Ranchland Inn

We were on our honeymoon, visiting from Ontario, and spent less than 12 hours in the room. We checked in around 1 a.m. and left at 11 the next morning. The room cost $98, and they also held a $100 security deposit. I waited while the owner’s wife inspected the room before returning it. She came back with a towel and pillowcase marked with some of my wife’s hair dye. I suggested bleaching them, but they argued the stains wouldn’t come out. In the end, I paid $15 for a towel that probably cost $2 and a skimpy white pillowcase from what was likely a $5 pack of two. That was a very poor way to handle things. I wouldn’t recommend this place.

At least the motel was clean, and it had AC, which we needed on a hot Alberta night. The rest of the stay wasn’t great, and I definitely wouldn’t recommend it. Police were there dealing with something when we arrived, while people drank outside and watched. Our room felt dated, with magazines from the 80s, and I’m pretty sure the mattress was too. It looked old, and I could feel the springs when I lay down. There was no Wi-Fi or coffee in the room. The door had a visible gap at the frame and no deadbolt.

This motel feels like it’s from the 80s, and even had Alberta innkeeper laws from 1980, revised in 1981, posted on the doors. The fridge and microwave were unplugged, there was no iron or ironing board, and they charge for one person per room, so family members may count as extra guests and cost more. You don’t get body soap or a hair dryer either. Bring your own soap, unless you want to wash with the 5 to 7 ketchup packets’ worth of shampoo they provide. Wi-Fi was unreliable for me: sometimes four bars for five minutes, sometimes one bar, and sometimes no connection despite the right password. The location isn’t good for a trip to the mountains. It might work for a one-night layover, but it’s really just somewhere to sleep, not relax. Unless you’re on a budget business trip, I’d skip it. If you’re taking your family to see the mountains, book a Calgary hotel a year ahead.

A week has passed and I still haven’t received the confirmation email or refund. I’ve called a few times to speak with the owner or manager, but the front desk person says they aren’t there and doesn’t know when they’ll be. I’m writing because I have no other way to reach the manager, and this is the third time, by my count, that the front desk person has misrepresented what was happening. The place and owners may be lovely, but I wouldn’t know after this experience. I booked through hotels.com and called the hotel while driving there because I was arriving earlier than expected and was unsure whether to continue farther. I said I knew the free cancellation period had passed, but asked if a full refund might still be possible. The front desk man said hotels.com had to decide. I then spoke with hotels.com, after checking the weather and seeing a severe hail storm was expected along the route. Their representative said it was up to the hotel. That back and forth was a problem. After that call, I phoned the front desk again and said I did not want to cancel without a refund, and would arrive within an hour. Fifty minutes later he called from another number to say his manager had approved a full refund and he’d send a confirmation email. We got disconnected, so I called the regular number. He confirmed I’d get the full refund and that the reservation was canceled.