A Great Points Redemption in BC: Fairfield Inn Kamloops Review -

I had the opportunity to spend 5 nights at the Fairfield Inn Kamloops. As someone who has spent numerous nights at Fairfield’s in Western Canada, I was curious as to how this property would stack up against some of the other options in the area.

Kamloops is located in the heart of British Columbia’s interior and is surrounded by beautiful natural scenery. Visitors can go hiking, fishing, mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, and more in the nearby mountains, lakes, and rivers.

Kamloops has a rich history and culture that visitors can explore through its many museums, art galleries, and historic sites. Kamloops is home to many sports teams and facilities, including the Kamloops Blazers hockey team and the Tournament Capital Centre, which hosts a variety of sporting events and activities.

Overall, Kamloops offers a diverse range of attractions and activities for visitors, making it a great destination for travelers of all ages. If you’re planning a trip to Kamloops, you should consider staying at the Fairfield Inn, especially if you’re budget-conscious, or are staying with points.

Here are 7 thoughts on the Fairfield Inn Kamloops
1. The Fairfield Inn Kamloops is Great if you want to Visit Kamloops, but it isn’t Downtown
2. A Cheaper Option for Ski Enthusiasts
3. Room Upgrades for Marriott Gold Members
4. Clean/Modern Rooms
5. Food Options: No Paid Restaurant, But Free Breakfast
6. Amenities are Limited
7. You May Need a Rental Car
Overall Thoughts
5 Reasons to Stay at the Fairfield Inn Kamloops
5 Reasons to Avoid the Fairfield Inn Kamloops
How to Get to the Fairfield Inn Kamloops on Points
Things to do in Kamloops
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Here are 7 thoughts on the Fairfield Inn Kamloops

1. The Fairfield Inn Kamloops is Great if you want to Visit Kamloops, but it isn’t Downtown

As with most Fairfield’s, the location is great if you want to explore the surrounding area, but not great if you want to spend the majority of your time downtown.

The Fairfield Inn Kamloops is right next to the Trans-Canada, which means you can easily access some of the great tourist attractions in the area (golf, skiing, hiking, and wineries). If you’d like to spend the majority of your time in downtown Kamloops, it may be best to look elsewhere.

The Fairfield Inn Kamloops is roughly a 15-minute drive to downtown Kamloops, and Kamloops currently does not have a ride-share option, so you’re reliant on expensive cab companies to transport you around the city.

In Canada, I’m a Marriott loyalist, and the Fairfield was one of 2 Marriotts in the area. If you frequent Marriott hotels and would prefer to stay in the city, I would suggest checking out the Delta Kamloops

2. A Cheaper Option for Ski Enthusiasts

My wife and I took the opportunity to spend a few days skiing at Sun Peaks Ski Resort, a popular ski hill ~50 minutes outside of Kamloops.

Sun Peaks is the second-largest ski resort in British Columbia, and the third largest in Canada, covering an area of over 4,200 acres (1,700 hectares).

The resort is known for its massive ski terrain, which includes 135 runs and 16 ski lifts. The runs cater to skiers of all levels. Sun Peaks also offers a variety of winter activities such as snowboarding, snowshoeing, dog sledding, ice-skating, and tubing. It’s a great place to visit and a winter wonderland

Unfortunately, there aren’t many hotel options for point collectors near the mountain. The Fairfield Inn Kamloops should strongly be considered for those looking to hit the slopes for a few days.

I would 100% recommend the Fairfield Inn Kamloops for those who are looking to ski at Sun Peaks (or Harper Mountain), and don’t want to spend the high prices of an AirBnB.

Here is a review of Sun Peaks by Youtbuer Bramski

3. Room Upgrades for Marriott Gold Members

By being a cardholder of the American Express Business Platinum card, I am granted gold status with Marriott Bonvoy.

One of the positives of gold status is complimentary room upgrades upon check-in.

In my experience, room upgrades tend to be hit and miss in North America, but my wife and I were pleasantly surprised to be given a room upgrade available upon check-in (to a 1 bedroom suite). I was able to chat with the hotel via the Marriott app before check-in, which helped me secure the upgrade.

Fairfield Inn is not a top-tier brand as far as Marriott hotels are concerned, so don’t expect the Ritz Carlton, but given that we were staying 5 nights, we were happy with the extra space.

4. Clean/Modern Rooms

When staying at Marriott properties, you expect a certain level of cleanliness, and the Fairfield Inn Kamloops did not disappoint.

The rooms were extremely clean, which of course is important. Housekeeping had to be requested by calling the front desk, a trend that I’m starting to see more and more with hotels.

Our junior suite came with 2 queen beds, a couch, 2 TVs, a fridge, and a coffee maker. There were plenty of drawers for our clothes and plenty of counter space for the groceries we purchased.

5. Food Options: No Paid Restaurant, But Free Breakfast

Guests at the Fairfield Inn Kamloops are treated to free breakfast from 6:30 – 9:30 on weekdays, and 7 – 10 am on weekends.

As far as continental breakfasts are concerned, I would rank this in the middle (I’ve certainly had worse). Buffet options included were: bacon, eggs, sausage, potatoes, waffles, cereal, bagels, toast, yogurt, fruit, and muffins.

There was a coffee and juice maker as well.

We never waited for a seat, and the staff did a great job keeping the breakfast area clean. My wife and I were looking to keep the costs of our trip relatively low, so the free breakfast helped keep our budget in line.

There is no restaurant in the hotel, but there are a few within walking distance (including a McDonald’s across the street).

If you need something ASAP, there is a paid snack bar at the front desk, primarily consisting of chips, candy, snacks & drinks.

6. Amenities are Limited

As mentioned, the Fairfield Inn is a basic Marriott property, so you won’t get a ton of amenities (it’s a cheap, clean bed at a low cost).

The Fairfield Inn Kamloops provides the following amenities:

Free Wifi
Free Coffee/Tea
Indoor Pool
Hot Tub
Fitness Center
Meeting Space
Dry Cleaning Service
Laundry
Wake up Calls
Service Request

7. You May Need a Rental Car

The ride-share situation in Kamloops sucks, as there are currently no options (although that could change in the future). Kamloops has 2 main cab companies, and they’re both deplorable. The cab from the airport was over $50, and the cab to the airport arrived 25 minutes late (which is not what you want on your way to an airport).

My wife and I chose to rent a car during our stay. Rather than renting at the airport, we chose to rent from a rental location a ~20-minute walk from the Fairfield Inn Kamloops.

Many of the tourist destinations are scattered around the city, so a rental car might be the cheaper of the 2 options when factoring in the cost of cabs.

Overall Thoughts

The Fairfield Inn Kamloops is a solid property at a great price, regardless of whether you’re paying with points or with cash. The proximity to the TransCanada means you can easily access the amazing outdoor activities associated with BC’s interior. The free breakfast is another reason to consider the Fairfield Inn Kamloops.

If your goal is to spend the majority of your time downtown, this may not be the hotel for you, as there are plenty of options available in the downtown core that will meet your needs.

5 Reasons to Stay at the Fairfield Inn Kamloops

Clean rooms in a relatively new hotel
Great proximity to several restaurants
Close to the highway
Free breakfast
Great value when redeeming with points

5 Reasons to Avoid the Fairfield Inn Kamloops

This is a solid hotel, but there are other “luxury” options in the area
Not in the downtown core
Limited food options for guests
Very few amenities
Close to the highway, some are bothered by the views of traffic

How to Get to the Fairfield Inn Kamloops on Points

Option #1 Fly with Air Canada to Kamloops

Cards You’ll Need

Option #2 Fly with WestJet