We booked our stay at this resort through our RCI timeshare ownership. In the RCI guide, this resort is rated Gold Crown, the highest there is. However, compared to our home resort in Las Vegas, and even to other mountain lodges we've stayed in, this falls well short.

The resort's website talks about units large enough to accommodate six, and in particular mentions 'two spacious bathrooms'. Well, there were just two of us and at times the unit felt cramped. If there'd been four, there wouldn't have been enough comfortable seats in the lounge area. The dining table had six seats, but the six placemats would not fit on the table without overlapping. Worst of all, the bathrooms were tiny - the door had to be completely closed to use any part of the bathroom - and the shower in the downstairs bathroom wasn't fully installed. There was no plumbing, no curtain and the floor was unfinished. So if six people were sharing this unit and all wanted a shower, it would be a long wait for the bathroom.

Worst of all, though, was the quality of housekeeping. We found dead insects on windowsills and shredded tissues on one bedroom floor when we first walked in. The next morning, I went to make coffee and had to scrub the coffeemaker inside and out before using it. The two coffee-mugs supplied were stained brown inside and one had dried-in food around the rim. The kitchen windows were full of smears, there was dried-in food on the sofa cushions and the upstairs bathroom floor was sticky.

We reported these problems to the resort manager, who promised a full clean by housekeeping. We returned to the unit after this had been done, and found that all of the issues we hadn't already resolved ourselves had not been touched: the dead insects remained, the sofa hadn't been cleaned and the windows were still smeary. And the tiny amount of washing-up liquid supplied had been watered down to the point of ineffectiveness.

The resort's location is excellent; it's less than a minute from the entrance to Banff National Park and about three minutes from the town of Canmore, where you will find restaurants, supermarkets and attractive shops. The resort itself, though, is very disappointing. Stay here and you'll have to be prepared to compromise on space, cleanliness and facilities. Oh, and don't expect internet access; there is ONE computer available for use, in reception, and it costs $5.00 plus tax for 30 minutes. If you have laptops and wireless, go to the Wild Flour cafe in Banff town centre; wireless internet is free and the food is excellent.

We booked the resort using our timeshare exchange and stayed for 7 days. Except for the fact that it is beside the highway, the location is b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l! The gate to Banff National park is only 2km away and downtown Canmore (where you can go for groceries, gas, take-out) is even closer. We arrived before the 4pm check-in. Because we had planned to do some sightseeing in Banff while waiting for check-in, the staff said they'd call our cellphone if they get our unit ready earlier. Before heading out, they efficiently registered us so we won't have to do it when we get back. They also accomodated our request to leave our luggage in their office in the meantime.

The unit had ample space for our group of 4 adults, kitchen was well-equipped, had updated furniture - in general very comfortable. Throughout the week we enjoyed the gym and outdoor hot tub which were well maintained.

Now for the rants. Although their website said there were 2 full baths, the shower in one of the bathrooms wasn't installed. Housekeeping is provided once a week, however, their "housekeeping" consisted only of a towel change and nothing more. Ample towels were provided but there were visible stains in some of them. But this is nothing compared to what I found in our room while packing on our last night. I was checking under the bed to make sure I don't leave anything behind when I happened to pull out part of the bedsheet that was tucked and folded under the mattress. To my horror I found a few bloodstains on the sheet (really, it's the only part of our trip that I want to forget) ! Disgusting! But because it was our last night and very late and I was exhausted from the day's activities, I decided not to call the office to ask for fresh sheets. Instead I just put an extra layer of blanket over the bed, which if you think about it is pointless anyway because we've been sleeping on that bed for the past 6 nights! G-ross.

Except for these cleanliness issues in our unit , overall, our experience at the resort was good.

Incredible views of the Rockies in Canada, near Banff and Lake Louise. Two hours away are the Icefields near Jasper and the drive is fantastic. The Chateau was a wonderful condo with fireplace and plenty of parking. Watch out for bears!

Management and staff uncaring and not helpful. We arrived after driving for 10 hours only to be put in a hotel down the street as there were no rooms available. I had booked the stay months prior and had my confirmation email to show the front desk. We were very upset as we were told nothing could be done by front desk staff and we called the manager. While waiting at the front desk another guest also told me that she was having the worst experience at this hotel as well and she was not happy with her room. We will never return and would not recommend this resort to anyone.