Reviews of Blue Mountain Lodge (Zoo)

Eline

Disappointing.

Our saga began when we were told that parking wasn’t guaranteed as we drove in circles around Banff, contrary to the ad, which boasts an included parking lot for guests. We rang the doorbells (that’s right, multiple doorbells) at least three times before they heard us; how can someone not hear MULTIPLE door bells? They were very polite initially, however there was a slight negligence in mask wearing, as we were told we had to wear a mask throughout the house (which is fine, we are avid supporters of the mask mandate but hypocritical much???). Then came the first disaster. Our room was a surprise, as it was not pictured on their website or booking.com. It was room 3 on the second floor. It was hideous. It was called a “small double” but I think “recreation of Harry Potter’s room under the stairs” is more accurate. First of all, after many attempts at unlocking and opening the surprisingly heavy and sticky door, we were flabbergasted, and immediately burst into fits of giggles, that lasted upwards of 45 minutes and may or may not have resulted in tears. Many unique characteristics plague room 3: the bathroom door does not reach the floor or the roof, and does not actually shut. In order to shut it, it must be locked from the outside (huh????); The TV was the size of our laptop; the cable box hung limply in midair; the shower head was a crinkle tube that could be moved at a whim; the shower itself was archaic, and painted a weird yellow colour; the bathroom was so small you could pee from the shower; you could hear everyone above, beside, underneath and outside the room; one of the only plug ins was halfway up the wall; there were three light switches, one of which was not working. We went downstairs and asked if we could switch rooms. The innkeeper was very hesitant and frustrated, but within exactly two seconds, allowed us to switch rooms. This one, room 10, was leagues better than room 3, but still sucked. The shower was one foot off the ground, and one fell in and out repeatedly. It was very skinny, and yet, our 5’2”, very tiny friend, barely fit and constantly hit the curtain, the wall, and everything else. Further, when turning on the hot water, you had to turn the dial to cold, and vice versa. Leaving the dial directly in the middle left the water nearly scalding. How? We are not sure. There’s a strange step in the very middle of the room, which happens to be the only carpeted part. Tripping was inevitable. The sink was maybe 5 inches away from the larger bed, so if you want to brush your teeth or wash your hands, make sure your friend is safely tucked in bed; there is no room otherwise. Speaking of the bed, the larger one has a strange bump in the middle, so trying to roll over is pointless because you end up in the same place you started: the edge. The small bed has giant springs that stab you throughout the night. Directly next to that, is a large window, where drunk weirdos constantly sing and scream all night. If that doesn’t inhibit your sleep, hearing people walk in front of your door, which is right next to the entrance, certainly will. Speaking of hearing people, we heard the innkeepers talk about us several times, and yet, that was one of the nicer parts of our stay (not because they were nice, but because everything else was so bad). Final caution: if getting the sandwich in your breakfast, beware that it is one fried egg covered in paprika on a dry croissant with no butter or sauce of any kind. However, our second breakfast at Wild Flour was very lovely.

Amar Patel

Can you have MINUS stars for a place? Apparently not as I had to give it 1 star to post this review, BUT YOU NEED TO KNOW - DO NOT book in here, it is very poor hotel & totally misrepresented on booking sites by the owner.I paid nearly $800 for 3 nights -so overpriced for the 0 star hotel it's not funny -we had booked here & had to cancel on check in as it was so bad, it would have ruined our holiday. We were allocated the "attic" room -up 3 flights of narrow dangerous stairs, the bed was under a low attic roof -you'd have to climb over your partner to get in & out of bed & that's if you don't hit your head on the ceiling it's that low. The TV was located about 6 inches off the floors you'd need to lie on the floor to watch it.The bathroom was so small & not clean, plus there was some stuffed dead animal down the end of the bed which who knows what it was. I should have taken photos but I was so upset -the manager didn't want to know about it, not customer centred at all - he couldn't care less & has refused to refund my money, especially after I have put a review on Trip Advisor telling people what it's really like. I have travelled extensively & have NEVER seen such a poor place for the price they want to charge -it's robbery-you would be better off sleeping in the car for the night!!!! Read the other reviews they are the same - VERY BAD!!!

Wayne Boylan

Very cute place and the atmosphere is great for a mountain setting. No complaints.