Stayed here as part of a tour - and was somewhat anxious given previous reviews on this site. However my fears were totally unfounded. We were made to feel very welcome; our room, on the third floor, was quiet, clean and more than adequate for a two night stay. Yes, it probably did need a bit of updating, but given the convenience of the location and the super complimentary breakfast, that's certainly something I could live with.

On a recent business/pleasure trip to Alberta we had four days in between commitments and chose to visit Banff. Our hotel concierge in Calgary suggested the Asoen Lodge because he had stayed there and liked it. Also I didn't want to spend the $400 to $600 at the big hotels AND I didn't want a dump (though I don't think you can find one in Banff anymore). We were SO PLEASED when we got there. First, there's parking in a garage (not on the street or a public alley). The lobby is comfy, plaids and piney prints, with a beautiful fireplace room for relaxing with friends. The rooms are small enough to be cozy but spacious for two. We had a basic room (not supreme). We loved the wood ceiling (we were on the third floor). The fabrics (drapes, spreads, carpets) were all in good condition, not stained, torn or marred). The bathroom is newish and well lit. The shampoo and skin cream are great. Even the towels are fluffy. The breakfast room is elegant, modern and spacious and encourages conversation with fellow guests. The granola was, I'm sure, homemade and a fabulous treat. The baked goods were fresh and of a wide variety. I should also say that the location is great. We could walk to the town shopping area. Banff is undergoing a major street renovation but we were still able to easily negotiate that and enjoyed shopping. The hotels around the Aspen had restaurants and we tried some of those as well as the "downtown" locations. Our room was over a side street so we didn't have any road noise. We didn't try the hot tub or sauna so I can't comment on that. They did look inviting but it's just not our thing. We were very happy at the Aspen for three nights. If I made only one suggestion it would be that the mattress needs to be replaced. It is dipping in the center. But that would be it. We will return when we go back to Banff. Thanks Aspen.

You know how you kind of get a feel for a place, well this happened the moment we stepped into the lobby, it was shabby, dated and not in the least bit welcoming. The receptionist was friendly enough, but we couldn’t help but feel that this was not going to be a positive experience.

How right we were, there were 4 of us in our party and we’d booked 2 double rooms. As soon as we’d dropped our cases in the room we set of to find our travelling companions to see how they felt. Their feelings were exactly the same as ours, the rooms were like a 3rd rate shabby bed and breakfast, they smelt and the net curtains on the windows looked like they hadn’t been washed in decades. The décor was extremely 70’s and the carpets looked at least 20 years past their best.

We went to reception to express our disappointment and were shown 2 other rooms, which were no better than what we had. We decided to amend our booking to one night – originally it had been 2 nights- and set of along the high street to see what we could book for the following night. This was when we discovered The Fox, probably the newest hotel in Banff and by far the best that we saw – check out the reviews for it.

The spa, although not the least inviting we saw throughout our stay looked tacky, dated and unappealing. We spent just one night in The Aspen Lodge and left before breakfast, which although complimentary did not appeal to us. My lasting memory has been of a huge bite (and not a mosquito) I got on the top of my leg after just one night in the bed!!

We were planning to spend two nights in Banff and chose the Banff Aspen Lodge based on two points: 1) Positive Reviews on TripAdvisor; and 2) Our Entertainment Card would cut the nightly $160 Supreme Room price in half. We also visited their website and the photos looked like the kind of authentic mountain lodge we were hoping for.
Unfortunately, we have never felt so cheated by photographs in our lives. And we are very confused as to how anyone could review this establishment positively. Our room was so terrible, I immediately phoned the reception to check that we were indeed in a "Supreme" room. The bathroom and bedding were very clean, but the room itself was an eyesore: old plaid carpets with cigarette burns, an alarming combination of 1970s-1980s furniture, and an arm chair with what appeared to be food or bodily fluids wiped on it. Disgusting! Also, the bathroom did not have any hair conditioner, which I normally expect to be there whether I am paying $80 or $160 per night for a room.
From there, it just got worse. I did not sleep until 3:30 a.m. in the morning because of the street noise: tour busses, trucks, people returning from the bars. I finally called the front desk again at 3:30 a.m. to ask them to remove the teenagers who were chatting on the front steps.
The price included breakfast, but not much of one: fresh fruit, dry bread and croissants, cereal, and terrible coffee. Ironically, there were two hotel reviewers from Holland being seated when we arrived. They were being given the royal treatment while the paying customers were being ignored.
We were so unhappy with the accommodations that we decided to cut our visit short and leave after our first night. Thankfully, the staff did not charge us for the second night, however, we would have left either way just to salvage the last night of our Banff stay. We packed up our belongings and left. My error, in my rush to leave, was to accidentally leave my favourite (and nice) pink pyjamas in the bathroom. I phoned the Banff Aspen Lodge about 12 hours after checking out, and surprise, surprise, they were NOT turned in to lost and found.
The only positive thing that I can say about the Banff Aspen Lodge is that the front desk staff do their best in what I perceive as a bad establishment. They were at all times polite and accommodating. When I phoned about my pyjamas, Karen, the front desk manager, was empathetic and called housekeeping and the linen cleaning company. Thus far, my pyjamas have still not been turned in, and the lodge has not yet offered to refund our first horrible night there. I'll take responsibility for leaving my belongings behind, but it is also disheartening to know that something that is left in a room so easily disappears forever.
If you have an entertainment card and think you are getting a special deal on a supreme room, think again. If you can afford to spend some extra money to stay somewhere different, do it.
I would not recommend this lodge to anyone, and in fact I would highly discourage almost everyone from staying there (the one exception might be a large noisy family that is used to very ugly living accommodations with dirt wiped on the furniture).