Hotel Arts

We chose this hotel for a short staycation mainly because of the pictures of the pool on the internet and we wanted to try the breakfast buffet at their restaurant but... PROS first The location was great! Right in the downtown area and there is free parking for hotel guests. There was a booked event at the pool are on the night that we booked our stay so we are not able to use the pool at the time we wanted (around 4-6 pm) so they gladly gave us early check-in at 12 so we can start using the pool at 2pm. You need reservations for the pool and it's not guests only, outside patrons can use the pool for a fee. Now the CONS... The room was small but clean. The sad part is it was really run down. The leather coating on the bed was peeling off and it was not nice to see; the heater was very old. They need to upgrade the furniture in the room. There was no microwave in the room, but we were able to request for one. You have to pay $4 if you consume the bottled water inside the room. The pool is great but VERY small, pictures online are deceiving. When we arrived there around 2pm. There were quite a few people already there and mostly were adults drinking, lounging and some swimming. There was only 1 other child when we were there. My bad for not doing research that the pool caters more to adults than children. We ordered from the restaurant that was tied up to the pool call the Social Club. We were told that if you eat poolside, the happy hour menu and prices do not apply, you have to go IN the restaurant to avail that. Which I think is absurd. Anyways, the food was OK but the service was really slow. We waited more than 30 mins for a kid's pizza and a small bowl of fries. And last but not the least, there was an event that night at the hotel's ballroom near the pool on the ground floor. Even we are at the 5th floor, we can still hear the muffled music from the event. In conclusion, this hotel is NOT family-friendly, the amenities are OK but definitely not worth the price you pay!

We stayed for a Saddledome event and loved the convenience of only being a 10 minute walk away. Our room was excellent with great amenities. Service was excellent including the front desk delivering actual cream for my coffee on request! The night-time views of the city from our balcony were spectacular and while there is construction out front, they didn’t start working until 8am and the noise was minimal. Parking is a real plus but there is a charge if you do t book through the hotel directly (tip: the price direct appears typically cheaper than any of the travel companies) Overall, highly recommended.

Great location for events at the Saddledome — an easy 10–15 minute walk. Staff were friendly, helpful, and attentive. Free underground parking was a huge bonus, especially downtown in winter. Rooms are spacious with a mini fridge and coffee maker, and the bathrooms are open and well laid out with good counter space and water pressure. Loved the shampoo and conditioner. Our view included some construction but also the Calgary Tower. The room could use a bit of TLC (our headboard cover was torn), but overall a clean, friendly, and convenient place to stay downtown.

The staff were most helpful and welcoming. The room was spacious, impeccably clean, and well-appointed. The bed was ultra-comfy; and I slept extremely well. Complimentary parking was a big plus, removing much stress. Breakfast at the Yellow Door Bistro was quite enjoyable. Rates were reasonable. No complaints, only praise. Thank you@

I’ve been staying in this hotel on and off for years and have always loved it. This time we got to our room and it wasn’t made up yet, not a huge deal, it happens. We contacted reception who upgraded us which was unnecessary but nice. When going to my old room to get my luggage I was accosted by a member of staff asking what’s wrong with the room, what’s your problem? I don’t know, I didn’t realise this had become a put your own sheets on kind of hotel. An annoyance in an otherwise great hotel that put me in a bad mood.

Arrived late afternoon (after 4pm) to be told room wasn't ready for about another 15mins. 25 minutes later room still wasn't ready so they offered us a larger room which we accepted. I guess there was a problem with the original room which they didn't want to tell us about.|The replacement room was spacious with nice decor but also needed some refurbishment, especially the swivel chair and furniture next to the fridge. Nice to have a balcony, but there are no chairs to sit outside.|The pool area was very busy and a time slot had to be booked. There was no space for swimming due to the number of people standing in the pool.|Breakfast was a disappointment with limited menu choices (no buffet midweek).|The location is good and within walking distance to downtown. Plenty available car parking spaces.|The biggest annoyance was at checkout. Do you always check your invoice? Our prepaid package included parking and breakfast. But we were being charged extra for part of a breakfast and gratuities. Apparently there is a limit on breakfast cost but nowhere in my booking is this stated. Also, we left cash gratuities but they tried to charge our card for them. Sad to see Canada going the way of USA regarding automatic gratuities.|After some discussion the extra charges were rightly cancelled. But remember to check that invoice!

Lovely hotel! Great service! Room keeping did such a lovely tidy and reset every day. Nice little gym! Dumbells all the way up to 40lbs, a treadmill, a bench, a bike, and a couple?steppers?. Also a couple mats. I just wish they had music playing in the gym so you didnt hear each other huffing and puffing haha

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Excellent Stay at Hotel Arts! We had an absolutely excellent day at Hotel Arts. The service was incredible, everyone was friendly, helpful, and went above and beyond to make our stay perfect. The rooms were spotless, comfortable, and quiet. A special thank-you to the gentleman bellman at the front who noticed we were running late for our restaurant reservation and kindly offered us a ride over such a thoughtful gesture! We always stay here when we visit Calgary, and this experience just confirmed why. We’ll definitely be back

I gave this hotel a 3 rating a few days ago, due to some issues we encountered. Happy to report that staff were able to deal with our issues very fairly and I can now change my rating to a 4. If they are able to upgrade some of the tired decor (and poorly working fridge) in the rooms and pay attention to some safety issues like grab bars in the large shower/tub, they will achieve a 5.

THis is the nice hotel I always put up my friends and family when they visit and they LOOOOOOOOOOOVE it ! Its the BESTTTTTTTTT!!! The food the staff the location everything is amazing thank you so much !

Cute Boutique Hotel In Calgary. The room is clean and have a giant tub in the bathroom that fits a large adult and 2 kids (1 yo and 2.5 years old). I'm obsessed with their invigor - mint shampoo and body wash by Skoah (a discontinued line but only available at partnered hotels). They also have free self parking lots underground and above ground surface lots. They are located close by Calgary Tower and are near plenty of restaurants and bars around the downtown area. H mart is only about 2 blocks over if you want Asian groceries. I also just read that they give complimentary bikes rentals on their website, which is amazing! The only con was that you have to reserve pool time and it's a $10 fee per person if you don't show up. It's a small pool and is just under 5 feet. They reserve a seating area for you, which is very nice but made it difficult to plan your day especially having 2 kids under 3yo.

We were excited to spend the pool day here based on the website and images selling the social adult bar fun day poolside but it was just OK. At $40 per person to use the pool for 3 hours, we never even went in pool because it was all kids swimming and playing ball the entire 3 hours we were there. So it was a parents and kids pool that we witnessed. Food was really good, drinks were ok very pricey for a weak drink. No lounge chairs either so no laying back and relaxing. Service was good and our waitress did agree to not charge us the $40 per person since we never did go in pool. Again would have but I was hit with a ball 4 times not in the pool, was not going to bother going in!

I can't express how much I loved staying at this hotel. First off, their location is fantastic. If you stay in this hotel you're in the heart of downtown Calgary and within walking distance of many staples like Scotiabank Saddledome. Even if it's 3 degrees outside, you can venture out of this hotel to explore a bit before coming back and relaxing in their amazingly comfy beds. Regarding the hotel amenities, this hotel has a restaurant and a bar directly connected to their lobby. We tried both establishments and we were pleasantly pleased with our dining experiences. The hotel also has a great poolside area with fire pits and cocktail service. In the winter months, there's even a canopy over the pool that fully encloses the area and protects guests from the frigid temperatures of the great white north. Such a great concept to ensure guests still have access to the pool no matter what time of year they stay. Finally, I must highlight that every encounter we had with the hotel staff was so polite and professional. From check in to check out, we were always pleased with the great customer service we received. Honestly I can't wait to come back so we can stay at this hotel again. Who knows, maybe next time we will get a suite!

I've stayed at this hotel a few times but it's been a few years since my last visit. We booked online through a travel website and got a decent rate for a weeknight. We arrived around 2PM and they didn't have our room ready but they offered an upgrade to a two Queen bed room with a balcony which we accepted. The room on the 11th floor had a view of the Calgary Tower. There was a Keurig machine in the room but no fridge or microwave. Beside the elevators was a vending machine and an ice machine which was convenient. The room was spacious with lots of room to walk and there was a desk and a lounge chair. I also liked that the lamp beside the beds, had 2 plug ins. The washroom had a close up mirror and a nice shower head. The shampoo, conditioner, and soap were in dispensers attached to the wall. It's too bad as the smell was divine and I would have taken bottles of it home! I had a comfortable sleep and check out was quick. We left our bags there and came back a few hours later and didn't have to wait long. The lobby has lots of seating and the washrooms by the conference rooms are nice and clean. There were cabs waiting outside when we left and the location is great as it's within walking distance to downtown. I would stay at this hotel again.

Amazing Wedding. Great Tasting Food. Poor Management. Inadequate Problem Resolution. Subpar Rooms. No Airport Shuttle. Homeless Presence. My daughter and her new husband held their dream wedding here. This is the one hotel they wanted in all of Calgary. Even though the wedding was beautiful and the food delicious, due to some post wedding treatment or lack of, I feel inclined to say I would never recommend this hotel. You may enjoy yourself if you just want a room and don't mind the above mentions, however, if there is something you are unhappy with, you will need to fight for better treatment. The boutique, unique, exemplary experience they advertise was not delivered. Management is professional, yet uncaring and unwilling to go a step above even your local community motel (not what they tout themselves to be). I feel they will rebut this statement as they have to, but know that I gave them (and their investment company) every opportunity to not get this review in writing. They did not treat the unfortunate incident following the wedding as they could have for the newlyweds and their guests affected . Regarding the venue itself, I would like to mention that the rooms are not what you would expect for the price. There are no microwaves or fridges. There is no hot tub and the restaurant food is rather pricey. Shuttles to the hotel are not provided, guests are often smoking just outside the door and three times I saw a shirtless and shoeless person coming into the lobby. As a higher end hotel the TVs do not let you cast and only have local cable and you have to go through a scroll screen menu. Also, the movies are $25, even some of the family ones. These are just added disappointments on top of the very poor treatment of the bridal party incident. It is your choice, but I am mentioning what happened to us for your discernment.

Friendly and helpful staff. Nice ambience. Comfortable rooms with newer mattresses.

Stayed at Hotel Arts for one night on business. Booked through a third party website and had no trouble on check in. Check in was quick and to the point. We parked underground - they had three options (above ground, parkade or valet) for three different price points. Location is right downtown which makes it easy to walk to meetings or go for dinner on 17th Avenue. The rooms were adequate but nothing fancy. They have done some renovations and upgrades but did cut a few corners. There was no bathtub in the room and although the rain shower was lovely, it would have been nice to also have a wand to wash my hair more effectively. Walls are thin so you can sometimes hear guests coming and going in the night. We didn't get a chance to visit the hotel pool but it looks lovely and well appointed. Has the continental breakfast at the Yellow Door Bistro downstairs which was mediocre if not a bit overpriced.

I was meeting friends from out of town for a concert. They arrived the night before. I caught a very early flight . I booked my room online (they had a Olympic special ) . When i got to the hotel i realized that i left my credit card at home. I was not able to check in without it . Lucky they stored my bags while i went to the store. My gf was able to use her cc for the deposit, For the trouble they upgraded my room from a studio to a king room ;) The hotel is old but has been fixed up boutique style. The rooms are large and comfy and very clean. The bathrooms are stocked with AVEDA products which i love! Comfy robes, a large dresser and Armour made my unpacking easy. Beds super comfy, room service food was excellent and quick,. Bell boy was super cute too. I defiantly would recommend and stay here again! -My ratings for this hotel- 5 of 5 stars Value 4 of 5 stars Rooms 4 of 5 stars Location 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness 4 of 5 stars Service 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality Would i recommend this hotel to a friend? Yes indeed

The hotel is pretty nice and in a great location downtown. However a couple of things made the visit less than perfect. Attention light sleepers: walls are paper thin. Our guests next door kept us awake for hours in the middle of the night. Another weird thing to note if you take baths - the bathtub in our room was extra long (like 7-8') which sounds nice, but made it hard to take a relaxing bath because you slide down into the water if you're average height.

Super lovely stay at this hotel. I love how comfy the room is, the lobby has a great fireplace and the service is awesome! I also support their refillable products in the shower, I hate the travel size bottles that waste so much plastic! The corridors are a little wonky though and there were stairs to my room and also the hallway felt forever long.

So my fiancée and I were in Calgary for Barack Obama and we decided that Hotel Arts was worth a try, it had very good reviews and so that's where this story begins. We arrived after watching Barack Obama speak at the Saddledome. The desk staff was super frIendly. We checked in to the hotel (which was a smooth process, better than most hotels I've checked in to), we were given our directions to the parkade. Now I will say that was a bit of a challenge, once I wrapped my head around the fact that I had to drive around the block I it made things much easier. We get to the room and it's super clean the view wasn't the greatest unfortunately at least not from our room. The bathroom was spotless which is one of the things that I always check in a hotel. The bed was comfortable but the only reason I give 4 stars is because the pillows were not comfortable at all. We got settled in and decided to visit the restaurant for dinner, the food was great and the atmosphere kept right with the Artsy theme. All in all it was a good stay. Good hotel right in downtown. Sorry I didn't include a picture but our stay was a while ago and I've since bought a new phone and couldn't find the pictures I took.

Nice boutique hotel in downtown Calgary. The decor is trendy in the lobby with good restaurants on site. Average gym (no view - on the 2nd floor). Meeting rooms were good. The rooms are modern with good sized bathrooms. Toiletries are Skoah (not sure when they stopped using Aveda). I stayed in a nice room on the 11th floor with a great view of the Calgary Tower. Quiet room and comfortable bed with a selection of pillows - really liked that! Friendly service. One of the front desk staff was a little forgetful, but no issues otherwise. It's walking distance to many downtown attractions and it's also a taxi stop so no issues getting around. 4 stars.

One of the best hotels in Calgary. Excellent hospitality and a beautiful hotel. Right downtown and walking distance to a great park, restaurants, and bars.

I travel to Calgary about once a month (ish) and have tried many downtown hotels, but always end up back at the Arts. The staff are friendly and genuine with their interactions (does not seem forced or fake at all) and I appreciate the level of service I receive every time I stay. From valet to front desk to housekeeping, I've always been met with a smile and a pleasant greeting. The rooms are clean and pretty and the beds are very comfortable. I really like the Skoah toiletries and have bought some for home use as well (something I never do.) I think the price for a room downtown is competitive and have stayed in other hotels in the area for far more money with lower quality/outdated rooms. It's conveniently located with lots of food options in and around the property, and also offer a ride service in their Escalade if you need to go somewhere in the core (a blessing if you're heading out in heels.) When I'm in Calgary, the Arts is my go-to.

The September snowstorm did not deter me from staying at Hotel Arts last week... I changed out my flip-flops for boots and my tank top for a winter coat, and yes - it was cold, but lucky for me, Hotel Arts was the perfect place to warm-up and get some zzzzs! Hotel Arts is centrally located and easily accessible. They've got a (mostly) friendly staff and a fabulous restaurant right inside. I was lucky enough to get one of the newly renovated rooms and it was oh so spacious and comfortable... and I love that they have Aveda products in the bathroom! As the name implies, this place is swanky and stylish and cool all over. There is some really unique art work around the building... I didn't get to explore as much as I would have liked, so I hope to return for a future visit. They are continuing renovations (they were working on the fitness center while I was there), so I'm sure once that's done HA will be a definite five stars! If you can swing staying at Hotel Arts, you won't regret it. I look forward to laying my head there again next visit to YYC!

Uber chic, trendy, cool, fresh and Ab Fab! That is what the Hotel Arts is all about! Located in party zone central (at least during stampede), this is the bastion of rest, relaxation and recharging for everyone from business execs to rock-stars. The rooms are dark and sexy, guaranteed to bring out your inner sex kitten! It's easily accessible to get to downtown as well as the BMO Centre. Has two excellent restaurants located inside the hotel and another phenomenal one (Taste) right out the back door. They have a huge gym and a yoga studio on the same block, and across the street are sandwich shops, a burrito joint and Italian deli. The staff is incredible. Let me repeat that: The staff is incredible. Friendly, kind, helpful and you feel as though they are looking out for you through your entire trip. The room I stayed in was on the 9th floor and I couldn't hear a thing from outside the hotel nor from the other rooms. The bathroom had top notch Aveda products, which I adore! And my room had a giant walk in closet in the dressing area with vanity! The Hotel Arts really is a special place. You never know who you are going to meet in the front lobby. Oh, and during the summer, hands down the best pool party in the Province! See you next time I am in town!

How should I intelligently put this... WWWOOOWWW! This hotel is one for the books of greatness. It's an extremely nice, very modern hotel and yet someone like me doesn't feel uncomfortable staying here. It's such a beautiful establishment with lovely and funky decor that makes this hotel worth your stay. The cost of the rooms are not unreasonable, I'd say about average for a decently nice hotel now-a-days. It has all the amenities you'd expect from an up-scale hotel including in-suite flat screen TV's, a large two-person bath (complete with cushy robes) and a fancy, yet affordable hotel bar. The only unexpected cost I encountered was the valet parking. When I initially arrived and asked the front desk where I should park, the receptionist told me they had valet, but neglected to tell me it was an additional cost per day. I suppose that's silly of me to assume it would be free. I still tipped the valet's though! The rooms themselves are absolutely breathtaking! They have large, plush beds with soft sheets and fluffy pillows. They even brought me more pillows when I requested them... I really like my pillows! The service for the pillows (and cork screw) was ridiculously fast. I had barely hung up the phone with the front desk when there was a know on my door with what I had requested. I didn't even have time to put some clothes on before the room service arrived. Lucky for those nice robes! Another bonus in this hotel is the wonderful pool they have. It's huge and warm and open later than most. It's a very refreshing place to sit and soothe after a long day... and they even let you have drinks near the pool. Go figure. I also really love the bar they have. It's very elegant, but still casual and the bartenders are super friendly and always nice. Then again, so is everyone who works at this place. All-in-all my stay at Hotel Arts was one of the best hotel experiences I've ever had. They had a good idea turning that old building into something useful. Now it's a beautiful establishment which holds it's customers in high regards and does it in style. If only I had more reasons to stay here, I would. Maybe I'll just go visit the bar and hit the pool sometime again. This really is a great hotel... one of the better ones.

I stayed at this hotel for a business trip and I was in LOVE. The room was stunning, spacious and seriously- I could live in there full time , no problem. I was lucky enough to stay in a suite style room which had a living room and bar area. Not sure if all rooms are built in that style but I really enjoyed staying there. What was great about this room was that there was an in-mirror TV and a comfortable couch/living room area as well. The bed sheets were warm and fresh and I overall had no problems with the room. I love the fun art and interior design pieces they have throughout the hotel too. Improvements / letdowns: 1. Out of nowhere, the in-mirror TV stopped work mid bubble bath haha. But I did advise someone right away- unfortunately they did not do anything about it until I checked out which is alright. 2. The products they leave in the bathroom such as lotions, shampoos and soaps are very funky in smell. I did not enjoy how overly powerful the scent was but not in a good way. Thankfully I always bring my own products. 3. Wonky WIFI that barely worked not only on my phone but my laptop- it was always in and out which made communicating with my family in Toronto and getting work down a bit difficult. The Yellow Door Bistro was delicious, I had both dinner and breakfast here but will do a separate review. I will give this hotel another shot if I am in town again.

I stayed here last night in a luxury king suite. There was a lot of beautiful art in the hotel and in the room. The bathroom had a TV in the mirror and the tub was lovely. There was a small balcony, sitting area, and keurig with complimentary coffee. Also a spacious closet for your clothes. I found the pillows too soft for my liking and my neighbors came in at 3am and were being very loud. I asked the front desk to speak to them and it was handled effectively. The robe in the room was also very small and short. Would have liked to see more than 1 robe and one that is bigger. The gentleman who handled my checkout was very kind and sorry to hear I didn't have a good sleep. He made sure I was satisfied when I left and ensured I will come back in the summer to check out a pool suite. I dined at yellow door bistro for breakfast this morning and it was lovely. Check them out if you're hungry when you wake up (they do room service too).

My husband and I went down for dinner at raw bar, and then stayed overnight at the hotel. These guys did a class act in every way. Our room was a sweet, it was big beautiful and clean, with a balcony. After leaving the hotel, and arriving home I realized I had misplaced my purse. Not knowing whether or not the purse was at the hotel, or if I left it somewhere else I phoned them first. They were amazing, they opened up their video, and could track me coming and going from the bar and determined that the purse must be in the room as I had carried it out with me at the end of the evening. Many thanks to the detective work, and to Dana at the front desk in particular! We will definitely be back

Nice hotel -- clean, comfortable bed and rooms. Chose one of the lesser cost non-renovated rooms without a good view, but for a non renovated room, it seemed pretty up to date to me. Not a massively sized room (believe the renovated ones are about double the size), but more than adequate. In room safe, lots of channels on the television, balcony, attached parking garage ($24 CAD/d with in-out privs). The one negative is the pitifully slow WiFi speeds -- less than .5Mb/s. They have an outdoor pool which looks nice but I did not get to try it during my stay.

The hotel is under construction and we were not notified prior to booking our week long stay, or upon check in. We have a 6 month old baby who was staying in the room with us. The construction was incredibly loud and the walls in the room shook. Our baby could obviously not sleep and the room was inhabitable due to excessive noise. (A jack hammer appeared to be being used on a patio two doors down). When we contacted the front desk and hotel management they said construction would be done by 6:00pm. They had no other rooms to move us to unless we wanted to utilize a meeting room. Breast feeding and having a baby sleep in a meeting room is unacceptable. Not to mention all the items we would have to move to the meeting room to make it livable for a baby. Due to hotel staff making no effort to help us, we had to leave the hotel. They said they would only refund the one night since construction was only for the one of four days during our stay. Having to move to another hotel for one night to then move back to theirs was also unacceptable. I would never recommend hotel arts to anyone!

This hotel was beautiful! We went for a business trip, and I'm so glad we stayed at this hotel. The rooms themselves were good - clean, updated, with nice bathrooms. The restaurant below is wonderful as well, with some fancy eats.

Over priced considering I found hair on the pillow cases when I stayed there and it took over 5 minutes for the water to warm up for a shower. Front desk didn't seem too concerned with my issues. Will not be back.

The Hotel Arts is obviously an old, low budget hotel that's been rehabbed and fancied. The decor is nice, although there wasn't much art. The best part about the rooms is the bathroom and the tv. My room was cold, probably a rigged radiator to save them money. An engineer came in a few times to "fix" the issue and it would work for a little while then back to being cold. The view from my room was the bricks of the next building and carpet needed to be vacuumed. Overall, I wasn't impressed but it's decent for the price. The 2 restaurants on the lobby level were delicious with good drinks. So, even if you don't stay at the hotel you should still check out the restaurants.

Not bad, it's getting old and worn down. Time for a re and re. Price are all over the map with Expedia vs them, and them is losin!

First of all let me just say that for me this is the hottest hotel that we have in the city. There are amazing art works in the lobby and it is all pimped out in styling retro furniture that would appeal to any celebrity. With that said I am bringing some celebrity break dancers to the city and my only option to suit their needs would be the Hotel Arts. You have an art nouveau swimming pool, 5 star food dining in two very luxurious restaurants and the most plush hotel interiors that will make any break dancer do multiple head spins. Plus these rooms are suited up with high cotton thread count linen, huge flat screen televisions and are wired to Wi-Fi so they can still be soooo connected. The Hotel Arts is also supporting us with an amazing community sponsorship discount for choosing them as number 1. This is so lovely; it just makes our organization look top notch. Thanks Hotel Arts and I will also see you very soon for my bday, that's how much I heart you!

This hotel is the ultimate location downtown. Close to so many restaurants and has great views of the city lights. The staff are above and beyond helpful. Love the easy and affordable valet parking right off the bat. The check in was quick and the pool was closed but looked great and will have to try it next visit. The staff were all extremely helpful!! We ordered orange juice for morning mimosas and the front desk always accommodated our questions. The Raw Bar and the Yellow Door both amazing spots to eat in the same hotel. The rooms are large and spacious!! The beds a beyond comfortable and clean. I would suggest this hotel to anyone looking for a place in Calgary to stay. Very kid friend with the pool and restaurant. Great for a romantic getaway and girls night.

Stayed here for the Sharks vs Flames game. Great location. Rooms were nice. Bed was very comfortable. Great pubs all around. Very close to the Saddledome. Easy walk. Great place

Hotel Arts is a pretty fancy hotel. Nice design and style, comfy racks with plenty of room to roam, art on the walls, music ranging form deep ambient techno to... classical? in the lobby, a hip swank pool in the lobby and a couple of high-end attached bars and restaurants. All the trimmings of a classic boutique hotel. Except some of the staff. The night staff could use a refresher course on the art of smiling. The guy who checked me in, I believe his name tag read "Grumpy McSandypants" or something, definitely was not feeling it that night. You know how when you run into someone and you can't tell if they hate their job or they just hate you? Well, I had that same confusion checking in to Hotel Arts. And my making-light and offering up a smile and a joke to upgrade the situation didn't seem to help. Other than the sullen graveyard shift, the rest of the folks working there seemed plenty nice and friendly when I engaged them with random questions from "did someone really just change the lobby music from a Jamiroquai remix to classical mid-song?" to "What's good around here?" The daytime staff, that is. The wifi situation also leaves a little to be desired... free in the lobby but charge in the rooms? That's kind of backwards. I pay $200 to stay in a second-floor room and I have to pay $11 more to use wifi in my room but some random person can walk into the lobby, pay nothing and use wifi for free? Most boutique hotels have gotten over the antiquated notion that it's okay to charge for wifi. Arts should catch up. Otherwise I enjoyed the soft bed, the plethora of pillows, the rad shower head, the Aveda bath products, the plush towels, and the sleek feel of the room. It's a swanky place that I would endeavor to stay at again, especially if I could find someone who's not begrudged to check me in at 11pm.

Since my last review, I was contacted by a Hotel Arts manager and asked to give them another chance. So I did, and it was a fantastic stay: I was upgraded when I arrived at no charge and given a room on an above ground floor. The wi-fi was complimentary on this stay too. I was really starting to warm up to Hotel Arts again. And then, I booked again, but this time, just booked it on the regular, using my corporate rate. Surely my preference of No 2nd Floor has been mentioned somewhere, right? Not so. Pros: -Room service staff are so nice! One even commented about what a sad view it was from my room. It was nice to hear since I had begun to think I was nuts for thinking the 2nd floor was 2nd rate. -My room had a beautiful shower. -The bed was comfy. -Aveda amenities. -The gym facility is nice. -The lobby is cool. It's very trendy. -The front of house staff has improved dramatically. They smiled often. They bantered. They knew I was there on my corporate rate. I believe the fella who checked me in was named Michael, and he even knew some BC current events, which made me like him even more. Cons: -The bathroom door slides on it's own. -There was no full length mirror in my room. -Did I mention the window? -The additional service charge on room service are to be expected. It's $3. But the auto gratuity? A smack in the face. The lingering question: how does a chicken caesar salad cost more ($25 after charges) than a bacon cheeseburger with fries ($22.81)? PS. The cheeseburger was delicious! -The wi-fi is $10.95 per 24 hours. And it wasn't even working. They had to have a special tech call my room, made my walk through searching out my IP address with them, and then charged me the $10.95 on the phone. However, the fee didn't appear on my final statement. My stays at Hotel Arts leave me feeling a little disappointed, but I can never bring myself to say anything other than "good" when the front desk asks how my stay was. It's not their fault. It's that I expect more from a place that charges $179 a night. The rate on their website right now for a Studio Queen is $282.33, and I am just sad for anyone who is paying that amount for so little.

I've been to Hotel Arts for business meetings, this morning included. The decor is cool and I like the indie/alternative background music, but I find the place kind of dim. That might be fine on a rainy day, but being inside this hotel on a sunny summer morning does not make me excited to be here. I also like the decor of the restaurant but it too is dark and I feel the urge to leave quickly to return to daylight. I have always found the servers to be short. Not in height, but in how they deal with you. No introductions, very few words are used and interaction is limited. The woman I was meeting told me that her hotel room is dark too and that it's tough to put on make-up. Clearly she went the safe route by applying lightly, avoiding looking like Mimi from The Drew Carey Show. I wouldn't recommend this venue and would rather treat it as an art gallery.

Barely 2 stars for the business traveler, 4 stars for everyone else. This is a hip, pseudo avant-garde hotel, just outside of the main downtown/city area. Newly renovated club-like atmosphere of a lobby, plus room was pretty cool (way hipper than you'd expect for Calgary - no offense, Calgarians), beds were comfy, solid selection of tv channels, great valets/bellmen. 4 stars. Stayed here 1 night for business travel, so if you, too, are a business traveler, please read on. Hotel Arts is not for the true business traveler at all, which is why I can barely give it 2 stars. For example, we business travelers tend to check in later at night, since we typically fly out after business hours (i.e., fly after the regular work day is done), which also means we tend to arrive starving b/c we were in-air during dinnertime. Problem is, even with 2 full service (pretty cool-looking) restaurants on premises, neither of them served food past 10p; and the "real" room service menu also stops taking orders @ 1030p. Despite the fact that they state they have 24-hour room service, that's kind of a joke. Be forewarned, my fellow-Yelpers-who-can't-just-eat-shite, that your choices after 1030 pare down to cheesecake, a side salad or a bbq pork sandwich. (I am not exaggerating or joking whatsoever, they specifically read me the choices.) When I went downstairs to the restaurants in search of some real food, both places told me I was s.o.l., that all of the cooks had gone home and that the front desk never knows their correct hours of operation (I won't even get into that). So, I ask the front desk - their reply: "Sorry about that but it is a Monday, you know." Uh... and your point is... Canadians don't eat dinner on Mondays? Hence, underlining my beef about this not being for the business traveler. Oh, and I would say they desperately need to upgrade the fitness center (see my pics), or at the very least install more lighting - it's totally dim and cramped and kind of creepy, especially if you're working out at night, which again, we business travelers have to do!

We booked this property for a relaxing, romantic weekend getaway to celebrate our wedding anniversary as it looked nice, and was centrally located. Unfortunately, we checked out a day early as we were unable to relax or get any sleep our first two evenings here. The room itself is minimall furnished, with very little storage. The luxury king room only had a closet where you could hang a few things, and 4 small square cubby holes you can put your clothes in. There are no plug ins located on or below the desk, we managed to locate three free plug ins the corner of the room beside the lounge chair where we could rest the laptop and our iPhones on to charge. The pre-programmed buttons on the phone did not work properly, as we tried calling room service and front desk at various times throughout the day and it always gave us a busy signal, but dialing 0 always gave us the front desk. The shower had very little water pressure, particularly compared to the bathroom sink. The biggest issue was the noise. When you walked down the hallway, you could hear what was happening in the rooms. When you were in your own room, you could very clearly hear whenever someone came or went as their room door slammed, and any conversation that occurred in the hallway seemed to be amplified. The first night we stayed there, it seemed that most of the residents on our floor decided to have a party at 2am. We had to call the front desk twice to get security upstairs to get them to quiet down. We were told by front desk that they would only receive one warning before they were evicted. However, we found out the next morning that even though security was sent up twice, they were not evicted from the hotel. When we spoke with the front desk the next morning, they offered us a free breakfast in return for the inconvenience, which we turned down since we already had plans all the days we were there. They instead offerred to cover our room service charge from the previous evening, and that coming evenings room charge so that we would stay. We inquired above moving to a different room, but was told that the offending parties were checking out that day and it shouldn't be an issue. As well, they explained there were large groups on every floor and would likely run into a similar issue anywhere in their hotel. The next night, our neighbors returned at 2am and could be heard yelling profanities at each other. We called the front desk to complain and heard security come up to speak with them. Unfortunately, they only kept quiet until security left, then continued as before. We decided to check out a day early, and did so the next morning after another sleepless night. When I mentioned that they said they would cover our room service charge as well as that evenings room charge, they said that indeed our room service charge would be covered but that was it. I was shocked that they would say one thing and not actually follow up on it. After some back and forth conversation, and arguing that we shouldn't be charged for two nights where we didn't get any rest, and the only reason we stayed the second night was because we figured we had nothing to lose if we weren't paying for it, they agreed to take one night's room charge off our bill. Overall, I would not recommend this hotel to anyone. I know they cannot control the people who stay there, but if they have a policy, they should uphold it and should've evicted the offending parties since they have a one warning only policy. They also need to find a way to fix the noise issue, since you can hear everything from the hallway. I have never stayed in a hotel where you can hear so much from the hallway, while inside your room with the tv on.

We stayed here for a gala event. Great location downtown- we could walk to everything- all the local shops and bars. The staff was extremely helpful and the bar/restaurant was fun, too. Big fireplace in the lobby, the beds in the room were delicious -- overall, a great experience!

Stayed here during the Stampede this year. We had a non renovated King room and while it was on the smaller side and somewhat dated, it was adequate for our needs for the three days we stayed there. The gym was small but had all the machines for a basic workout. There was only one sunny hot day while we were in Calgary but the pool was booked for a private event that day so we couldn't use it but it did look beautiful. The service was great from check in to room service. Would definitely stay again but would choose a renovated room.

This was my second stay at Hotel Arts. The location is ideal and very close to the Stampede Grounds where we were attending a conference. Service is great and checking in was easy. The room was $ 139 for a regular room with 2 double beds and Valet Parking $ 20. We also got charged $10.45 for Internet access. I didn't feel like arguing, but in all seriousness, WiFi Internet should be free for guests at any hotel (just saying), since nowadays you can go just about anywhere and find free WiFi. The highlight of this hotel is for sure its restaurants. Although a bit pricey, the food is amazing and the service excellent. Both Raw Bar (late night tapas dinner on our stay) and Yellow Door Bistro (appetizers and breakfast on our stay) were fantastic. The hotel looks great with a definite sophisticated and modern feel, but as soon as you look a little closer, you can tell it's an old hotel that has been "redecorated". A few hints that renovations were done on the surface: loose electrical plug-ins, toilet that sounds like it's dying anytime you flush, stained shower ceiling, etc. If you can overlook these minor details, this is a great place to stay. We used the gym and it was clean, well equipped with cardio machines and weights, towels and a bathroom right inside the facility (very convenient).

I stay at the Hotel Arts when I am in Calgary on business as it is a great location and overall a really great hotel. The restaurants are phenomenal - I seriously cannot get enough of the pastries at the Yellow Door restaurant, and the cocktails at Raw Bar are amazing! Price wise it is really great- around the $160 a night mark. For the location in downtown YYC, that can't be beat. You will often find a lot of business travelers there during the week- so you can't leave your reservation for the last minute (as I have discovered the hard way). Though be warned, when Stampede is in town prices will skyrocket- though its the same with every other hotel in the city, so you can't be too surprised I have two really big frustrations that make this a 3 star review instead of a 5 star. First, I hate the pillows!! They are too soft that I actually strained my neck the last time I was there and couldn't move it for a few days. I started bringing my own pillow, but forgot on my last trip. I thought I could make out OK, but clearly I was wrong. If they would add a service where you can request a harder pillow at the time of booking this would definitely bump it up to a 4 star review. The last thing is that wifi isn't free! I understand that since they mostly have business travelers who expense their stay that they can make money off wifi, but COME ON. The motel 6's and 8's all have free internet and you guys can't comp that? My company won't pay for my wifi, because they don't want me to work outside of work hours. So anything I would want to do personally I would have to pay for out of my own pocket. Two simple changes would make me rate this hotel at 5 stars. I still really like it, and will continue to stay there- but I guess I will spend more time at the Starbucks across the street using their wifi than eating at the hotel itself.

What a gorgeous hotel! With recent renovations it really is top notch. The pool area wasn't open, however I wasn't looking to go for a swim. Just sit by the pool with a beverage or two. It was too cold for the pool to be open since it is outdoors. No big deal but only mentioning it in my review if you have an upcoming stay and want to swim. Sadly only a 1 night stay for me, so made the best out of it. Checked out Raw Bar and visited some other establishments close by. Fantastic central location. It was a great experience. Room was beautiful. Clean and modern. Right on entering I was greeted by the valet staff and the staff at the front desk were amazing. Everything was right on point from arrival to departure. Can't say one negative thing. It was flawless!!!! 5 stars ++++. Will be back and next time for more than one night

Yes, I am a fan of this hotel. I love that it doesn't look like every other hotel, that the art is indeed local art and it's tasteful and beautiful - and this extends to the rooms. Yes, they are kind of dark but we loved it. If you want beautiful and hip and pretty much every amenity you'd expect including great beds, bedding, and bathrooms you'll love it. We went for 3 days over Christmas and other than a very grumpy and not too accommodating check-in person Christmas Eve, the staff were great, and service was exceptional. Biggest complaint - no free wireless - $11. a day for wireless and it's free in the lobby?? Totally ridiculous in this day and age. Hopefully enough people complain about this. Otherwise, fabulous place and just down the street from SunTerra market, a fabulous food market.

So far hotel arts has been unimpressive. $10 extra to park for the night, $11 for Internet and I've only been here for 20 minutes. Wifi should be complimentary. The room is okay, nothing special at the third floor. The washroom is nice. Staff are friendly and seem to know how much their Internet rate sucks. There's also very little to do with the arts. Feel free to check out my website and buy some prints, hotel arts! yycstreet.tumblr.com ;) you could use some work on the walls! The next day: Paper thin walls. Listened to the neighbors tv all night. Got no sleep. I wonder if the fancy suites have the same problem. Will, begrudgingly, pay the bill.

The hotel itself is very chic and has a modern fresh sort of feel. The rooms are spacious and clean and the two restaurants downstairs have exceptional food and drink menus. My issue came with the staffing - they were not friendly nor accommodating. I had called the week before and asked if they offered late check out because my gf and I were in town celebrating and I knew we'd be out late. They had said yes however when I called down in the morning they said a firm "no". We had hoped for a relaxing morning with room service but instead received a rushed and stressful checkout followed by doing our makeup in the parking lot. Since my original one star and more detailed and perhaps angrier review I was responded to from a manager with an apology and such which I very much appreciate however I'm sticking with my firm 3 until I have a chance to re experience the hotel.

Was staying in Calgary for a couple of days. Girlfriend found what appeared to be a contemporary hotel at a good price that she wanted to try. Instead what we received was a hotel trying to be different on a very low budget. Once you enter the hotel you will instantly notice that the fit and finish is terrible... and that quality extends to the room. There was a 3/8" gap in the between the tile and electrical outlet next to the sink... very safe. There was a hole in shower. While the hotel advertises that it has a plasma TV in its rooms, the quality of the channels were worse than watching TV on the 'bunny-ears' at my grandma house. The video on the TV didn't work half of the time. The heater in the room was terribly loud. And the greatest complaint of all: there must be a club/bar on the main-floor... guess how fun it is to listen to the sound of bass until 2am?! The hotel employees were nicer than average, but that really doesn't count for much since I don't need to be pampered at all. As I checked out, I also canceled my reservation for the next week when I'm back in town.

Although I have never actually stayed at Hotel Arts, I feel entitled to write a review on this place considering I spent an entire afternoon here. You see, a friend of mine took a course with Barry Fairburn (glass-blower extraordinaire), and it just so happens that he created the majority of art work that appears in Hotel Arts. He told his students to head over to this hotel and ride the elevator exploring his art. So that's precisely what my friend did, along with me, as his trustee companion. First of all: the staff at Hotel Arts is nothing short of professional. You can imagine how sheepish we felt asking to 'ride the elevator', but it was not a problem. I appreciated the fact that you have to have a room key in order to use the elevator - which is extremely considerate for hotel guests because they don't need to worry about 'strays' wandering in. As we went from one floor to the next admiring Mr. Fairburn's impeccable hand-blown glass, one thing was clear: this hotel supports nothing but the best. Between the art, the service, the ambiance, the decor and the rooms, I would argue that Hotel Arts is one of the nicest & trendiest hotels in town.

When I stay here I'm always on business so rarely spend a lot of time in my hotel. This is a beautifully appointed hotel and I have enjoyed almost everything about my stays here. I love the Aveda amenities and the comfortable beds. The staff have always been nice too. I found it odd that my room on this trip had no bathtub. It just has this big open tiled shower area. Last night when I got in at 1am I really wanted to soak in the tub! Boo! There was a tub the last time I stayed. I also noted last night that the lighting is all very dim which is romantic but sometimes when you're working you want better light. You have to pay for internet ($11) but it's not even wireless! I've managed to get on to some wireless though that seems to work pretty well. The drapes are either black-out or nothing. As I worked this morning in my pjs I wouldn't have minded at least a wisp of fabric between me and the outside world as I'm only on the 2nd floor. For $200 a night per room I don't feel right giving it full stars with these drawbacks.

Have stayed here several times. Located downtown. The rooms are very nice with a very Modern and Hip Vibe. Clean and well appointed Friendly staff. A restaurant located below which we didn't dine in. There is a Pub at the end of the block... This is a nice stay if you are in Calgary.

I stayed here for 3 days over an event and it was fabulous! Since I was at the hotel pretty much all the time, it was a great experience. The lobby is gorgeous but cozy with lots of interesting artwork. The rooms are nice, well decorated but hard to find outlets near the bed, overall room needs more lighting. Comfy beds! The service/food is excellent. All our meals were catered by the hotel and did not disappoint! Lunches were my favourite (some of the best and innovative gourmet pizza I've ever had). The servers were mature and friendly, I felt like I was in a different city after some of my recent trips out. Didn't get a chance to use the other amenities but overall experience was great!