My wife, my parents and me stayed for one night at the Riverbend Inn.
The gounds and the building are simply very nice, reminiscent of an Antebellum plantation in the South. Our rooms very very spacious, nicely furnished and clean. The bed was comfortable and the fireplace was also nice and romantic.
We made a terrific little walk through the vineyards to the neighbouring Peller vineyard.
Only the breakfast (aprox. $10) was average or below and the service was quite slow.
I would also recommend to have dinner somewhere in beautiful Niagara on the Lake, it's just a five minute drive.
If you don't like the overly kitsched and greasy Niagara Falls, it really makes sense to stay in Niagara on the Lake (definitely one of the most beautiful little towns in Canada) when visiting the Falls. The 20 minute drive on the Niagara Parkway is really special and spectacular.

We stayed at the Riverbend for a one night stay with another couple. The property is incredible with lovely grounds and a view of the vineyard. Rooms were beautifully appointed (very traditional furniture) and very spacious. Beds were very comfortable and the rooms included robes as well as a nice coffee machine (with pod style coffee). We had a package with a dinner credit and breakfast.

The dinner experience was excellent. The atmosphere is somewhat formal but still comfortable. The entire meal from the appetizers to the dessert were very good. Two of us had the veal which the waiter made a point of indicating it would be medium rare. Two of us had the Chicken. Both were great. A few of us had the bread pudding for dessert which was very unique with toasted pecans that were spiced with cayenne pepper (interesting contrast to the bread pudding and caramel) and it was amazing!
The breakfast menu was extremely limited. No pancakes, waffles... We arrived at 9 a.m. on Sunday morning, and we appeared to be one of the first to arrive and yet we were told that there was no whole wheat/brown bread (only white bread) for toast and that there was no more smoked salmon. Not a huge deal but when the breakfast menu is so limited, you would think that they would be more prepared. What we did order (their English breakfast), was excellent. Really nice sausage and eggs were prepared well.

I would have to say that when you're paying top dollar for an overnight stay like we did, your expectations are higher and the overall feeling and atmosphere from our stay was a little flat. Service from the moment we arrived was again not overly friendly. On arrival, we weren't provided with any additional information or hints about the property or for getting around into town. In a smaller place like this (vs a larger hotel), I would have expected more friendly and personalized service.

We were fortunate that the weather was so amazing when we were there which really added to our stay. We ate our breakfast outside on the beautiful patio overlooking the vineyard and so it certainly made up for what was lacking on the menu choices.
Overall, wonderful weekend and stay.

We returned to Riverbend after a 2 year hiatus and found it to be not the same 1st rate experience we had come to expect. The booking was easy and friendly but when we received the email confirmation the rate had jumped $60. I called and it was quickly fixed with apologies. The room was pleasant and in great condition. The ac was not 100% functional but acceptable. The package included breakfast which was dissapointing given the high tone of the place. The package also included a wine tasting flight that ended just as we checked in at 4pm. We ended up having it the next morning upon leaving at 11am. Three sips late morning with no food pairing. Not very satisfying. It literally left a bad taste in our mouths.

We have had wonderful experiences in the Niagara region and based on this plus a newspaper review we booked a dinner to celebrate a significant birthday. On a positive note the local wine ( 2007 Riverbend Inn/Reif Cabernet Sauvignon ) was excellent. However, the menu was uninspired, there was an almost total absence of local produce ( note this was September so there truly is no excuse for this ! ), the menu boasted fresh vegetables yet we had canned mushrooms, peppers from a commercial jar of soft, peeled,pickled red peppers, accompanied by undercooked green beans Finally the dessert menu had 4 standard items available in any restaurant. We will not be back here since the high prices did not match with the quality, except for the wine. You would be better to walk or drive a further 500 metres to Pellers next door !
September 10th, 2011.