We stayed in one of the suites at the Canmore Inn & Suites. From the pictures it looks so lovely with a fireplace and couches and everything.........however when we got there we had curtains that don't close, air conditioning that didn't work, bathroom lights burnt out, no toiletries, beds that were very very uncomfortable, non smoking room that smelt like someone was smoking in it, there was no fireplace nor couch in the bedroom. And the lovely train that they don't tell you about when you book with them.......the trains run every half hour right outside your window..........horrible sleeps. Very poorly furnished and put together. High price for a very low value. I wouldn't waste my money here again.

Booked three nights although we didn't get off to the best start. We'd booked a non-smoking room but the first room stunk of cigarette smoke. The receptionists tried to help but the next room we were offered was next door to the swimming pool and there was a constant loud noise from the pool filters and pump which are housed almost next door - tip: try to avoid rooms near the pool, more of which were affected by the noise. Eventually we settled for a room which smelt only slightly of cigarette smoke. The hotel says that it makes a large cleaning charge to guests who smoke in non-smoking rooms but it obviously doesn't deter and the cleaning has little effect.

We booked a deluxe room. Although the first two that we were offered had a fridge and microwave the one we eventually settled for (because we were told there were no others) didn't (although the receptionist said it was a deluxe room). Apparently not all rooms are equipped with them yet.

Our children loved the large water slide and spent ages using it. The pool it drops into is small and really only for the use of the slide; it is too small for swimming even when (rarely) the slide isn't being used.

Rooms at the back are affected by train noise. Back home our house backs onto a railway line and we are quite used to around eight trains an hour passing by. However, although trains through Canmore are fairly infrequent they can be very long - Canadian style. They are mostly heavy freight trains with up to four engines and we counted between 96 and 125 wagons on them. They can take two or three minutes to pass by.

Although separated from the town by the railway line there is a gate at the back of the hotel which I noticed people frequently used as a short cut across the tracks (illegally) into Canmore. There is a Safeway and liquor store just across the tracks which are useful for self-catering supplies.

The free breakfast was excellent and the staff worked amazingly hard to ensure that, despite the number of people taking breakfast, none of the food or drink ran out. All food and drink was replenished well before it ran out - a lesson that many larger and chain hotels could well learn.

This is not the wooded serene atmosphere of Jasper, but it is also not the party town of Banff where the kids are shouting at 1:30 a.m. We did wake up to a sunrise over the mountain. Canmore is a reasonable location from the Calgary Airport (1.5 hours) and 15 minutes from Banff. It was easy to find. The rooms were very quiet, the bed was comfortable, the rooms were large with a sink and a microwave and breakfast was free. For the Rockies, the price is excellent. The staff were very friendly. Although we didn't partake, many guests were using the pool and the water slide had some kids in the lobby chattering with enthusiasm.

If you don't mind the odd train going past this hotel is ideal. You don't get ripped off as you would in Banff and the rooms were of an excellent standard. Very nice staff and ideal location. Would definately stay here again.