Nothing wrong with this hotel. Yes, basic but still a nice place for staying. The room rate included a trip for 2 on the gondola, to go all the way up the mountain, so a very good deal. The gondola ride only I think is worth 25 CAD per person.
It's reasonably cheap, our room was clean so I do reccomend it.

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!!