We chose to spend our last night in Banff at the Park Lodge. We had spent two and a half weeks in Banff mostly camping but spending a couple of nights at the Rundlestone and one at Bumpers. We chose the Park Lodge as we wanted something very close to the downtown so we could get our shopping done and enjoy a few cocktails at one of the restaurants without having to worry about driving anywhere. We were checked in quickly and were given a room on the top floor facing the street which is what we had asked for. So, we were off to a good start. However, once in our room we discovered our queen beds had shrunk to doubles. Unless of course that is their idea of queen size? Dunno. What was nice was a decent sized patio to sit out and enjoy some people watching. Now, this is the strange part. They have no chairs on any of the patios. Nothing! No plastic ones or anything. Why have patios if you can't sit outside on them? So, we went out to our vehicle and got our two fold out chairs and brought those in. They were somewhat worn so we even left them there upon departure for the next occupants to use (unless of course the staff chose to remove them). As far as the room went it was a decent size and looked quite clean. They place is showing it's age though as the top bed spread looked like it was leftover from the 1960's. The place really does need some upgrading. We did use the pool a couple of times and let me tell you that if you have ever swam at Johnson Lake (a few K's from Banff), the water at the Park Lodge is just as cold. Wow, it was chilly!!! But, the hot tub was nice and worked well. We did not get a chance to dine at their restaurants though the menus looked okay. The one thing I thought looked very inviting was their lounge. Would we stay here again? Probably, given the location. However, given the fact it cost about the same as the Rundlestone, I would chose the Rundlestone over the Park Lodge anytime. So, if any Park Lodge management types are ready this....get some plastic chairs put on those patios please!!!

We stayed at the BPL during our 3 week honeymoon from Calgary to Vancouver. As we arrived into Banff with no accomodation booked, we went staright to the tourist information office, They were v helpful there and gave us a list of all the hotels that had vacancies for that evening and the next night. The tourist information office even provides a free phone for you to call the hotels! We booked the BPL because we liked the sound of it, plus it had a jacussi, steam room, pool. It also had breakfast included. We paid CA$185 plus taxes per night (I think).

The hotel, I felt was a bit dated, but very clean. The location is really central - just 2 streets from the hussle and bussle (and road works) of the main street. The room was large - two queen beds, and there was a full bathroom, plus another sink outside the bathroom, in the front foyer of the room. I also like the fact that there was a safety deposit box in the room ( ihate leaving things with front desks etc).

The pool room was dated, and definitily not a 'spa' or 'relaxing havan' but it did the trick.

The breakfast buffet was delicious - I was very happy with it. There was a larges selection of breads, pastries, cereals, cold meats, fruits, sausages, bacon, eggs, juices etc. Very pleased with it.

Overall it was a grand place to stay - central and clean and lots of families. However the decor is dated.

Ps: BANFF IS BEATUIFUL - we had a car - but we hired bikes and did a great cycle trip up into the beautiful hiking trails they have. (Bring Mosquito repellent though!)

Myself , my husband and our teenage son stayed at the Banff Park Lodge for the first two weeks in July on a bed and breakfast basis, We had a large comfortable room with 2 king size beds and private bath/shower. The room was serviced every day and the bedsheets changed every second day. There was air conditioning but this was not working adequately. There was always plenty to eat at the buffet breakfast but sometimes you had to wait a long time for a table due to the amount of guests catered for by the hotel....there are tour buses on an almost daily basis. A good choice of food at the buffet breakfast but the hot food was never hot, usually warm and the same can be said for the tea and coffee served by the waiting staff who seemed to have some difficulty in putting a smile on their faces. There is a small pool and jacuzzi (which did not work) and a steam room.
The pool was quite nice to use after a day out walking or sightseeing but the whole pool area was a bit tired looking and could probably be doing with some refurbishment. That said we all enjoyed our stay.....the hotel is in a great location away from the downtown area a few minutes walk away.

I stayed at Banff Park Lodge in early July. I had a wonderful stay, the rooms were clean, the restaurants were good and the location was perfect.

My one complaint was about the concierge. Steve from Winnipeg was a fantastic, charming young man. Tyler was great. Robin (the Bell Captain) on the other hand was not. When we checked in, we parked out front and went inside. He came in YELLING that they had a tour coming in and that everyone had to move the cars immediately. If he wanted us to move the car he could have just asked, not yelled. The girl working at the front desk appologized to us for his behavior.

Now I realize that a hotel can become busy. I called down to get some amenities brought up along with a menu for takeout. Steve asked us to please be patient as he was very busy and he could take approx 15-20 mins to make it to the room. No problem. After about 15 minutes we decided to just go down to talk to him. He was just finishing up with a guest and turned the corner to go to our room. Robin (off duty now) told him to drop everything because 2 Japanese tourists arrived. Steve told him "This guest has been waiting 20 mins for help so they come first." Robin's response was "These Japanese tourists are a priority, help them first."

Now I think it is only fair that someone who has been waiting for 20 minutes should be helped BEFORE someone who just arrived. Maybe I have it backwards.

Other than Robin, everything during our stay was great. The staff, hotel, location and overall feel of the hotel was superb. This hotel should get higher ratings on this site!