Banff Park Lodge

Being near the Bow River was a real plus, with walking paths, canoeing, and other activities easy to get to. The hotel was also close to nearly everything while still sitting in a quiet, peaceful area. We had a great stay. The rooms were spacious, clean, and comfortable, and I'd definitely come back and recommend it.

The breakfast buffet was one of the most impressive and delicious I've had. There was a huge range of fresh fruit and just about everything you could think of, plus we could order à la carte at no extra cost. It isn't included in the room price, but I thought it was well worth it. Reception were always happy to help and give us tips, and the maid did a great job. Our renovated room was clean, quiet at night, and had a very comfortable bed. It seemed all the rooms had balconies. The hotel sits just behind Banff Avenue, close to everything but away from the traffic. There's paid underground parking, which suited us since we used the bus to get around.

We traveled to Banff Park Lodge for the ELAC teachers’ conference on April 24-25, 2026, and the repeated overnight alarms seriously disrupted our stay. Our two-year-old woke several times, and after so little rest I couldn't reasonably attend some of the morning conference programming we'd paid for. Registration included breakfast and the keynote sessions, and the conference was being held at the hotel. The first night, the in-room alarm went off around 5:00am for no apparent reason. I didn't think it warranted a complaint at the time. On the second night, the fire alarm sounded around 1:15am and again around 2:30am. We evacuated, and after we texted, the front desk told us they were false alarms. I attached a photo of the evacuation. The General Manager later said a faulty smoke detector caused the overnight fire alarms and had to be replaced after the second activation. I appreciate that the hotel acknowledged the situation was unacceptable, and safety procedures do need to come first. Still, the response felt inadequate given the disruption on both nights. A 20% reduction in the room rate and waived parking didn't seem proportionate to three overnight alarm incidents, including repeated building evacuations in the middle of the night. We had specifically traveled for a professional conference and needed a stable place to rest.

After full days of activities, the pool, hot tub, and steam room were a welcome treat. We especially liked the quiet time from 9pm to 10pm. Breakfast had a wide mix of hot and cold choices, and a lovely chef made eggs and omelets. The front desk, room attendant, and breakfast staff were all smiling and so helpful. The hotel is right in the heart of Banff, with very clean, spacious rooms. We liked the bathroom products so much we bought some. We had a fantastic time and will definitely be back.