Danny S.
Yelp
We wanted a decently priced lodging for a family of 15 (3 rooms) with kitchnette. I looked well in advance and this was the best bang for the bucks. I have never been to Banff before and wanted to stay in Banff versus Canmore. We went June 13-19.
Hotel/Location: this hotel was located right off Highway 1 and was very easy to find. It is not in downtown Banff itself but maybe a 5 min drive. It is quite outdated and could use a facelift for some of its amenities. It is advertised as a health fitness and conference center. The hotel was fairly clean. There are trash cans every where. There is a decent amount of parking and you should be able to find one fairly close to your room. The place that needs the most upkeep is their pool and fitness area. If you don't judge it for its slightly run down appearance, it has quite a bit to offer
Checkin/Service: Overall, service was pretty darn good. There are always friendly people at the front willing to help. check in was pretty straight forward and went by fairly quickly. You can always ask for more soap, blankets, towels, and anything else at the front desk. They offer a free shuttle service into town, but we didn't use. Daily cleaning service was good, they even wash your dishes.
Rooms/Amenities: There is free wifi that is hit or miss. At times it is pretty fast, at other times, horrendously slow. We had a 2 bedroom and 1 bedroom. The 2 bedroom was upstairs. The living area is pretty small but has a nice dining table/bench. 6 people could easily fit. The kitchen is small but functional. You had everything you need to cook a simple meal. There is a coffee pot for your use. The sofa bed is a double and could accommodate 2 teens. The upstairs rooms were small but had 2 king beds. The room reminds me of a college dorm room. Nothing luxurious, just functional. Bathroom were nice and clean. Had decent shower pressure. You can always ask for more towels. Carpet was fairly worn down. There were ample plugs around the unit. Overall, nothing fancy about the room. Walls are pretty thin.
Amenities: This was one of the perks about this hotel, lots of amenities for the price. The indoor pool was decent. Once again, nothing terribly fancy. Hot tubs were nice and hot. Kids enjoyed swimming every day. They are remodeling the shower rooms. Work out room is very old and outdated. There is a squat rack. No bench for bar work outs. Dumb bells are old, but goes up to 70lbs. All equipment appears from the 80s. 1 treadmill and 1 elipical. There are squash courts (kinda like racquet ball). The restaurant is decent and opens til 10:30pm. However, it appears under staff at times. There is no room service offered. There is an outdoor basketball court and tennis courts. There is also a firepit where you can buy wood. So overall, ample amenities, just could use some upgrades.
But once again, I think it is a great family friendly facility located about 2 miles from downtown. YOu get quite a bit of bang for your buck, just don't expect a luxurious resort.