The Banff Caribou Lodge is centrally located on Banff Avenue, Banff's main street. It offers the Keg Restaurant, Red Earth Spa (a full service spa), free underground parking, free wifi, fitness room and hot pool. This lodge type accommodation has a large and inviting lobby to greet you to Banff. Enjoy your stay.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Quiet
Business
Languages Spoken
English, French
Location
521 Banff Avenue, Banff, Banff National Park, Alberta T1L 1H8 Canada
Banff Caribou Lodge & Spa
2,614 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
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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The Banff Caribou Lodge & Spa is often praised for its inviting atmosphere and cleanliness, with travelers consistently noting the well-maintained rooms and facilities. While the hotel's location is a hit due to its proximity to town and complimentary bus passes, some guests feel it is overpriced, citing outdated decor and a lack of modern conveniences.
Opinions on service vary, with reports of both friendly staff and instances of rudeness. The amenities, including the gym and pool, have disappointed some visitors who found them occasionally unavailable.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Inviting
Rooms
Dated
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Underwhelming
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We go every year to celebrate and decided on the Banff Caribou Lodge this time. The check-in process was seamless and underground heated parking available and lockers in for ski equipment. The location is over a kilometer from the shops and restaurants in downtown not ideal for walking on cold days. The room was dark, poor lighting, dated decor, beds comfortable, small bar fridge, small but adequate. Toiletries were limited, no robes to wear to and from spa/hot pool. Housekeeping needed to pay attention to fullness of refillable shampoo/condition/body wash and shower curtain was dirty. We booked a couples massage at the spa (return visit), room was a bit chilly and therapist was ok.
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Date of stay: February 2020
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 were a ski group of 20 staying at the Caribou for 7 nights All Covid precautions were taken. Unfortunately I was not able to get a reservation to enjoy the hot tub or a Spa treatment. But was able to enjoy a spa massage at the Moose hotel's spa which is a sistor spa of the Caribou. We had no housekeeping during our stay due to Covid restrictions but they were able to accommodate us with extra towels, toilet paper, etc if needed. We had assortment of delicious plated breakfasts that were included daily and were served quickly. A big Thank You to Trudy, the Keg's Manager that accommodated our ski group quickly in the morning so we could get on the first shuttle to our ski destinations (Sunshine or Lake Louise). Our rooms were fine with comfortable beds, good pillows but they need to replace the comforters that were lumpy and very static. Also the towels could be a better quality, some were stained and fraying. Otherwise we enjoyed our stay
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Date of stay: March 2021
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:Â requested a room with a balcony
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.
A lot to digest? Read an AI-generated summary of recent traveller reviews.
We have stayed at this hotel several times over the past 5 years, first few stays were great, but this time was flat out not worth the price. Given the times (COVID), the room was not up to par on cleanliness...especially since they are only cleaning between guests and NOT during your stay. I feel like not cleaning during your stay makes zero sense - it should not be an issue if proper protocols are followed, I have stayed at 3 other hotels during COVID and not one of them used it as an excuse not to clean. The chairs and tables in the room were visibly dirty and we had to clean them ourselves with wet wipes. The bed was ok, however the duvet desperately needs to be replaced - lumpy bumpy and pretty much useless. It would have been nice to know that coffee machines have been removed from the room as well. On a positive note, check in and out was quick and seamless. We will be staying elsewhere our next trip to Banff.
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Date of stay: July 2020Trip 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.
Came for a weekend to destress. We were offered an upgrade for a room with a balcony and view. Paid extra for a view of the carport roof. No A/C in these rooms. No shampoo or soap but a $20 Rocky mountain soap daily oat lotion on counter if you use. Balcony curtains are filthy. Coffee packs in room have no flavor. Upgrades needed. You would think since they're so slow with covid that they'd try to impress the few people that booked.
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Date of stay: May 2021Trip 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.
Comfortable bed, hotel not as luxurious as it sounds. Quiet at night. Didn’t eat in the restaurant at all so can’t say what that’s like. Good size laundry room in the parking lot downstairs with very reasonable costs for a wash and a dry and the machines are fast. The place is clean enough. No issues with staff, housekeeping are good that they don’t disturb you when the ‘do not disturb’ sign is on the door. Some places do anyway! Room smaller than expected. It’s quite a walk to the shops downtown but it is the first stop for the ski buses in the morning. Stayed at the Ptarmigan last time and that one is closer to town so better location and there was never a problem getting a space on the bus so I don’t think it’s essential to be at the first ski bus stop. Pretty much all of the hotels down Banff Avenue are owned by the same company. The swimming pool is more like a large hot tub. The gym is very small with a rowing machine, a treadmill, an exercise bike and some dumbbells. Good amount of hand sanitiser available in the public areas. The corridors are noisy from people walking past your room talking loudly so it would be nice if other guests didn’t stand outside your room talking especially at 7 am. Tips for Banff Sunshine, the food on the hill is overpriced and not very good, pretty much all junk food, they don’t let you take rucksacks into any of the restaurants so take your own lunch and eat it in the white domed buildings, they are heated, plenty of room and none of this ‘you can’t bring your back pack in’ business. I found that annoying.
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Date of stay: January 2023Trip type: Travelled solo
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.
'You got what you paid for' - said an enormous woman at the front desk that decided to interfere in my conversation with the Front Desk Agent. Extremely rude, very unprofessional and simply unpleasant for an eye 'manager'(I would assume, since that person doesn't even know how to introduce herself), was saying that they simply don't care about the quality of the stay, and we get what we paid for. They don't preassign rooms to customers who are staying with them for a longer time. They do NOT wear masks. There was NO sanitizer in the lobby (it was empty). They say that they don't have any rooms but if I pay more, they will find a room... There was no shampoo or conditioner in the dispenser in the shower. Room 343 is literally facing the roof above the entrance. In front of the entrance, there were a lot of highly intoxicated people that were yelling until 2 am every night. In the elevator we were greeted by an escort person, who didn't hesitate to offer her services after she is done with a client. Outlets are conveniently hidden behind the dresser. Rooms are literally tiny and dirty. So... I guess I paid around a $1,000 for the worst experience in my life. Upon check out that don't even ask you about how was your stay (I guess they know how terrible it is). Bad location and a rather sketchy area. No value for any money.
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Date of stay: August 2020Trip 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 Caribou Lodge, General Manager at Banff Caribou Lodge & Spa
Responded Sep 15, 2020
Dear 12631EMkristinak, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are sincerely sorry that your experience did not meet your expectations, please rest assured that your concerns will be addressed. It is however unfortunate and shocking that you felt it necessary to make this review a personal attack towards one of our valued employees. For our future guest, all employees at The Banff Caribou Lodge & Spa strive to go above and beyond our guests expectations and have a tremendous amount of pride for the work they do here. When visiting us, should you have any concerns during your stay, please contact our front desk team and they will happily try to accommodate your requests. Our number one goal is to ensure your stay is comfortable and relaxing. Further, please note that we have an ample supply of hand sanitizing stations throughout the hotel, with 4 stations in our lobby area alone. All guest rooms have additional power and charging ports located on the bedside lamp for your convenience. We are very confident we are following all Alberta Health and Town of Banff safety recommendations and can confirm that all required staff are indeed wearing masks at all times.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We stayed at the Caribou Lodge on a Saturday night. The service was really good, staff is friendly, the room was clean and the lobby is cozy. We ate at the Keg restaurant which is conveniently attached to the Lodge.
Unfortunately there is no AC in the rooms, at least in our room, which made for a very bad sleep. It was way tooo warm, even with the window open in mid September! Our cards to enter the room kept disactivating and we had to return twice to the front desk in a 24 hour period to activate them again (and the cards were not placed beside a cell phone). We would not stay there again because for $200/night you definitely expect a good night sleep and that was not the case for us. Maybe winter stays would be better.
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Date of stay: September 2020
Location
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.
Overnight stay to celebrate our anniversary. We were surprised with a bottle of wine and a congratulations card nice touch. Rooms are very very tiny, decent hotel for a one night stay if you’re just using the room to sleep. Shower head is quite low we’re both 5’7 and taller and had to duck and bend to wash hair. Very quiet rooms and comfortable beds. Hot pool is much smaller than the website photo and is over chlorinated only lasted 5 minutes before our eyes were burning. Located a quick drive from the main shops not walkable in winter. Keg restaurant located on the property serving breakfast lunch and dinner so you don’t need to go far to eat. If looking for a hotel with a room to spend time in or for a group would not recommend this hotel. Not likely to stay again.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip 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.
This was our family’s first time travelling to Banff and we decided on Banff Caribou lodge because of availability, location and cost. We couldn’t be happier with our choice.
We loved the rustic feel of the lodge and that it was right in town but not in the middle of the hustle and bustle of downtown. It was quiet but populated enough to feel safe. The hotel even provided Roam passes for us to get around and it was incredibly quick, easy and well organized.
The room was a good size and had a tiny balcony we could sit on. Beds were comfy and there was a table with a few chairs as well as a fridge. Our fridge didn’t work when we got there but maintenance fixed/replaced it within 3 hours which we found acceptable but not quick.
We were on the second floor so it was only half a flight of stairs up to our room which was nice. The times we took the elevator it came quickly and wasn’t busy.
Parking was underground and I felt safe going down alone however we really didn’t use the vehicle except for a trip to Lake Louise or when we arrived and left.
Besides the roam busses, one of the best things about the location was the park right next door. We visited it 3x a day with the kids.
The staff was great from the front desk to the room attendants. They were able to do daily room cleanings but we just asked them to take our garbage. They offered extra towels and toilet paper (anticipating our needs).
We had an amazing stay, would visit again and would absolutely recommend Banff Caribou Lodge to anyone that asks! In fact, we’ve already recommended it to a couple families!
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Date of stay: August 2023
Value
Location
Service
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.
This hotel is ok.it is centrally located easy access to Banff avenue. The beds are so so, they squeak a lot so if you a light sleeper not good. Also the pillows are terrible, definitely old and of need of refresh. My biggest complaint about this place is the way they run the pool. Most places during COVID you can book a time to go to the pool. This hotel thought it would be a good idea to have a wait list instead. This does not work because you have to wait in your room until they call you or you might miss your time. We tried to get on the waiting list several times and never got a call. The only way we did get to use the pool is by booking spa treatments. They give you a 20 minute time slot when you spend a whole lot of money on the spa treatments. We spent 4 nights there and they didn’t clean our room.
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Date of stay: October 2020Trip 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.
Great Notley, United Kingdom49 contributions54 helpful votes
There is a fridge in room which I used just for water bottles.
There’s an IGA in town which is approximately 15min walk.
Alcohol in Canada is sold separately in licensed stores and there is store along the same road on way to town.
Hello Sunshine15636108053,
Thank you for your question.
We offer our guests complimentary access to the Local Roam Transit Routes. You do not need reservations to use Roam Transit within the Town of Banff. The closest bus stop to our hotel is "Rotary Park", just steps away from the front door.
The Roam Transit reservations system does allow you to reserve a seat when travelling to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake (fall service only).
You can find more information, including schedules, on their roamtransit website.
Warm Regards,
Team Banff Caribou Lodge & Spa
Hi Cathy,
Roam Public Transit Service does have a listing on TripAdvisor - sorry it will not let me put in a link.
The 2023 schedule says you can catch the 8x at the Banff High School Transit Hub - this is 2 blocks from the Banff Caribou Lodge & Spa
Banff High School - 330 Banff Ave
Banff Caribou Lodge & Spa - 521 Banff Ave
Spruce Grove, Canada25 contributions15 helpful votes
No there was no balcony on the side we were on. I believe the opposite side had some suites that had fireplaces and possibly a balcony. I wouldn’t stay there again for a romantic week end though. There were a lot of people having little parties and babies crying.
Hi von5670,
Thank you for your question. Rates depend on travel dates, length of stay, room you'd like to stay in, and also number of guests.
You can find rates and availability on our website, or you can contact our Reservations Team directly.
Warm Regards,
- Team Banff Caribou Lodge & Spa
There are more places to choose from in the Banff area.
PRICE RANGE
C$136 - C$278 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
banff caribou hotel banff, banff caribou lodge and spa, caribou banff, caribou lodge banff
LOCATION
CanadaAlbertaCanadian RockiesBanff National ParkBanff
NUMBER OF ROOMS
190
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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