If you've got any recommendations, let us know.
And don't forget to follow and subscribe
to gunnarolla for more travel stories.
See you next time!
A la prochaine!