Best Western Plus Valemount Inn & Suites

The lounge is a beautiful place to sit. I’m writing this there now, with sunshine coming through the floor-to-ceiling windows and that stunning wood fireplace nearby. The music in the main areas is lovely, and the kind, welcoming gentleman at the front desk really stands out. I wish I remembered his name. Those are some of the reasons I keep coming back to Best Western Plus Valemount Inn & Suites, which has a reputation as “the place to stay” in Valemount. I’m here in winter while my family goes mountain sledding. Hotels fill quickly on weekends, with riders coming from Alberta and nearby provinces, so a few changes could make a real difference. The hallway music should be quieter or off earlier in the morning. Some sledders leave at 7 am, but the rest of us might hope to sleep until 9:30 or 10, and hearing music in the rooms that early is frustrating. The hot tub hours could also run later. After a full day on the mountain, riders want to soak at night. Keeping it open until at least 11 pm would make sense, and an adults-only hour later in the evening would be even better. We ate dinner in Cranberry Lounge, but the food and service didn’t match the atmosphere. The fish was bland, the fries were cold, and our meal took about 45 minutes to arrive. Nobody offered drink refills, and after we asked for the bill, it took another 25 minutes. Better food and quicker service would help, especially on busy winter weekends. The seating could be arranged more thoughtfully, too. Each high-top table should have at least six chairs. The corner couches would work better with two chairs across from the large couch and one beside it. There’s room for at least four lounge chairs on each side of the fireplace. With all the sledding guests, extra seating would go a long way.

The lounge staff were phenomenal, and the food there was surprisingly good for dinner with fair prices. The atmosphere is nice, and the hotel was decently clean. Our room had three queen beds, while the pool and hot tub were a hit with the kids. The main drawback was no continental breakfast at all. The front desk experience wasn’t as good. When I checked in, the young man told me, “You need to wait, I just punched in!” I also asked about seeing a lower room rate than the one I’d reserved, but was told I had to pay the higher amount.

The log and stone architecture inside was lovely, and the coffee bar at the front was a nice touch. Their machine makes lattes and cappuccinos, and they even had oat milk. The pool and hot tub were clean, too. We had dinner in the lounge, and both meals were delicious, better quality than I expected. The summit grill breakfast was amazing as well, especially the Summit Bennie’s and Salmon Avacado Toast 🤌. Check-in was easy, and since we were travelling with our dogs, they gave us a sweet little treat bag. Our room was clean and nice, with a high ceiling that made it feel spacious. We enjoyed our stay.

We stayed Monday Nov24-25th and will definitely come back. The front desk staff weren’t welcoming or friendly, but housekeeping was amazing. It felt like Glenda and her housekeeping staff had been our friends all our lives.