Sunshine Mountain Lodge

The location is awesome for skiing, with ski out access at one of Canada’s best destinations. We had a great stay, but noticed Chimney Corner restaurant had declined this year. It’s not a deal breaker since there are a couple of other options, though it used to be amazing and I’d like to see it step up again.

Getting our five bags after checkout took three hours, and they came up in two rounds, so allow time if your schedule is tight. Otherwise, the staff were all very nice and helpful. We stayed nearly a week and went into Banff for a day. On the way back we saw a terrible traffic jam toward Sunshine Village. Without traffic, the drive from Banff town center to the Sunshine Village parking lots takes about 30 minutes, then the gondola ride to the top is another 15 minutes before you can ski. Staying here saves at least 45 minutes, not counting the walk from the lots to the gondola in snow gear. The rooms are reasonably priced for such a unique location. Our suite had an awesome view. There are three suites on the 5th floor, four on the 4th, and one on the 3rd. Each room has a ski locker in the west wing building, which connects to the main one. The main building has two nice restaurants on the 2nd floor, with buffet options at least every night we were there. Their prices seemed reasonable too, especially compared with restaurants in the US nowadays.

The rooms are clean and functional, though a little tight, with snug bathrooms, which is understandable for this location. There’s a good choice of restaurants and lounges, plus plenty to do. We had fun at the evening “Smores” roast too. Everyone we dealt with was friendly and very helpful, from check in at the bottom of the gondola to the lodge. It’s really convenient for skiers and snowboarders. Had a great stay and definitely recommend!

The view is amazing, and the staff are friendly. Great experience for my first time here. Just keep in mind the gondola ride up the mountain takes about 20 minutes. If your luggage travels up separately, it could take around two hours to reach you.