Mount Royal Hotel, Banff

The room was not appealing at all. When I opened the TV cabinet dust flew out. The desk chair was falling apart, not safe to sit on at all. Two lampshades were askew, I tried to fix but the washers were missing. One of the pillow cases should have been in a ragbag. The ledge around the bathroom sink needed a good scrubbing. Breakfast was included at Tony Romas, which is part of the hotel. The hot food was cold. Eggs were gross. The food looked like it was being recycled. Remember the nursery rhyme, in the pot nine days old? We were on a bus tour with Caravan Tours, hopefully they will find a better hotel for its future travelers.

First the bad. The beds feel like they are 30 years old. No support, too soft. 2 people in 1 bed tend to roll towards each other. After first night went to front desk and asked if any other rooms had beds that were not overly soft. Staff said all beds are very soft but they said I could try another room to see if one was any better than the other. The next room was slightly better. Woke up with a sore back every day though for our 4 night stay. This was the only significant problem. If not for the beds I would give this at least 3.5 stars taking into account the price paid. Just before we stayed in Jasper and just after we stayed in Calgary. Beds were fine at those locations. Staff were nice and friendly. Hotel is in a very convenient location as you can easily walk to all primary areas of town. No fridge or microwave in either 1-bed or 2-bed standard room. Stayed during the end of September so not sure how busy or empty/full the hotel was but we did not notice any noise from other rooms or from outside during our stay. In 2-bed standard room the bathroom sink counertop was too long. To the right was the toilet. You had to sit down to the toilet and about 20 degrees off center and then swing your knees under the sink countertop. Overall a minor issue.

Staff is extremely accommodating and professional. Hotel is very clean and has kept its charm. Perfect location -- everything is within walking distance. This is our hotel of choice for the price. Room is a little cramped for 4 people with 4 suitcases full of snowgear though...