When you travel on business, you sometimes find yourself in cities that you might not have expected. Recently, for me, that city was Saskatoon.
I attended a conference this summer in Saskatoon, the largest city in the Canadian prairie province of Saskatchewan. My accommodations were at the Sheraton Cavalier Saskatoon Hotel, a business-oriented property just one block from the South Saskatchewan River that snakes through the city. The riverfront is lined with parkland and walking trails — a green zone that contrasts with the edgier downtown streets.
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Guest Rooms and Amenities
The eight-story Sheraton Cavalier has all the standard business amenities, from work desks with adjustable desk chairs, Wi-Fi, and flat-screen TVs to one-cup coffeemakers stocked with Starbucks coffee. There’s also a Starbucks outlet in the lobby if you prefer not to brew your own.
The smallest rooms, with a queen or king bed, average only 250-270 square feet. However, some of the guestrooms, which are still in the lowest price category, range up to 350 square feet, with either two queens or a queen and a pullout sofa.
There are four more spacious “Executive Suites” — studio units with a partial wall between the living room and sleeping area — as well as one-bedroom suites that will give you more room to spread out.
Since my days were packed with conference activities, I didn’t have a chance to sample the Sheraton’s recreational facilities, which include a 24-hour fitness center and an indoor pool with a waterslide.
Judging by snapshots that appeared on online after our conference, though, it appears that some of my colleagues did manage a few runs down the slide — with much splashing and frivolity! Of course, if you were traveling with the kids, they’d make a beeline for this indoor waterpark.
The hotel was under renovation during my stay, and paint smells sometimes wafted down from the floor above. Some rooms had been updated, while others were still slated for rehab, so you should check on the renovation status — and your room location — before you book.
Double room rates typically start at $169-229, depending on the season. Parking is available for $15/day. 
Exploring Saskatoon
I did have a chance for a brief excursion to Saskatoon’s Riversdale district, which Air Canada’s enRoute magazine recently dubbed one of “Canada’s Next Great Neighbourhoods.”
Though still a bit rough around the edges, this urban neighborhood, which centers along 20th Street West not far from downtown, has lots of cool spots to explore, including avant garde galleries, a restored movie palace, and a vintage guitar store that doubles as a concert venue.
Even if you’re just in town to work, it’s worth trying to find some time to explore. You might be surprised at what you’ll discover — in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Book online through Hotels.com or other booking sites.
Hotel review by Vancouver-based travel, food, and feature writer Carolyn B. Heller, author of the books, Moon Handbooks: Ontario and Living Abroad in Canada. Photos © Carolyn B. Heller.
