Matrix Hotel — Hotel in Central Core

What makes a hotel is a combination of its overall essence and the class of its staff. Physically, Matrix Hotel leaves nothing to be desired - the pictures on their website speaks true, it is a hotel that one would be proud to have a corporate function in, a wedding or special event in, a holiday stay at, or in my case a temporary stay if your building in the city is going through renovations. I walked into this hotel on the afternoon of April 30, 2022, after leaving my insurance company, due to a flood in my condo building that affected my suite; I had to hurry from the condo, to the insurer and then quickly find a hotel with no time to 'look glam' - I was in the clothes that I was in from the chaos of the flooding. When I arrived at the hotel the first thing I did when I walked to the front desk was apologize for my presentation - the gentleman behind the front desk said essentially "no need to apologize, welcome to the Matrix" - THAT WAS THE MAKE IT OR BREAK IT FOR ME, that though I have fine clothing at home and designer bags et al - this gentleman behind the desk made me feel equal to those in the lobby area of the hotel who were so adorned! I then asked for the general manager, but the gentleman at the desk stated he was the manager on shift. I asked very kindly, Sir may I tell you my situation - and I proceeded to, moving to the side when anyone would be in eyesight approaching the desk as my drama would take a while to explain! Long story short, the manager "David Martinez" came through on many levels for me, but it was that "FIRST IMPRESSION" point of contact that made the difference wherein he didn't know who I was nor did I who he was. The matter sorted itself out and I am staying at the hotel for two weeks while the restoration process of my condominium begins. David was so gracious that I told him I had to let his senior managers know of his mannerisms and professionalism. Upon asking him, he presented me with the card of his general manager Joel Hollingsworth - David was so modest that he didn't even initially provide me with his own work email as I wanted him cc'd on my correspondence. Essentially David spoke highly favorable of Joel and assured me that Joel passes on feedback to his staff. With further insistence on my part David complied in sharing his email address with me. I followed through on my emailing head office and cc'ing David. And GM Hollingsworth followed through with reporting the matter to Jay Sarhadi Sales Manager of their Head Office. Since my stay here I have never had an off experience with any of the staff - not personally or by observation to others. The employees I've observed treat each other like family (regardless of status: front desk, housekeeping, managerial...) and by extension they welcome each and every person daily as if that person was family! Such says a lot about the caliber of the hotel itself and the polished way in which they not only conduct themselves but make people feel! Essentially they treat everyone as a fellow human being. I am so blessed and consider myself highly favored that The Lord would have me stay here. It is a hotel that I will recommend: to anyone in the corporate community, to anyone having a wedding or special event, to anyone looking for a hotel in downtown Edmonton, to anyone living in Edmonton needing a 'stay-cation', to anyone going through a renovation emergency, essentially to 'anyone' for this hotel makes "EVERYONE" feel special! What a privilege and what an honor. And all of the above is outside of their complimentary guest breakfast (which by the way isn't the typical hotel continental! The breakfast at Matrix in Loft 106 is tantamount in my opinion to the Fairmont Hotel quality). I encourage you to say "thank you" to all employees you see during your stay for they all go above and beyond in ways beyond your imagination and behind closed doors! Thank you Matrix may your company excel beyond your imagination for...

Not impressed

The hotel itself is decent. The rooms are quite nice, or at least the ones we stayed in, on this and past visits, it was mostly my wife here again as I only visited. Many good things, Unfortunately bad often is the lasting impression.

The parking however is a Nightmare. Its fend for yourself parking with Very limited spaces, so on Fri/Sat evening especially, dont count on a spot, expect to park on the street a block or two away, to then relocate your vehicle to a hotel spot after midnight... 'Do you feel lucky punk?' Running through your mind any time you returned to the hotel.

The biggest negetive was the hotel reception staff, or at least one woman there in perticular who was quite trained in Upcharging your bill.

Our first 'conflict' with the front desk woman was over the unimpressive parking, as she wanted to charge us a daily rate, unfortunately for her, we had snapped a photo of booking site stating free complimentary parking for bookings over 4 days, we were there for 9. BUT showing her the image, and the site was Not enough for her to drop it, she proceeded to ARGUE. Argue what its Clearly Stated Here, U will get NO upcharge. But thanks for the Conflict, you need to know when your wrong, when you should back down, that did not immediatly happen.

We did not pay, retrain your front desk staff, they should at least conform when faced with proof. The front desk woman was not done with us only today.

At checkout, the same front desk woman told us their was an upcharge to a premium wifi for the duration of our stay that would be added since we had streamed movies. We told her we had Not been told of this up charge, she then stated we would have been told at check in, and been given paper stating the same. We immediatly pulled all the paper we were given, placed it in front of her, and told her it was Her who checked us in, and their had been no.mention of that. But as you can guess SHE PROCEEDED TO ARGUE, as she must live for conflict. Another conflict she would not win, but thanks so much for the departing memories.

Oh did I mention that since the front lobby had been burned 🔥 out during our 9 day stay.... "a 6am fire alarm, stairwells filled with smoke, all guests down on the streets in little more than their pajamas, MINUS - 30C OUTSIDE, AWAITING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO PUT OUT THE LARGE FIRE 🔥 in the lobby"

So I supose our true parting gift was upon checkout, following the attempted wifi upcharges, the front entrance and lobby still unaccessable, from the many days before fire. My wife told the same woman front desk person she would park in front of the side door quickly to load her bags, this of course was met with conflict, and a resounding No You Cant as that is currently their main entryway. No point in arguing with this staff, she parked there and loaded her car...

I worked in the hotel industry for more than 20 years, with Fairmont. Your front desk reception is the face of your hotel. I believe some retraining is definitely in order... upcharging is the new standard for hotels, but it can only be done when proof is on your side, if their is upcharges let the guest know up front, not snuck in at a later date. It takes one bad apple, this was not a good impression from a staff member.

Perhaps I add, perhaps more fire 🔥 training, on use and placement of fire extinguishers both manual and in built, as I dont understand how this fire reaped such damage, but i guess thats between you and...

Matrix Hotel Review – Edmonton, Alberta

I recently stayed at the Matrix Hotel in Edmonton, and my experience was mixed. Here’s a detailed breakdown of my stay:

Rooms:

The rooms were exceptionally clean and well-kept, which was a definite positive. The décor is modern and stylish, providing a comfortable space to unwind after a long day. The bed was cozy, and the linens were fresh and inviting, making for a restful stay.

Check-In Process:

The check-in process was quick and easy. The front desk staff were efficient, and getting settled into my room was a hassle-free experience.

Service:

While the check-in was smooth, the overall service left much to be desired. Staff were not as attentive or responsive as expected, with requests taking longer than necessary to fulfill. There was also a noticeable lack of follow-up or proactive customer service.

Parking:

Parking was a major downside of this stay. Not only is parking limited, but it also comes at an additional cost—something that isn’t clearly mentioned when booking online. Given the limited availability, you’ll need to arrive early to secure a spot, and the extra cost feels frustrating, especially considering that parking isn’t included as part of the standard hotel amenities.

In-Room Amenities:

The coffee machine in the room was unnecessarily complicated and not user-friendly. A basic coffee maker would have been a more practical and convenient option. Additionally, there was no microwave in the room, which made it inconvenient for heating up meals or snacks without leaving the room.

View:

Another disappointment was the city view promised during booking. Instead of the expected scenic view of Edmonton’s skyline, the room offered a view of another building and the rooftops of nearby structures—essentially no view at all. This was misleading and didn’t match the description provided during the booking process.

Overall Experience:

The Matrix Hotel offers clean and stylish rooms with a quick check-in process, but the experience fell short in several key areas. The service needs improvement, parking is both limited and an added cost, and the lack of in-room conveniences (such as a simple coffee maker and microwave) is disappointing. On top of that, the misleading city view claim was frustrating and detracted from the overall experience.

If you’re staying for a short trip without the need for parking or a city view, this hotel might still suit your needs. However, if parking, amenities, and room views are important to you, I’d recommend considering other options in Edmonton that offer better...