Stayed at the driftwood after starting out at the caribou lodge. same company owns both.
The room is nothing special but you are right in the center of town.

After a day's hiking you can use the whirlpool at the hotel next door.

Better value than Caribou Lodge

Had I booked directly through the hotel I would have asked for a refund, however, since it was through Hotels.com I couldn't do that and the window to cancel for a fee was over.

The good:
-Towels and sheets were decent.
-One of cheaper hotels in the area
-Walking distance to shops and food.

The bad:
-Very dirty. My wife called it the 'dustbunny inn'. Her dust allergies acted up so bad she didn't sleep at all. My daughter and I had a hard time breathing as well and were getting congested.
-Mattress was well past its prime. Not comfortable at all.
-Very little parking. We got the last spot.

I recently spent two nites in the Driftwood, I knew it was an older hotel and actually the rooms were nice and clean, the location was great., but..... when it is hot in the summer the rooms were like an oven and a simple fan in the window just didnt cut it. It felt like 80 degrees in the room at midnite and it was hard to get a comfortable nites sleep. Get some small airconditioners, and you would have the best bargin in Banff. I know hot nites are not the norm but you have to be prepared for when you do have them . You have a lot going for you, please do something to address this problem

From what I have read, it seems that the driftwood inn is the worst hotel in the world!
This is not the case. I'm sure that the other reviewers expected perfection on account of where they were. This is never going to be the case as it is clearly a budget hotel.
Add this to the fact that people tend to want a party on new year's eve, nobody can get away from the fact that trains run through Banff, and if their was mildew I didn't see it!
As for the "70's decor" erm, can't say that I saw that myself!
I spent two days in a more upmarket hotel in Banff and all the time I wished i'd stayed in the driftwood!

On account of the perks you get from the Caribou Lodge and the Ptarmigan Inn this is the ideal hotel for the budget traveller, and if you don't appreciate the value, I suggest you loosen the purse strings a little!!!!