Name: Blue Mountain Lodge
Address: 327 Caribou St, Banff, AB 1 14, Canada, Banff, Banff, Banff, T1L 1C4, Canada
Rating: 7

Smoke-free property

Ticket assistance

Garden

All Spaces Non-Smoking (public and private)

General

Non-smoking rooms

Rooms

Common kitchen

Meals

Free Wi-Fi

Internet

Tour assistance

Tourist services

Library

Recreation

Parking

Free Parking on Premises

Cycling

Sports

Ski storage

Ski passes available

Skiing

Winter sports

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

Location

At the hotel

Banff Airport

Blue Mountain Lodge

Banff

child-bed

child-bed-fee

external-private-bathroom

private-bathroom

shared-bathroom

10-beds

11-beds

12-beds

13-beds

14-beds

15-beds

16-beds

17-beds

18-beds

19-beds

2-beds

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4-beds

40-beds

5-beds

6-beds

7-beds

8-beds

9-beds

king-bed

queen-bed

limited-time

lounge

treatment

no-window

bay-view

bosphorus-view

canal-view

city-view

courtyard-view

garden-view

golf-view

harbour-view

inland-view

lake-view

land-view

mountain-view

ocean-front

ocean-view

oceanside

panoramic-view

park-view

partial-ocean-view

partial-sea-view

partial-view

pool-view

river-view

sea-front

sea-view

street-view

sunrise-view

sunset-view

water-view

with-view

annex

basement

main-building

1-bedroom

2-bedrooms

3-bedrooms

4-bedrooms

5-bedrooms

6-bedrooms

not-guaranteed

wired-internet-access

smoking

sauna

duplex

safe

mini-bar

breakfast-for-1

breakfast-for-2

pets-allowed

wi-fi

kitchen

Where to start... As a previous reviewer said, we were in Room 10. The one with the horrible bed? The crazy thing is, toward the end of the stay when we told the man at the desk that we hadn't slept in 4 nights because the bed was so horrible he said "Oh yeah, we've been having complaints for months that the bed is collapsed on one side". FOR MONTHS and they feel totally fine with renting this room out. It's fully collapsed on one side and springs sticking up. The building is old, but it is also sorely neglected. At some point someone painted, but there's sloppy paint all over doorframes, ceilings, everywhere. There were two dinky pictures in our room, and one was fully falling out of the frame. The TV didn't work (and again, when we told the front desk they said "oh we're having that problem in multiple rooms"). The shower was broken and sprayed water directly up at the ceiling (and was smaller than the shower in our camper trailer btw). We had fire alarms beeping at 1am one night. The door to the room had gaps on all sides so it was bright in our room all night. The kicker though? With all that disappointment, the thing that pushed this to a 1 star: The key to the front door of the entire place was ALSO THE KEY TO OUR ROOM. So... every time we left we had to take our valuables with us because anyone staying in this place could get into our room. I spent every one of our 4 nights writing this review in my head and swearing I was going to spend the money for a decent place for every vacation in our future.

Do not stay here!

The first part of the  review  is of the management of the Blue Mountain Lodge in honouring my prepaid booking. Its only relevant to the current host. The second part of the review relates to Room 10. 

Booked and paid for 3 nights accomodation in No 9 Cowboy Room with an email confirmation and much correspondence. Originally we had booked for 2020 but Covid lockdowns stopped it. I asked if extra money would be needed with our credit ( other hotels were doing this) but was told that it was all fine.   

On arrival I was given a small room not what I’d paid for. When I pointed this out I was treated poorly. I was just told someone else was in the room so I couldn’t have it. Point blank! I showed her our email and she said she was a new owner and the booking I made was with the past owner so it wasn’t valid. If this were the case, why not notify me in advance that  I wasn’t getting the room I had paid for? I would have cut my losses and had time to find new accomodation. Why did she make an assumption I wouldn’t want what I’d paid for? 

The room I was given let for significantly less dollars, so double money was made on the Cowboy room. No recompense was offered and I was too distressed to be even thinking about that until I got home from my vacation. It wasn’t something she offered or suggested, but I eventually managed to get her to give me the room I’d booked (Room 9) for the final night as the other people were leaving that morning. This should have been offered by her but I guess she was hoping to rebook it again for more $$. 

Moving past the poor treatment by management, I’m reviewing Room 10 ( our allocated room). Photos are attached . 

On opening the door the main bed was crumpled and all white. It was a very small room. I had to ask for the blue blankets as per the online ad. Under the hand basin there was a used towel- used by someone other than me. There was a large lolly wrapper in the drawer. The main bed had a poor mattress such that if you didn’t sleep next to the wall you would roll off the bed.  
Between the single bed and main part of the room was a tiny step up. Perfect for toe stubbing. 

The bathroom door locked from the outside not the inside ( really!!). The bathroom was very small. 

Room 10’s room door had a  gap about 1cm between it and the frame. My bed faced this door. It meant the light of the reception area came into the room while trying to sleep. I know it’s a classic old house ( and that’s the charm) but a little modernisation to remove the gap that permitted light to enter the room wouldn’t change the house’s heritage charm. 

I literally phoned every hotel in Banff to find another room ( huge international roaming phone bill but I didn’t care). Unfortunately none were available. I think this was for to the fires at Jasper and people changing destinations.

While I was busy phoning hotels a backside appears at our window. This person was on a ladder adjusting fairy lights. I realise work has to be done, but we had the window open so a polite knock on the door would be the right thing to inform us so we could have closed the window or not. She did come and apologise after she heard me complaining. 

The Cowboy room when we got into it was great. It was as described online and the bedding was comfortable. If only we had been given what we booked and paid for. 

On the one morning we ate breakfast it was tasty. 

Can’t  vouch for the other rooms but I would seriously reconsider using room 10 if you want a comfortable night and have suitcases. It certainly isn’t a hotel for those with mobility issues. Room 10 is on the main floor but only first accessible by 3 steps into the house. I had particularly booked Room 9 as I have issues with steps. 

We didn’t have a car but if you did, the parking is limited (not per room) -first in best dressed) and the streets have parking rules that make a lot close by inaccessible ( residential permit only ). 



Poor management and a dishevelled tiny room

Checked into this guest house as a last minute stay in town. Booked a small room with a single double bed for my son and I. The place needs some obvious repairs and some additional upkeep for sure, but it’s an original boarding house that is over 100 years old. You kinda have to expect some imperfections. The staff was great and chatted with me for a while. I had a drink with a fellow traveller in the kitchen area which is comfortable. The place has character, a little rough around the edges, but comfortable and inviting. The breakfast beat my expectations. Lastly, the location is fantastic. Two blocks from the centre of town, yet quite.

Unique

We really enjoyed our stay at Blue Mountain Lodge for 5 nights. 

Pros
Fantastic staff that is friendly, welcoming and fun to talk with. I contacted them prior to our arrival with dietary restrictions and they had several vegan items for us every morning (oat milk, silk yogurt, bread, avocado, sprouts, etc). They didn't have to do this but were kind enough to accommodate us. The place is clean and the location is only a block from downtown, you can walk to every restaurant and even some local hikes. They have a guest kitchen so you can keep a few things or make a meal if you like. The price seemed great for the area.

Cons
As they mentioned on the site, the rooms are small. There is also no A/C, so we had a window open and fan going and were comfortable in August, but that does mean we heard a little noise from outside from time to time. 

I would stay here again, they made our trip a great experience!

Fantastic staff and location

I was worried about getting a parking spot so we headed to the lodge before 3 pm. There were 2/5 spots open around 2:30 pm. I was very relieved to have snagged a spot. But by 3 pm the last spot was taken.

I was able to check in a little earlier than 3 pm. The woman at the front was very friendly and gave us all of the important information needed for our stay.

We booked about 2 months prior to our stay during peak time in the summer. There was only one room left - room 3, which is extremely small but worked for us as we were only staying for one night and just the two of us. It looks pretty much as it is pictured on their website. It was clean and well kept. There’s lots of hooks on the wall and a little shelf for luggage. The sink is small and the mirror is hard to access. The bathroom/shower is small and the door is kinda awkward. The shower head was kinda of broken but it didn't affect the functionality. It was fine for the price ($220 incl tax per night) which is a steal compared to the prices at other hotels in Banff during this time. Just don’t expect a hotel experience.

It did get quite hot in the room at night when we returned around 11:30 pm. The fan was helpful and we kept the window open. The only downside was that we could hear people on the streets all through the night. Bring earplugs and an eye mask if you’re a light sleeper.

The stairs are creaky and everything makes noise in your room so just be mindful of the other guests. We tried our best to be as quiet as possible late night. We didn’t really hear any other people in the lodge during our stay though.

Overall we enjoyed our stay at the Blue Mountain Lodge. It wasn’t perfect but it was great for the price. I’d recommend this place if you’re staying 1-2 nights, for couples or solo travellers, and if you’re only there to sleep and have breakfast. It’s a great location since you can access the main strip easily by foot - 2 blocks away. We didn’t go for breakfast but it smelled great. I’d stay again if we needed just a night in Banff.

Great for 1-2 nights for couples or solo travellers, cozy rooms, very convenient location in Banff

Ignore the website photos & information about this hostel … yes, that’s what it is !
The place is tired, in poor state of decor and desperately requires revamping to bring it up to where it should be for the price per night !
We’ve stayed in 5* hotels for the same money per night. 
Very disappointed with the place, however, on the positive side, the location is a few minutes walk from downtown Banff. 
Parking is limited only for 5 vehicles and on street parking incurs charges.

Disappointing hostel and overpriced

Booking system is unclear. Management is rude, unsympathetic, and negligent. Took 4 days to confirm booking, and unresponsive throughout the process. I was made to feel like an idiot after booking, and was met with push back from staff, and absolutely zero accommodations were made to satisfy me. Do not stay here.

Rude staff

Probably the best kept secret of Banff's accommodations! A superb bed and breakfast where you feel welcome and where everything is put at your disposal to make your life and your stay easier. The rooms are small but quite adequate for our purpose, i.e. sleeping and washing. The breakfasts are well beyond my expectations. Very good, varied and prepared with care. Croissants, homemade muffins, bread pudding, cereals, eggs, waffles, coffee, tea, juice, etc. Really nothing to say about the breakfasts served. The first day we even had pumpkin and cheese cake squares. A real treat! Guests can use a kitchenette to store their food (fridge) or even cook (oven and stove). The beds are very comfortable and the rooms are so cute with their vintage look. The location is great! Directly at 2 min from the popular streets of the city where you can find restaurants and stores. For the price, with free parking, our 7 night stay was a real treat. We will definitely return. Tip: Don't trust the negative comments below. For $100/night with breakfast and parking, right in the town of Banff, this is the best deal ever! Not to mention the warmth of the staff. They will give you lots of good advice for your stay. We were in room 5, but we got to see all the rooms and they are all absolutely charming! My favorite of Banff !

The best kept secret B&B in centre of Banff ! Don't hesitate to book there. Lovely stay 

I realize it’s covid. I work in health care. Cold day skiing so I was taking a break drinking my tea and I was told I was sitting too long. My tea was still hot. I payed $70 for a day to ski. There were many empty tables and I was  told I was sitting too long. My last day at blue. Plenty of other great places to ski. I was at camelback last week and was treated much better

Lodge almost empty and I was told I was sitting to long after 45 min 

The staff are very friendly, gracious, and considerate.  The accomodations are high quality - much better than hotels that cost twice the price.  Delicious home cooked breakfast and a great location make this a perfect visit.

Blue Mountain Lodge

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