We stayed at Royal Canadian Lodge in Banff from March 26–29 with my 7-year-old daughter, and overall we had a great experience.
Check-in was simple and straightforward. We arrived in the early evening, and Jason at the front desk was the most approachable and helpful hotel staff member I have ever dealt with. He remembered my daughter’s name, greeted her every day, checked in with us throughout our stay, and added little touches that made the trip feel extra special for both of us.
The renovated room itself was fairly standard for a hotel room, but comfortable. Our room had two queen beds, which worked well for us. The bathroom had a shower only, with no bathtub, but that was not an issue. The pillows were big and lumpy, all 8 of the pillows in our room were too high/tall for my daughter to use comfortably. There are robes provided in the room, it would be a nice touch if they could also provide kids size robes. We had a mini fridge, coffee maker with coffee, and kettle with tea provided in the room.
We ordered room service one night and tried the pulled pork poutine, which was the daily special from the restaurant. Unfortunately, it was not very good, and I would not recommend it.
The TV included free cable and on-demand programming, as well as pay-per-view movies. I had brought my laptop and an HDMI cord, and we were able to connect it to the TV easily to watch our own movies. Watching on-demand, my daughter discovered The Simpsons and loved it (lol)
The pool area was a big highlight for us. The pool is salt water rather than chlorine. The water itself was on the cooler side, but there was also a good-sized hot tub and a large steam room. My daughter quickly made friends with another family staying at the hotel, and the kids spent multiple hours a day in the pool together.
The gym was small but functional. In the four days we were there, it was empty every time we walked by.
Parking is $20 per day, which does add up. There is also free street parking behind the hotel if you are able to find a spot.
One fun feature in the lobby was the robot, which the kids absolutely loved. We were told that after construction is complete, it will be delivering items to guest rooms. During our stay it moved around the lobby, told jokes, and handed out free apples.
The hotel was reasonably priced compared with other options in the area. I chose it specifically for the pool setup, knowing we would be spending a lot of time there, and it worked out really well for that. Shops and restaurants on the main street were about a 10-minute walk away, or you could take the bus that stops outside the neighboring hotel for $2 per ride, with kids riding free.
I would definitely stay here again in the future. The price, location, rooms, and pool make this a very family-friendly hotel option in Banff.
Biggest thank you to Jason at the front desk for the spectacular service we enjoyed.
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