Kootenay Park Lodge

My sister and I stayed at the Kootenay Park Lodge the night before starting a backcountry trip. Based on the photos on their website, we were very excited-- it looked great. When we arrived it was a very different story. The reception area felt abandoned. What was once likely an information hub/visitor centre for hikers embarking on the nearby Rockwall Trail, it now contained a disarray of boxes, garbage, empty shelves and display cases where brochures and maps would be. When we walked in there were no lights on and no staff, making us think we were at the wrong place. Eventually someone (who spoke little English) checked us in. We asked for a map of the area and were given a map of an entirely different park. When we expressed that we were seeking of a map of the park we were in, we were told they didn't have any. We were also told, when we asked where the restaurant was, that it was closed that day. We had intentionally not eaten dinner in Canmore because the Lodge's dining room looked great. Because I'm a celiac, we checked the menu on the website earlier that day to ensure there would be options for me. It listed the hours of operation (7 days a week) and did not indicate that it was closed. Based on the fact that the restaurant windows were boarded up and the front door was swinging open, exposed the interior to the elements, it was clear that it hadn't been in use in a while. When we asked the staff member about this, he claimed he didn't understand what we were asking. The lodge is remote and we didn't bring things for dinner which meant that the day before we embarked on a multi-day hike, my dinner consisted of potato chips and an apple. When we asked to speak to a manager, we were told that they weren't available. The room was dirty and in terrible repair which was sad because the structure itself was beautiful. Clearly there was no respect for the history of the site. All of the screens on the windows and door were torn, the curtains were filthy, the curtain rods were hilarious (some were hung upside down; others were simply nailed right into the wall, and mismatched), and there was no hot water. The renovations made to the bathroom were sloppy and embarrassing. In the middle of the night a mouse got into our room which meant we got little sleep. There was no use trying to shoo it out since the multiple gaps in the walls meant it would have come right back. When we checked out in the morning we again asked for the manager and were again told he wasn't available so we asked for a phone number so we could follow up later. When we got home, we called the number multiple times and left several messages. We also sent many emails and included photos of the state of our room and the property. There was no response. We then contacted Visa, BC Tourism, and the Better Business Bureau to file complaints. After the BBB was in touch with the manager, he finally got back to us and told us that he'd refund us 50% of our stay. Not surprisingly,

Wow! Under new ownership. The place has gone to $&@“! Watch out for the vicious German shepherd at check in! Plus dog barks constantly. No restaurant. Everything in room is not working. Mice in room! Go to Storm Mountain or Radium! It’s a 79$ place. Good luck calling or communicating.

I'm not very picky about lodging, but Kootenay Park Lodge failed even basic standards. The next night I stayed at a hostel which was much more comfortable than this place and only cost 30 dollars. Some issues with Kootenay Park Lodge I could deal with- for example, there was no curtain over the window in the bathroom so any neighbor walking by can see you shower or use the toilet, so I put a towel over the window. There was a large 3cm gap above and below the door in cabin 2 where bugs could crawl in, so I stuffed towels there too. The restaurant was closed and this wasn't mentioned on the website and there were no others within 45 minutes, so I bought microwavable pasta from the general store to eat. However, too many other things were dealbreakers. Cabin 2 did not have a working shower, so I was moved to Cabin 6. Cabin 6 had a working shower, but no hot water in the shower so I took a cold shower. The worst was that the toilet in Cabin 6 did not flush. I went back to the front desk when I noticed this around 9pm, but there was nobody there. I gave up and just didn't have a working toilet all night. In the morning I noticed that the smoke detector in Cabin 6 was opened and didn't have a battery in it- and each cabin has a woodburning fireplace. I understand that they are in the process of remodeling, but they are not ready for visitors and should not accept bookings. For over 260 dollars a night, I would expect at least indoor plumbing and basic safety.