Charlton's Banff

The check-out was straightforward. Parking was taken from our security deposit, and the balance was released right away as available funds, though it took a few days to appear on the statements. They had warned us that could happen. We found the room clean and comfortable, with pristine sheets, a clean bathroom, kettle, and fridge for any groceries we picked up. We booked room only. We didn’t use the pool or sauna at a neighbouring hotel that I believe Charltons owns, as we hardly had any time. Nights were peaceful, about a 10-minute walk from Banff town centre, and other guests respected the posted quiet hours. The front desk staff were friendly and clear about the facilities, parking costs, and security hold. Another receptionist gave us a great coffee recommendation, Whitebark Cafe, which became our regular spot. Banff’s mountain setting is so lovely that we spent most of our time outdoors, and we’ve always used hotels as a base. Charltons worked well for that on our short honeymoon stay. It’s a great base with friendly staff, a clean room, good facilities, and a beautiful setting.

We enjoyed our stay at Charltons. They upgraded my room to a Loft Suite, and I liked the parking space. We were on the second floor, with a spacious, clean bathroom. The ice machine wasn’t working, but luckily there was a spare machine. Thank you, Charltons Staff.

The room was a letdown after a day on the slopes. We had undersized beds, wobbly chairs, greasy dishes, thin walls, and one half of the space was freezing. The furnishings looked like mismatched discards from other rooms. I wasn’t looking for a carefully designed room, just somewhere simple and relaxing, but it wasn’t that. Reading the outlier reviews, I wonder if we were unlucky enough to get one of the worst rooms. If you book, are you willing to gamble on getting a good one or risk the bottom of the barrel? Even if you can get extra blankets or move to a better room, do you want to have to argue for it when there are so many other hotels in Banff?

The room was dated, with a steep spiral staircase, and didn’t look like the newer rooms at all. It was dirty too, with clumps of hair in the shower and a filthy bathroom wall. Cigarette smoke came in all night, which was gross. We told the front desk, and they said it would be cleaned, but it wasn’t. We mentioned it again at checkout, and they waived the parking fee. The location was great, but the stay was disappointing.