Picnics & Promenades: Plan a Perfect Romantic Day

PICNICS & PROMENADES: PLAN A PERFECT ROMANTIC DAY

With kids back to school and a summer jam-packed with outdoor adventure behind you, now’s the time to take a breather. Not one with water parks and pizza (you’ve had enough dedicated family time!), but an understated, relaxing retreat for you and your partner. As the weather cools and the leaves start to turn, take advantage of the remaining warm days for some romantic plans. We’ve developed an itinerary of activities for a romantic day. You can also incorporate an overnight stay for more indulgence.

We often think of picnics as primarily a summer activity, but the thought of eating outdoors in the humidity with the sun beating down is likely a deterrent for some. A warm sunny day on the cusp of autumn means you can enjoy the best of summer with more comfortable weather. Even though the main event for a picnic is the food, you don’t have to spend a lot of time coordinating a menu, shopping or packing. Our picnic pick is Sunterra Market.

Sunterra Market located in the Lendrum Shopping Centre is a small gourmet grocery store with impressive catering and meals-to-go offerings.  Choose breakfast, lunch, dinner, even snacks and starters from the hot-to-go menu.  Your items are ready for curbside pick up within 30 minutes after placing the order online and, voila!  Gourmet picnic ready!

Photo Credit: City of Edmonton

After collecting your order at Sunterra Market, head north via 113 Street towards Groat Road to get to your next stop – Hawrelak Park.  Named for Edmonton’s longest serving mayor, William Hawrelak, the park features a large lake, open meadows, plentiful weeping willows, and 37 picnic tables for drop in use.  You can also reserve a picnic site from May through October.  New in 2021, is the Community League Plaza, a covered area on the southeast side of the lake with benches and picnic tables.  The park has so many picturesque spots that you’re sure to find a beautiful place to lounge.

Post-picnic, consider a walk down Whyte Avenue in Old Strathcona.  Whyte Avenue between 109 Street and Gateway Boulevard is well-known for local shopping and dining.  Plus it also straddles the neighbourhoods of Strathcona and Garneau where historic houses and buildings abound.  Once you’ve had your fill of shopping, you can go on a history hunt.  The Edmonton Historical Board makes it easy with listings by neighbouhood.

Photo credit: @jennieleaphoto via @madebymarcus

Before wrapping up, loop back around to Made by Marcus.  A new favourite on Whyte Avenue, Made by Marcus is small-batch ice cream shop.  Pop in for a scoop or two of Field Strawberry Buttermilk, Lemon Curd Blueberry, or Malted Chocolate Honeycomb… just some of many regular menu items, or choose a special flavour of the month.  From there, follow Calgary Trail one intersection north to Dr. Wilbert McIntyre Park, a small greenspace with a gazebo just down the street from the Old Strathcona Farmer’s Market.  Grab a bench and people watch as you enjoy something sweet with your sweetie (too much?  Sorry, couldn’t resist!).

This is just a sampling of the wonderful tastes and sights to consider for a romantic day.  You can also choose a romantic two-night getaway with the Date Night Deal.  It includes dinner for two at the Sorrentino’s Restaurant location of your choice.   Take a look at our selections for hotels near by so that you can enjoy all these itinerary suggestions without too much travel time.

Hotels within 4 kilometers:

Best Western Cedar Park Inn

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Welcome to this inviting hotel situated along major routes in Edmonton, proudly offering superior customer service and enticing accommodations at an affordable price close to Old Strathcona.

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Metterra Hotel on Whyte

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This hotel’s elegant and contemporary decor combines the simplistic beauty of natural materials, including wood, water and rock, with sleek custom-designed furnishings and global artifacts.

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Campus Tower Suites Hotel

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A premier Edmonton hotel which is nestled in the heart of the Garneau district, minutes to downtown and the Ice District. Discover unique dining and shopping options just a short walk from the hotel.

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Rockin Thunder Festival Bucks, 2025
Terms and Conditions

The Offer

The Rockin Thunder Festival Bucks offer is valid for hotel stays from Thursday, July 10 to Sunday, July 13, 2025.  Hotel bookings must be made through Edmonton’s Best Hotels booking platform at www.edmontonsbesthotels.com

The Festival Bucks offer will close on Monday, July 7, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. NO ROCKIN THUNDER FESTIVAL BUCKS OFFERS WILL BE PROVIDED AFTER THE JULY 7, 2025, CLOSE DATE.

If you book a hotel stay for July 10 to the 13th, 2025, and choose a non-Festival Bucks reward, the value of the Festival Bucks is not transferable to the other rewards.

If you do not use all your Festival Bucks, no refund will be provided. In the event of a cancellation due to an act of God, no refund will be provided, and no exchange will be offered for other rewards through Edmonton’s Best Hotels program.

The Festival Bucks offer is:

Book a one-night hotel stay and receive $75 in Festival Bucks.

Book a two-night hotel stay and receive $175 in Festival Bucks.

Book a three-night hotel stay and receive $250 in Festival Bucks.

HOW DO I RECEIVE MY FESTIVAL BUCKS: PROCESS:

STEP ONE: You must check into your hotel first.

STEP TWO: You will receive your Festival Bucks Voucher at the front desk of your hotel upon check-in.

STEP THREE: Redeem your Festival Bucks voucher at Rockin Thunder’s Will Call Booth, which is located at the festival site.  You will need to provide your letter to them. They will cross-reference your letter with the registration list that we provide to them. NO FESTIVAL BUCKS WILL BE SENT ONLINE, BY POSTAL SERVICE OR BY COURIER.

Festival Bucks can be used for concessions and merchandise on-site only (no online sales) at the Rockin Thunder Festival on Friday, July 11, and Saturday, July 12, 2025. Festival bucks are non-transferable and non-refundable.

Terms and Conditions of the Offer

Guests must be at least 18 years of age at the time of redemption.

Reservations must be made through Edmonton’s Best Hotels’ booking site (www.edmontonsbesthotels.com).  Reservations made directly with hotelsare not eligible for Rockin Thunder Festival Bucks.

Multiple reservations are not eligible for Festival Bucks.

Multiple reservations for the same person for the same night(s) from July 10-13, 2025, are considered double bookings, and only one of those bookings will be eligible for Festival Bucks. (For example, if a guest books two nights during the July 10-13, 2025, period and then makes another two-night booking during that same period at the same hotel or another hotel, EBH considers this a double booking and will honour only one of those bookings.)

Cancelling and date changes to reservations.

If a guest wants to cancel, they must contact Edmonton’s Best Hotels directly.  Do not cancel the hotel directly. To cancel, please contact info@edmh.ca.  We will cancel your booking and send you a cancellation number for your records. 

If a guest wants to change the dates of their reservation, they must cancel their reservation with Edmonton’s Best Hotels first, then re-book.  Edmonton’s Best Hotels does not make changes to reservations. 

Cancellation rules vary by each member hotel.  Consult the hotel you are interested in staying at to inquire about their cancellation policies.

Terms and Conditions

The “1,2, 3 Pick Your Rewards”, Terms and Conditions and Blackout Dates 

Rewards Program campaign dates

Reward package available to book from January 5, 2022 for stays to December 31, 2025 for rewards except for possible blackout dates. At present there are no blackout dates scheduled.

Rewards are subject to while supplies last.  Substitutions of equivalent kind, value may be made as necessary.  Rewards are non-transferable, no cash value, no cash back.

  • Rewards are non-transferable, non-exchangeable, have no cash value, no cash back.
  • Rewards cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion.
  • Reward deal is net non-commissionable.

Blackout dates

At present there are no blackout dates scheduled. 

In the event blackout dates are scheduled, any guest who makes a booking for a hotel stay during the blackout period prior to the blackout period being named will receive the rewards they are booked for. 

Rewards Program offerings

Book one night’s stay with Edmonton’s Best Hotels and receive your choice of one of three $50 rewards excluding blackout dates:

  • $50 Gas Card or
  • $50 Prepaid Mastercard, or
  • $50 Ultimate Dining Card

Book two night’s stay with Edmonton’s Best Hotels and receive your choice of one of five reward packages excluding blackout dates:

  • $150 prepaid MasterCard, or
  • $75 Gas card and $75 MasterCard, or
  • $75 Gas card and $75 Ultimate Dining Card, or

Book three night’s stay with Edmonton’s Best Hotels and receive your choice of one of four reward packages excluding blackout dates:

  • Three Night Reward 1: $225 Prepaid Mastercard
  • Three Night Reward 3: $75 Ultimate Dining Card + $75 Prepaid Mastercard + $75 Gas Card

One choice of reward per stay. 

Guest must be 18 years of age or older at time of redemption. 

Virtual Prepaid Mastercard offer three convenient ways to shop. You can use it for online purchases anywhere Mastercard is accepted, add it to your mobile wallet for contactless in-store payments, or request a physical card after activation for traditional in-store purchases.

Rewards distribution

Rewards will be emailed directly to guests within 48 hours of Edmonton’s Best Hotels confirming their check-in.  Rewards are not provided by the hotel’s front desk.   All rewards are sent electronically. 

Reservations

Guest must reserve a minimum of 24 hours prior to arrival.

Rewards are NOT available for reservations made less than 24 hours in advance of arrival.

Reservations made directly with hotels and not through Edmonton’s Best Hotels are not eligible for rewards. No exceptions. Rewards are only provided to guests who book through Edmonton’s Best Hotels online booking platform.  Booking reservation confirmations will have Edmonton’s Best Hotels branding on them. Rewards not provided for hotel reservations during specified blackout dates.

Reservations cannot be extended by hotels for additional rewards.

Guests may add a night to an existing one-night deal reservation and receive additional rewards if the request is made a minimum of 24 hours in advance of arrival.

Booking terms and conditions

Rewards provided for more than one night, must be for consecutive nights under one registration under one name at one property. In addition, no more than up to three consecutive nights will be honoured. If a guest checks in for three days and then checks out and re-checks in for the next day, this is considered a consecutive night booking even if the second booking is made at different hotel.  

There must be a minimum of three days between bookings.

Multiple reservations for the same person for the same night(s) is considered a double booking and only one of those bookings will be eligible for rewards. For example, if a guest books two nights on x and y date and then makes another two-night booking for the same dates at the same hotel or another hotel, EBH considers this a double booking and will honour rewards for only one of those bookings. 

Is there a limit on the number of bookings I make on different dates?  Edmonton Best Hotels welcomes repeat business.  Some of our guests visit Edmonton every month.  Please note as stated earlier there must be a minimum of three days between bookings. Please also note stated blackout dates.

Cancelling and date changes to reservations

If a guest wants to cancel or change the dates of their booking.

What if I want to cancel my booking?  Edmonton Best Hotels must cancel your booking (not the hotel).  If you want to cancel, contact info@edmh.ca and let us know.  We will cancel your booking and send you a cancellation number for your records.  Please do not cancel directly with the hotel.

What if I want to change the dates of my booking?  You must contact Edmonton Best Hotels at info@edmh.ca and let us know you want to make a date change.  Your original booking must be cancelled first.  You will receive a cancellation number for your records.  Then, you must rebook for your new dates.  The hotel nor Edmonton’s Best Hotels cannot make date changes to the original booking.  Please note this does not guarantee you will receive the same hotel rate when you rebook for different dates.

Any questions, please contact Edmonton Best Hotels at info@edmh.ca 

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