OverviewLocated within a 6-minute drive from Southcentre Mall (one of Calgary's largest), this 106-room hotel is popular with families and with business travellers who want to visit attractions or have business to attend to in the south end of the city.
All rooms here are non-smoking. Room options include standard rooms (king or queen beds) and suites (with a separate living area and/or bedroom and a sofabed, accommodating up to 4 guests). All rooms have free Wi-Fi, a mini-fridge, a microwave, a hair dryer, a coffeemaker and an iron and ironing board. Pets are permitted at this hotel for a cost of $20/night.
While there is no on-site restaurant, there is a complimentary hot and cold buffet breakfast offered daily. There is a bar/lounge called "Original Joes" adjacent to the hotel. There are also a number of other restaurants located within a 15-minute walk or less than a 5-minute drive. On-site amenities include free parking, an indoor pool, a waterslide, a hot tub and a gym.
South end attractions include Heritage Park Historical Village, which is about a 10-minute drive away. The downtown area (which is where a number of popular attractions, including the Stampede Corral and the Calgary Tower are located) is about an 18-minute drive away. For air travellers, Calgary International Airport (YYC), is about a 26-minute drive away from the hotel. (Distances and driving time estimates: Google Maps)
Confirmed with a front desk agent: Wi-Fi, parking and breakfast (call date: August 22, 2012).
The GoodMost of the reviews used for this analysis indicated that guests enjoyed their stay at this hotel. The most frequent comments were about the size of the rooms and the cleanliness of the property.
Rooms and common areas were clean and nicely decorated, according to a number of guests. Several guests commented on how large the rooms were as well. One guest said that their room was much larger than they had expected.
Location was a positive factor for a number of guests, many of whom liked being so close to shopping and restaurants (Southcentre Mall is a 6-minute drive or a 20-minute walk away). A few guests said that the hotel was conveniently close to the highway and was easy to find (one guest said that the hotel's bright colours made it easy to spot).
Hotel staff were frequently described as friendly and helpful.
There were a few peripheral comments about things like comfy beds, and about warm pool temperature.
The Bad
While the bulk of reviews used for this analysis reflected the positive experiences of guests at this hotel,
there were some common complaints about noise disturbances.A number of guests were disturbed by noise from guests in neighbouring rooms and from guests in the hallways, sometimes in the early morning hours. One guest suggested getting a room away from the elevators as a way to mitigate hallway noise. One guest said that their shower was very loud, as were the showers in neighbouring rooms.
A few guests indicated that they were bothered by street noise from nearby Macleod Trail (a busy north-south artery, about 700m from this hotel).
There were some peripheral complaints about the size of the pool (too small) and on the quality of the bath towels.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviewers ranked this hotel #42 out of 97 hotels, based on 70 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviewers rated this hotel 8.9 out of 10, or "fabulous", based on 26 reviews.
Hotels.com guest reviewers rated this hotel 4.4 out of 5, or "excellent", based on 28 reviews.
Confirmed with a front desk agent: Wi-Fi, parking and breakfast (call date: August 22, 2012).
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Analyzed by Heather W.
Driven by the sense that every person, place or thing has a story to tell and a skill for being in the wrong place at the right time, Heather is a well-traveled writer.
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