Inns of Banff

The room was dirty when we arrived, and the whole hotel felt old and not worth what we paid. Thin walls meant we heard people all night and couldn't sleep properly. Staff made the stay even worse. While we were booking, the man at the front desk walked away halfway through helping us and never returned, so another employee had to finish. No apology. In general the staff weren't friendly, and some were rude when we asked basic questions. It felt like we were a nuisance. For the price in Banff, I expected much better. I wouldn't recommend it or stay here again.

The room was decent, though dusty in places and some surfaces hadn't been wiped properly. Lighting was poor, with several burnt-out bulbs. We also had a confusing experience trying to use the whirlpool: an attendant said it was closed because the floor was wet, but when we asked to see it, the floor was dry. We were then told it was okay to go in, only to be told again minutes later that we couldn't. The instructions kept changing, and the way it was explained to my daughter felt dismissive. Billing caused another problem. Staff said a second pre-authorization was needed because the first had expired, but my credit card company said it hadn't. My card was temporarily locked, and I had to contact the card company to sort it out. Most front desk interactions during our group stay felt unwelcoming and sometimes unprofessional. One exception was a staff member on Saturday morning who was warm, professional, and helpful. We also contacted the hotel about our concerns afterward but got no reply. The experience fell short of what I expect from a Banff hotel, and we wouldn't recommend or return.

The biggest thing that kept this from a full five stars was where the drinking glasses were kept, in the bathroom right beside the toilet. That felt like a serious hygiene issue, especially when there were several other convenient surfaces in the suite. I sent photos showing other places they could be put. Also, there wasn't much of a view, which didn't bother me personally but mattered to the person with me. The rest of the stay was excellent. We got upgraded to a king suite at check-in, the room was clean, the bed was very comfortable, and the front desk staff were consistently warm and professional. The tub showed some normal wear with age but was clean and worked fine. Parking costs extra underground, though I liked the added security and the space around my vehicle. A solid 4.5-star stay for us. Moving the glasses would make a real difference to the room setup.

My room looked out onto a wall and terrace, so I asked to switch to get a better view. The front desk said views weren't guaranteed, which was disappointing after I'd just seen another guest get upgraded from a Deluxe to a Premier room. I expected them to be more considerate about guest satisfaction, and regret choosing this hotel.