Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Buffalo Mountain Lodge is a serene retreat on Tunnel Mountain in Banff, AB, nestled among 9 acres of fir, pine, and spruce trees. Just a 15-minute walk or 3-minute drive from downtown Banff's shopping, nightlife, and restaurants, the lodge offers both seclusion and convenience. Guests often spot deer and elk grazing right outside the lodge's windows. With 108 guest rooms, an outdoor hot tub, and various dining options, it's perfect for a weekend getaway, wedding, or corporate retreat. Rooms feature wood-burning fireplaces, cozy duvets, TVs, and many include patios or balconies. The stainless steel outdoor hot tub is ideal after a hike, bike, or ski on nearby trails or after a meal at the lodge’s acclaimed restaurant, The Prow. Part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts family, Buffalo Mountain Lodge is a true mountain haven.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Nestled in a scenic location near town, Buffalo Mountain Lodge is often lauded for its rustic charm and cozy atmosphere, with many guests enjoying the in-room fireplaces and picturesque views. While the hotel's amenities, such as hot tubs and comfortable furnishings, receive frequent praise, some visitors note service inconsistencies and a desire for updates.
Cleanliness typically meets expectations, though housekeeping can be hit or miss. Guests report a mixed experience with the staff, ranging from excellent to disappointing, and opinions on value are divided, with some questioning the price-to-quality ratio.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Rustic
Rooms
Cozy
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Satisfactory
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This hotel had a beautiful entrance and we loved our accommodations. The fireplace is a cute touch. Please note there is not AC (common for Canada but definitely should be noted for the southern US traveller). We loved relaxing in the hot tub at night. The restaurant (The Prow) had amazing food and service was so great! The kids also loved the added touch of board games in the lobby. There is a bus stop right outside to get into town (you will want this as it isn't a bad walk getting there, but it is uphill on the way back). My only complaint was the shower. It has no shelves or hooks for your soaps or sponges or anything, and you have to go in it to turn it on, which means you are blasted with cold water first. Overall, we had a great stay. My suggestion would be to take notes from the hotel access the street and leave a bottle of wine in the room and free 3 day bus passes...especially since a lot of the atms in the area don't work and you need money for the busses. Those are things I would think would be offered at a 4 star hotel. Overall would stay again!
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Date of stay: August 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â Bring cash for the bus, be ready for no AC but fan is provided, eat at the restaurant, and don't...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lodge is located up tunnel mountain about a 15 minute walk into town but shuttle buses available every 20 mins at $2 a trip. The lodge is comfortable, most staff were friendly and helpful but check in was a little chaotic. The rooms are of a good size but attention to detail in the nooks and crannies but nothing untoward. The bed was very comfortable. Nice lodge and would happily stay here again despite a few niggles.
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Date of stay: September 2024
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Guest Experience Team GEM, Marketing at Buffalo Mountain Lodge
Responded Sep 20, 2024
Dear Valued Guest, Thank you so much for taking the time to share your positive experience at our hotel! We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your stay and appreciate your kind words about our staff and services. At Buffalo Mountain Lodge, we strive to create a welcoming and comfortable environment for all our guests, and it’s always rewarding to know that our efforts have made a difference. Whether it was our amenities, the cleanliness of your room, or the friendly service you received, we’re thrilled that you felt well taken care of. We truly value your feedback, as it helps us continue to improve and enhance our guests’ experiences. If there are any specific highlights you’d like to mention, or if you have suggestions on how we can make future visits even better, please don’t hesitate to let us know. We look forward to welcoming you back on your next visit. Thank you once again for your generous review! Warm regards, Buffalo Mountain Lodge
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The showers are horrendous and behind the tub they don't dust at all or wipe anything down or dust. From my point of view all they do is come in make the bed maybe clean the fireplace they don't replace the wood for the fireplace some days they would leave kenneling some days they would not. My only gripe with the Buffalo lodge is the housekeeping staff very nice girls that I've met but they do not know how to clean
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Guest Experience Team ELL , Marketing at Buffalo Mountain Lodge
Responded Feb 9, 2025
Dear Cosmopolitan383833, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback about your recent stay at Buffalo Mountain Lodge. We truly value your input as it helps us improve our services. We are very sorry to hear that your experience with housekeeping did not meet your expectations. We understand the importance of cleanliness and comfort, and it is clear that we fell short in some areas. We appreciate your kind words about the housekeeping staff being nice, but we also understand your concerns about the level of cleanliness, including the dusting and fireplace upkeep. Please rest assured that we are addressing this with our team to ensure our cleaning standards are consistent across all areas. We would love to discuss this further and make it right. Please feel free to reach out to us directly at bmlfom@crmr.com so we can resolve this matter and ensure a better experience during your next visit. We truly hope to welcome you back and provide the excellent service we strive for. Warm regards, Nanette Zafranco Front Office Manager
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Absolutely loved this place! Spent four nights here and wish we could have spent more. Our lodge (1003) was beautiful and had obviously been completely renovated with lovely furnishings, comfy bed and large modern bathroom featuring separate shower and bath. The large in room fridge was a bonus and the room featured Nespresso coffee machine, kettle, hairdryer, iron and ironing board. Beautiful working fireplace too. My favourite though was our lovely balcony which overlooked the forest /- stunning! Hot tub was snacking and all staff really friendly and helpful. The Hotel is about a 15 minute walk downhill from lovely Banff. A bus stops right outside a cost of $2 each per trip. Thank you Buffako Mountain Lodge for making our 30th Wedding Anniversary trip to Canada a memorable one.
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Date of stay: July 2024
Value
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Location
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This lodge was our favourite accomodation of all of our holiday. Set up a mountain road above Banff. Check in was quick and the staff were friendly throughout our stay. Restaurant was ideal for breakfast and they also do lunch and dinner. prices a little higher than in downtown Banff. The accomodation was in 2 story wooden lodges. It was warm and cosy, with log fire and chairs. The bathroom had a claw foot bathtub a separate large shower and underfloor heating. The bus stops at front of resort and takes you into Banff, parking in Banff was bad, so use the bus.
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Date of stay: June 2024
Value
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Location
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We booked two rooms here for our elopement and had the best experience. Staff were all very accomodating even going to the effort of leaving a card and small gift on our arrival. The rooms were the perfect lodge feel and decor with individual fire places, heated flooring and lots of space. The location is perfect, only a short drive or walk to the centre of town and far enough out to have the opportunity to spot natural wildlife amongst the grounds. We absolutely loved our time here and would highly recommend.
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Date of stay: January 2025Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Guest Experience Team ELL , Marketing at Buffalo Mountain Lodge
Responded Jan 16, 2025
Dear Valued Guest, Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us! We are absolutely thrilled to hear that you chose Buffalo Mountain Lodge for such a special occasion and that your stay exceeded expectations. We’re delighted that you enjoyed the lodge feel and decor, including the fireplaces, heated flooring, and spacious rooms. It’s also wonderful to know that the staff made your experience even more memorable with their thoughtful touches. We always strive to provide our guests with a warm and welcoming atmosphere, and we’re so happy that you felt this during your stay. We’re glad you had the opportunity to enjoy the peaceful location and the natural wildlife around the property. It sounds like you had the perfect balance of relaxation and adventure! Thank you for your kind words and high recommendation. We would be honored to welcome you back in the future, and we wish you all the best in your journey together. Warm regards, Nanette Zafranco Front Office Manager
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This hotel was one of our favourites during our recent road trip through BC and the national parks (we stayed in 8 hotels in total) The hotel had all the amenities that we needed for our trip. The reception staff were really friendly and helpful when checking in, suggesting local activities and companies, how to use the local transport system and where best to park in downtown Banff. We were allocated a king room that was larger than average and seemed to have been updated recently. The room did have a rustic charm but it was very clean. It didn’t have air con but it wasn’t needed. We stayed during a hot week at the start of august and the temp of the room was not an issue for us at night as it cooled down to a pleasant temperature which I think is normal in the mountains. Expresso coffee making facilities and a fridge were in the room and the L’Occitane toiletries on offer in the bath room were a nice touch. It was nice to have good quality fluffy towels and bathrobes as well. Our room also had a balcony which we watched some of the local wildlife from while sipping our morning coffee. We saw a deer and her fawn grazing right below one morning. We had dinner in the restaurant on our first evening after a long day of driving and they were able to accommodate us even though we didn’t have a dinner reservation. The food was of good quality and was delicious and for Banff was reasonably priced. There was also plenty of free parking in and around the hotel. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here and would highly recommend.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Guest Experience Team GEM, Marketing at Buffalo Mountain Lodge
Responded Aug 7, 2023
We are so pleased with your 5-star review, thanks for taking the time to share your experience with us and the community. We are very pleased to hear that our staff made your stay pleasant and memorable and you were fortunate enough to have some wildlife join you for breakfast! We look forward to welcoming back soon for your next getaway in the Rockies.
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I stayed here for one night a few days ago - sucked. Let me tell you what $468 per night gets you: a room that reeks of sewage. Things happen, but they did not take care of us after the fact. Since we were unable to change rooms due to full bookings (why is a hotel not keeping a few rooms vacant for when situations like this arise??), the maintenance gentleman came to the room to see how he can help (he admitted to the awful stench). We were advised not to enter the washroom and the smell continued to seep through the closed, washroom door, making its way to the bed (stronger smell at this point). Needless to say the sleep was rough. I called the front desk again and requested this concern be passed on to the manager so that we can further discuss this upon check out. After all was said and done, we got a free breakfast...sure...I guess ($468 per night). But wait! you can't just order what you fancy, no - limited order of course! I was unable to get a cappuccino ($1.50 more than a regular brew) and I was only able to order one thing off the menu (why would I be able to order a little side of fruit...$468 per night). So I can't use the washroom in the room, I have to sleep in what smells like absolute sh*t and I am still not allowed to order a cappuccino for the inconvenience. Apparently if I had paid another $468 for an additional night, they would have maybe been able to do a little more for me. Obviously this is a hotel with zero standards. There for the cash, not for people. Unfortunate stay.
I gave this a 2 star solely for the fireplace in the room.
I tried to leave this review on google multiple times but was apparently “inappropriate” so it kept getting removed. You can get treated poorly but you cant tell the public about it. Dont stay at this hotel.
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Date of stay: September 2024
Value
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Location
Cleanliness
Service
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lovely stay in Banff at BML. Staff were friendly and warm. They were so hospitable and made our stay enjoyable. The hot tub and wood burning fireplace both worked amazing and were so relaxing. We even had robes in our room in the closet when we arrived. The view was lovely and we could see the mountains from our patio. The room we had was also very quiet and we didn’t hear any noise. Very relaxing stay overall. We ate at the prow restaurant in the lodge main lobby for breakfast and it was so delicious. We are already planning our next trip to Banff just to stay here.
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Date of stay: July 2023
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Guest Experience Team GEM, Marketing at Buffalo Mountain Lodge
Responded Jul 22, 2023
We are delighted to read your feedback, thank you for taking the time to write us such a wonderful review. We are glad to hear you enjoyed a relaxing getaway and our staff made it memorable for you! We look forward to welcoming you back to Buffalo Mountain Lodge soon for your next getaway in the Rockies.
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This was our first stopping point in the Rockies and it didn't disappoint! The room was large, tastefully decorated with an open fire and comfortable seating area plus two very comfy Queen beds. The bathroom was also larger than average with a separate shower and roll top bath. The setting in the trees offered great wildlife spotting opportunities with dear and a 30 strong herd of Elk right outside the window on one morning, plus evidence that black bears had wandered by overnight. The breakfast was delicious so I can only assume the dinners would be also The portion we had was large and incredibly tasty, plus great coffee and OJ. Although a 2o minute walk out of town the stroll down is enjoyable and there is a local, very cheap bus service that runs every half hour or so. I will definitely stay here again.
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Date of stay: June 2022
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our airport transfer from Banff to Calgary Airport was arranged by Brewsters. They picked us up at Douglas Fir Lodge which was just across the street from The Lodge
No - standard rooms didn't have an electric kettle but the coffee machine does produce hot water if you don't put coffee in it. You may also be able to ask for a kettle from housekeeping - I'm not sure they provide them - suggest you ask in advance arrival or bring your own small travel kettle
Buffalo Rooms have kitchenettes. They have also all been renovated. You can get them with one king bed or 2 queen beds. We loved ours! Very spacious and functional.
Sorry, but I do not know. I was there during a very cold, snowy October for a wedding. Never had the opportunity to find out about available activities/equipment.
"Bring cash for the bus, be ready for no AC but fan is provided, eat at the restaurant, and don't plan an hanging very many clothes (small hanging spot in closet)"
CanadaAlbertaCanadian RockiesBanff National ParkBanff
NUMBER OF ROOMS
108
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