Buffalo Mountain Lodge

I love this place and promises for a true mountain experience. The hot tub is the best and l like how you're out of the town centre though nice walking distance to it. Brekky was yummy and service top notch as per usual for a CRMR establishment. I highly recommend BML.

Had a fantastic stay at Buffalo Mountain Lodge.
The staff are very welcoming, and we had great service at the Prow.
The crab cakes and beef and buffalo burger were super yummy.
For drinks we had
Thai'D Off and a pint of Hit the Deck to start, then finished with Blackberry 2.0 and Cinnarita.
Can't wait to go back and try out some of the other amazing items on the menu

Great spot on tunnel mountain road. Close to banff but out enough that you feel like you are in nature. The rooms were clean and had everything you needed in a kitchenette. Wood fireplace and smore kit was fun for my husband and kids! The rooms were a little smaller than I expected from the pictures, and the hot tub change room areas had a pretty bad smell when we were there, not sure if it was wet mold or what the issue was. We ate dinner at the restaurant and it was nice and quiet at 6 pm on a saturdat. The food quality and portions were good. They also had a kids menu. Fair value for the price, would return.

Great service. They helped us with the fireplace but the room given was right after the main entrance. Could have been better if it was a different location.

We stayed here for two nights.
The rooms are not particularly spacious, but they are attractive.
The room fireplace is the highlight: lovely evening atmosphere.
The location is a bit away from the city center, up the mountain.
But no problem for people who can walk fairly well.
Because we wanted to sleep well and without traffic noise,
We were recommended to book an upgrade to a room away from the main road.
We accepted that and slept well.
However, it wasn't that cheap either.
All in all: a recommendable location.
However, I will write about the associated restaurant in
more next thread.

Great location, away from busy Banff downtown but close enough for those who enjoy walking.

I visited with my family. The staff was very kind and although I didn't know how to use the fireplace, the staff did it for me.

Such a great place to stay! Lovely room with thoughtful details and great Mountain View balcony and real fire fireplace. The service was great and fast. And the restaurant is one of the best restaurants in Banff. Really recommend!

Beautiful, rustic rooms that are just far enough away from the craziness of downtown. Outstanding service from the desk staff.

This isn't a lodge. This is an apartment complex with no amenities, no sufficient parking and extremely small rooms One outlet in the room. Had two people in a double and it was tight. You can hear everything that your neighbors are doing and saying. All you hear is traffic noise and the little work cart that sounds like it needs another motor. Save your money and book another location. Anything else would be better.

This was a wonderful experience, the giant hot tub was awesome, the beds were cozy, the location was awesome and the front lobby was absolutely gorgeous. The only complaints I have is that the bath tub was pretty dank and gross looking in our unit, and the unit above us wasnt sound proof enough, we heard everything they were doing and didnt sleep much. (702)

Not a bad hotel for the price of 75 dollars which is a very low rate for the location. But the room we stayed in needs some renovations especially the washroom. The washroom toilet leaks, the shower is old and requires you to find the sweet spot so you don’t burn yourself or ice yourself. They haven’t cleaned the washroom vent in 20 years it looks like which is a turn off. The beds looks okay but when you sleep on them, they aren’t comfortable. Just not overly impressed. The wifi signal is really good everywhere you go and the staff are friendly. Just hope they can clean the room better and fix a few things before you pay to stay here. Not to mention you can hear the people in other rooms beside you.

Dirty and needs to be maintained better.
At $256/night for the premium room (2 queens, fireplace) we get it yearly for a birthday weekend so we can have the warm fireplace looking over the snow weekend. Found the previous guests toiletries under the tub so makes you wonder if the rest was actually cleaned or just swept quickly. Most of the surfaces especially the blinds were thick with dust as well. Honestly we would have over looked that but we could not even have a fire without the smoke detector going off. The mantel was black from fires and you can see why when every fires smoke goes into your room rather than up the chimney. We opened doors and windows to try to fix it but it did nothing. We called the front desk for help they said open windows and if it still goes off they will call maintenance. It went off they called maintenance but no one showed up. I ended up pulling the detector when we were awake and wanting a fire since that was mostly why we booked the room.

In the end I politely told them at check out about the stay, the service was great (people) right up until that point when the response was "I'm sorry, that will be $$$$" how would you like to pay. No real apology, no offer to reduce the rate or discount a future stay.

Have been going for years but this was the last unfortunately.

Such an amazing experience with the team here. Rooms are fantastic, amenities are within range and the food at the Prow is delicious! Highly recommended.

Expectation was high, based on photos etc, but did not meet that. Rooms are large and reasonably comfortable, but simple things like no shower shelf meant that soaps etc had to remain on the floor, and with no daily serving this was annoying (covid seems to be blamed for this).
Frosty checkin was not expected, with a finger point the answer to where we could confirm a dinner reservation.
Overall, disappointing.
Would I stay here again? No.

Lovely 2nd floor vaulted ceiling, HEATED FLOORS, fireplace, comfy bed. Close to downtown. Friendly staff. Beautiful views!

Beautiful aesthetic, friendly staff. The hot tub was smaller than I thought but it was still roomy enough for three groups (7 people) to have our space. We didn't try the cafe but I heard it was good. It is a little tricky to find the entrance in the dark

This was such a great place 15 years ago, but our most recent stay left something to be desired.

The rooms are in need of some upgrades and maintenance. I always stay in the premier rooms as they have the claw foot tub. The tub was in need of a reglazing, and the drain was rusty. The shower grout was orange where it was once white.

The bathroom sink was extremely slow draining and also had a rusted drain. The pine paneling had seen better days and the paint around the sink was yellowing. Speaking of paint, there were spatters of it on the trim and window sills. Clearly whoever most recently painted just didn’t care enough to tape off.

There were no bathrobes in the room which I would expect to have at this price point.

The fireplace River rocks are blackened from smoke. It would be nice if they cleaned them as it really isn’t a great aesthetic. The room came with no kindling to start a fire so try as we might, it just wouldn’t light.

Beds are comfy and I had no issues with the linens as some others have, so maybe they’ve changed them.

I’ve had some amazing meals at this hotel but our breakfast this morning was not one of them. My partner ordered huevos rancheros which came with no beans despite the menu stating there were both refried and black beans in the dish. When we asked the server we were informed we were given the “old menu” and that the dish no longer contains beans. Um…ok. My daughter was served black toast and rather than remaking it when it was burned, it was served to her with the blackened side down.

I’ve stayed here a number of times over the last 15 years or so and I have always enjoyed it, and while our stay wasn’t terrible by any means, I don’t think I can justify the $300+ per night this property commands anymore. It’s really too bad, BML was such a gem at one point.

Wowwwwww. Totally exceeded expectations. Really comfy, perfect for a romantic getaway or if you just want to enjoy some luxury. Loved the outdoor hottub and back porch.

Lovely location, quirky log cabins complete with open fire. Dining room is gorgeous. Menu could be better for us vegetarians. Service a little on the slow side.

Location is great
Customer service is Good
No microwave in room
Little dirty washrooms

I loved this hotel when I last visited Banff with my sister and boyfriend. Everything about this hotel just screams coziness! LOVE LOVE LOVE and will be back.

This is a beautiful location and wonderfully out of the way spot to get away from hustle and bustle. The hot tub is amazing. While the rooms are decently appointed - there are a few little details that would make them 5-star. The room we had wasn’t super clean. The floors were grubby, and there was a dirty washcloth in the bathroom. The door of the shower opens awkwardly, and there is nowhere to put the soaps and shampoo in the shower except the floor. I currently have a mobility issue so it was not ideal. In the kitchen the fridge opened the wrong way as well. Lastly - the stairwell going up to the room was really dirty with a lot of dead bugs. Otherwise the room and bed were very good. In terms of the staff they were nice, mostly helpful, but like, didn’t seem to be very committed to service. Like the towels were consistently low or empty by the hot-tub, and like we mentioned it wasn’t clean-clean. Also - when checking in - it was clear I would have difficulty on the stairs - (in a splint) - but still gave us an upstairs room. Otherwise - it was a lovely short escape and we had a nice time!

I called the hotel direct to book for rooms for 4 couples all celebrating 50th wedding anniversary. They quoted me a higher price than anyone can get off the internet. Not at all impressed going to recommend we try a different hotel…

I’ve never stayed in a room as unique and beautifully designed. Very nice and definitely worth the money. I’ve never stayed in a hotel in Banff before so I didn’t know what to expect. The negatives however is no lighting outside. If you’re walking outside in the dark, ie: looking for the ice machine you can’t see in many places where you’re walking. Someone is going to get hurt! Not safe and they should be legally responsible for providing adequate lighting. There was no microwave in the room. I always bring a bottle of instant coffee and hazelnut coffee creamer because hotels give you 2 cups of coffee in the rooms and 2 little packets of powdered creamer and sugar so I bring my own but how do you have hot coffee without a microwave to heat the water. Those are the negatives. Other than those complaints the staff are friendly and helpful. I guess my main concern is safety. A lack of lighting can cause a serious injury so if you are elderly I would suggest perhaps trying somewhere else where they have better safety standards.

The service was excellent, all staff helpful, room was lovely, high cleanliness and the restaurant was absolutely great. However the hotel also operates as a wedding venue. This was a huge issue for us as two out of our three nights we were kept up till midnight with parties in rooms and then the venue giving out a huge amount of noise. We were quite far from the venue itself but we could still hear every word of the band and the music felt like it was in our room. It was very unfair as we had early starts for our activities. This impacted negatively on our days in banff as we were exhausted. This place needs to decide if it's a hotel OR a wedding venue as it currently doesn't work.

The site and location is great. 10-15 minutes walk to downtown.
The staffs are friendly.
They room is nice. Just needed a deeper cleaning and a microwave.
The view from our room is nice, we have a good view of the mountain.
They have a hot tub which is nice after long day of hiking.
The food and service at the restaurant is great.
Would definitely recommend this place.

Stayed at this hotel for a friends wedding this past weekend. It was ok to say the least. I found that the front desk staff were kind of bland and boring. Didn't really seem happy to help us or ask how we are doing. Almost seemed like we were an inconvenience to them. Restaurant was also ok. Over priced for breakfast that is meh. The server didn't refill our waters at all even though she had walked passed us countless times. The room was neat.it had that lodge like vibe which we expected. Although no air conditioning which sucks as if you stay in the room it just feel hot and humid. The TV is in a cupboard and when you open the doors to watch TV the doors close right away. We had to use the fire logs in the room to keep the doors propped open. The shower can make you jump. After you finish showering you go to shut the water off.nope, you'd think when you turn it towards off it would shut off. Well, it just keeps going and you get jolted with ice cold water.it seems like there is a sweet spot to shut the water off. After we checked out.once again, the front desk staff didn't ask how our stay was.just gave a invoice and said "cya". Didn't really feel like a $440/night stay.

Wife and I had spent a part of our honeymoon there in one of of the Buffalo studio suites, which I believe were renovated in 2020. It was beautiful, quite spacious and was very well equipped (kitchenette with utensils and dishware, microwave, fridge, safe, two TVs, fireplace). Public transportation via bus route 2 is also at a proximity. The only cons would be the lack of soundproofing, as well as the bathroom. Even though it was modernized and clean, there was a lack of water pressure for the shower.

As a single traveller being hustled through dinner or being put on the very edge of the lounge and forgotten is never a good thing. I don't remember how many times the server said "oh sorry about that" but he even forgot to bring the bill after I asked for it.

Cozy and rustic place. It is bit far from the core but nice and quiet place to stay. You will need a car or take the bus to the core. Parking is outdoors. Great customer service. Checking in and out was very easy and fast.

It was a nice and cozy atmosphere with the wood fireplace in the room and the boardgames at the front desk made for a nice family evening.

We came here to spend an amazing time in Banff around New Years. Tried to check in at 230, check in is at 4 so no go. No problem. They said 330 4 we will have a room. Show up 415 said be a bit so they offered free drink, very nice. Take our time and at 530 they offered us dinner. That would be cool but we have a 5 month old and 3 year old that needed to be tended to, and we had made reservations elsewhere where we really wanted to go. People at front desk couldn't care less and were totally unsympathetic.
I understand these are first world problems but for 400 bucks I expect to be in my room before 815. Totally messed up banff plans and was such a pain with small children. Couldnt be less happy with our experience here.

Spent a weekend here after Christmas and won't be staying again. Felt like I was being interrogated when checking in. Heating was poor and very noisy. Beautiful fireplace, no fireplace tools. 2, count 'em, 2 coat hangers. Room wasn't cleaned after our first night. "Covid" was the response. There was a coffee maker in the room. Not much else. No fridge. None of the coffee or towels or anything was replenished. I was very disappointed and won't be recommending this place to anyone. Overpriced. Underwhelming.

If I could give this hotel zero I would. We stayed here for Christmas and what a mistake that was. When we checked in our room was freezing cold. We attempted to turn on the fireplace which wouldn't turn on. So we tried to call the front desk but the phone wasn't working so we tried to call with our cellphone but nobody would pick up. So we did what we could and got the fire going but the smoke was too much and the fire alarm kept on going. So we had to keep on opening the doors to let the smoke out. The next morning we went and told them what was going on and they told us they will send someone right away. They didn't. Then we saw a staff walking and told her what happened. She said she will let the manager know and they will send someone. Still they didn't. We went out for a couple of hours and when we came back we went to front desk again and they said they will send someone and AGAIN nobody came. The worst customer service we have ever received. We paid $400 per night and deserved better service than this. We won't be back!

Nice one bedroom suite. So helpful that they allow pets. Only thing was the suite was missing many things, towels enough for our family, dish towels, dish sponges, clean sheets, blankets and pillows for the sofabed. Some dishes were dirty and the sofabed had dirty sheets in it. Staff delivered missing items. Otherwise, I would have give 5 stars.

This hotel exceeded my expectations, the rooms are beuatiful and comfy with a real fireplace. Staff very friendly and helpful also the rataurant super yummy! Can't wait to come back again.

This is a lovely facility. We were there for a wedding. Staff were terrific and the food excellent. I would be pleased to give 5 stars however anyone staying with mobility challenges would be especially challenged during the winter months.

It was a great place to stay
Just wish all rooMs had fridge & microwave
Need better attention to detail on cleaning

The fireplace was beautiful, liked the hot tub, and area it is located is beautiful.
We tried to check in at 230, (I had a 7 month old that was ready to nap). They stated our room wasn't ready (at this point the staff should have asked housekeeping to clean the room we were supposed to be in). So we went and had a drink at the bar. Went at 330 to ask if our room was ready (they were checking in two other groups of people at this point) again they said no. Even though the hotel was empty (Thursday night). Went back at 4 and asked again if I could check in. Again she said the room wasn't ready at which point I was angry. If we asked to check in at 230 you could have at least prioritized cleaning our room since we were waiting.
They did "upgrade"us apparently to a privileged room at the same cost () as our room wasn't ready. The only thing extra it had was a claw foot tub. And who really uses the tub at a hotel

Beautiful hotel; staff were more than accommodating. I had made a mistake on my reservation and front desk staff helped us out and even upgraded our room. Outdoor hot tub was excellent and rooms were comfortable. Will definitely recommend this hotel.

We love Buffalo Mountain Lodge, the new restaurant “The Prow” is sending out some great food. The staff is friendly and engaged and have fun at their jobs. Our queen suite was perfect and a real fireplace makes it so cozy. Close enough to downtown and far enough away to be quiet. Can’t wait to get back there.

This place had great views. Turns out you have to ask for your room to be made up. We waited for over an hour and a half for breakfast. They kept coming and telling us that it would be here in 5 minutes. It finally arrived cold.

The dinner the night before (roasted free run chicken breast) was really good.

THE Cafe! Thats what makes this place. Try something from the cafe, few times I've been to Banff, this cafe did well each time.

Without A/C on a hot summer night, I didnt have a great sleep. Which, isnt to say it wasn't a comfortable bed or a nice room (littledated).

This would have been such a nice place to stay in cooler moths or while on a ski trip.

My wife and I had checked in on August 1st 2021 at room number 301 at your buffalo mountain lodge.

The phone at my room doesn’t work.
Last night at the upstairs (the room above 301) there were lot of running, jumping and walking noise at night. As the phone at my room doesn’t work I tried calling the reception from my personal phone few times sporadically. Unfortunately no one responded at the reception and we couldn’t sleep at all last night.

Very nice hotel to stay at if you are looking to stay close to Banff. The room had no fridge/Ac so do be sure to check when booking. For the price it was a pleasant stay. The beds/bedding was out of this world comfortable. I would definitely stay again but in a higher end room.

Super hôtel au pied des montagnes et à la porte de Banff. Fraîchement rénové et avec tout l’équipement moderne. Les chambres sont spacieuses, chaleureux et très bien équipées: foyers, micro-onde, cafetière, frigidaire, TV, coffret de sûreté, bain sur pied et grande douche. Personnel sympathique, professionnel et chaleureux. Directement en face du sentier et de la route tunnel montaine. Super beau plateau avec une vue a 360°c sur les sommets.

Well the room was okay and we went for breakfast and it was Mega cold our breakfast was cold so we cancel our dinner it was at the chef's table because it was too cold for inside the lodge oh yeah we been going there for the past for five years it's always been good and we liked it we add lunch in are room it was great

My daughter booked a night at Buffalo Mountain Lodge for my husband and I to celebrate a special occasion. When we checked in, the receptionist told us that we got an upgraded room and to my big surprise was when we discovered that the upgraded room was an ADA room (room 301)! The room my daughter booked online was nothing remotely close to the "upgraded" room we ended up getting, we were also expecting a bathtub but we didn't get that even! We were expecting a nicer room for a nice experience and nice stay but unfortunately our experience was very bad! I found hair in the bathroom and the cutlery had fingers and grease prints all over them - shocking especially during covid times! I had to wipe and wash everything before using it!
I would not recommend this hotel to anyone and I would not be coming back!

We upgraded to the premier suite and loved the beautiful tub and the fireplace, the hot tub was nice and the staff were always very friendly. Restaurant was great with plenty of gluten free options. We were brought wood straight to our door when the lodge temporarily ran out, we’ll be coming back again:)

My husband and I just had THE MOST romantic anniversary getaway at BML this past weekend, and we couldn't have had a better time. The front desk staff were so so lovely and accommodating, the room was exactly what we were looking for, the view was incredible (we had a mountain view and it was snowing) and the fireplace added the most perfect touch. My only disappointment really was that they were running very low on firewood, so we only got to enjoy the fireplace for a couple of hours. I worked at BML 12 years ago and remember it being a great place to stay, but this visit surpassed our expectations. We will be coming back again and again.

Staff couldn’t do enough. Breakfast was delicious, we asked for a few things and they were delivered to the room almost as soon as we hung up the phone. Room was clean, bed was comfy and the fireplace and claw bathtub were the icing on the cake.

I love it here! The boyfriend surprised me for our anniversary and we will definitely be back! Love the fireplace in the room!

Lovely hotel in a lovely place. Amazing scenery. Staff were nice too. Left our luggage with them 3+ hours before check in time.

Great place to stay. Off to the side of Banff, but easily drivable or they have a shuttle to bring you to Banff Ave. We enjoyed it. Would stay again.

Woke up this morning to things written, on the side of our truck, in the dirt. NOT IMPRESSED.and theres no cameras. Who is disrespectful enough to do that to someones vehicle, to someone they don't even know? Definitely not staying here again, if im paying that much and have to deal with this kind of immaturity.
Maybe invest in some cameras?

Good points:
Very nice hotel/lodge. The lodge we had was spacious with two queen beds and a large bathroom as well.

Naff points:
The place is on the outskirts of town which you should consider if you struggle with walking (especially as it’s at the top of a hill). The parking can also be a bit hit and miss. We had a ground floor lodge but you could hear the person above us moving around which wasn’t an issue as we were out a lot and they seemed to be as well but could be a problem if they were noisy. The hotel/lodge is also on the pricey side.

We had a room with two queen beds. It was a bit small for a family of four, but the log-cabin feel of the place more than made up for it. With the fire burning all evening in the natural wood fireplace, it really brought the family together. (Ample firewood was stacked right outside, mere steps away from our front door). The balcony overlooked the tree-covered common area outside which was nice and tranquil. It was very quiet and peaceful overall. Everything was super clean. It was like staying at one's own cottage.
The main building is basically a huge lodge style building. Staff are so chill and friendly. There's a nice bar in the main lodge which I didn't get a chance to visit but it looked extremely inviting.
There's a breakfast buffet which, at $24 per person, is a bit pricey but worth it, in my opinion. Food was of great quality and had good variety. Restaurant staff were really nice and personable too.
Other tips: There's a nice cafe on site. A hot tub which looked nice enough but we didn't try. You can get more firewood from the main office. There's ice in the building next to the hot tub, where the bike racks are. (By the way this place is perfect for mountain bikers and hikers). Finally: You can borrow board/family games from the front desk at no charge.
"Cons":
Board games were a nice bonus but the backgammon was missing 6 pieces (hence unplayable) and the selection of games was a bit limited. (Maybe it's because I'm a big nerd but I was hoping to find Settlers of Catan or Pandemic!)
A tad pricey overall but given that it's in Banff itself (as opposed to Canmore or other nearby towns) and given what you get for the price, I'd recommend it anyway (and will probably stay here again myself).
I just wish our room was a bit bigger and had a kitchenette. Then again, we probably booked too late and didn't have many options, otherwise I would've at least booked two rooms.

Staff were great, rooms where "meh". Had a wood fireplace in the room which was a plus as it was snowing on the day we stayed. Given the 5-star rate we paid, the rooms were about 3-star. I'm fine with dated decor, but the room had a lot of deferred maintenance. The furniture was really banged up; something I'd usually find in a two or three star motel. The shower curtain was broken and was leaking. The bathroom door had visible water damage. I do a thorough search of the room before we leave to ensure we didn't drop anything under the bed, etc. There were pills under the bed, in two different locations, different pills. A discarded water bottle.and then just general filth. The lightbulbs were incandescent.given the business case vs LEDs, I'm surprised to still find these in hotels. Note: BML did discount our rate by 20% due to our complaint but I still feel like we paid too much.

I’m not leaving a good review, we’re been coming here since 1999, Came today with our nieces and when I booked my reservation two months ago I was assured that they would put us in a ground floor room, that I needed ground floor rooms as I’m handicapped and cannot climb starts And when I called the front desk to tell them I had been assured and promised ground floor rooms just said that they could do nothing about it, so after many years of being loyal and devoted to Buffalo Mountain Lodge we will never return again and there is nothing on earth you could do at this point to compensate me or try to make us feel welcomed and off to find a new place to stay and less expensive for two room, $1000.00 is just too high as well~

When we came to get the house, we had to wait to after 16, which is not announced anywhere, It's very noicy with AC (got dampened by a quick worker, thx) and a train in the background ever so often honking its horn. The houses aren't very good insulated also good but pretty expensive food. When we came home after a evening in the city a hard Woodburning smell hit us, and I'm sure it's the family living on top using the fireplace, after a good 20 minute with open windows the smell is almost gone. Everything just seem 'meh' The only plus for me would be the beds that are rather comfy. I would not come back sadly.