Overall positive experience at this hotel.

Pros:
-pool and hot tub area is extremely clean, large, great temperature and well stocked!
-9th floor Club Lounge is a very nice touch with evening appetizers, a free drink, bottled non-alcoholic drinks and morning breakfast. It is attended by a host and kept spotless and stocked; the host was very friendly and engaging.

Cons:
-room furniture and fixtures seem tired and in need of a refresh.
-When we arrived at 7:45 pm to check in (2 adults and 2 young children), a loud scene for a movie was being filmed in the lobby blocking access to the main elevators, the luggage carts, and even the back elevator. I had to cart my family and luggage through the lounge area to get around the 150-person film crew and extras. While I’m glad to see the local film industry active in Red Deer, this was a huge inconvenience and I didn’t feel that the staff did enough to accommodate guests. It would have been much better for them to film the scene earlier in the day - not during prime check-in hours, or for the hotel to put extra staff on during that time to help guests navigate the lobby with their luggage
-finally, our original room smelled strongly of cigarette smoke (not musty/old smoke but active). We called and the desk said they’d send security to check on it. After 20 min we decided to call back and request a room change because we were worried about the impact of the 2nd hand smoke on the baby. They provided us with a new room on the floor above (which was very clean and smelled fresh), but it would have been nice to have an offer of help to move luggage or provide us with a luggage cart (it was 9 pm) - or better enforcement of the non-smoking rules as a matter of principle.