A. N.
Yelp
Rooms here seem to run 25%-50% more than at other well-reviewed Banff lodgings, but you mostly get what you pay for. We splurged on a "premier" room - we booked late for a holiday weekend, so had few choices - and were glad we did: This got us a top-floor room with vaulted ceilings.
The property is up Tunnel Mountain Road from Banff townsite, in a basically quiet setting that's secluded from Banff Ave.'s clamor. (It's in a cluster with the Douglas Fir Resort, Tunnel Mtn. Resort, and a hostel.)
Designed as a luxurious "mountain lodge" indeed, the decor is a modern take on Northwest Arts-and-Crafts: post-and-beam framing, knotty-pine paneling, diamond windows and accents, fireplaces, porches with mountain views, and inuksuks placed around the grounds. Our main room felt really welcoming. The bathroom was huge, and sumptuous, with a clawfoot tub.
The outdoor hot tub was hot and glorious, although its jets somehow remained broken throughout our stay. It's on a placidly lit patio, with nice long summer hours. The lobby is woody, gently lit, and elegant.
The onsite restaurant is pricey, so we grazed on side dishes and happy-hour drink specials, and mostly ate elsewhere. Elsewhere on the grounds, we do recommend the Buffalo Mtn. Cafe: It had tasty coffee, with reasonably priced pastries, panini, and packaged salads that were ready to grab and go.
I'm knocking off a point for the laid-back staff attitude. Many of the front-desk and bar staff were very pleasant and helpful (despite limited local knowledge). But the buildings-and-grounds crew seemed rather sullen, and the results showed: Our welcome mat was trashed. There was rust on some bathroom fittings. And we were served a few glasses and cups that never would have passed inspection when I washed dishes in Banff, years ago.
These are minor things, but they wouldn't happen in a decent chain motel, and they definitely shouldn't happen at multiples of chain-motel rates. Also, on our first night, there was extended, loud, smoking/drinking/carousing at what turned out to be the staff dorm. And on our last night, there was a rowdy, drunken wedding reception in some central buildings. Luckily, our room was at the property's outside corner, so we were buffered from all of this.