Rimrock Banff, Emblems Collection

This review is disappointing to write because this hotel has incredible potential, but it is simply not ready to charge premium rates. When we arrived, we were told we had been assigned a "forest view" room. We had booked a "peak view" room, but the front desk assured us this was an upgrade. When we entered the room, however, we found ourselves on the ground floor overlooking an active construction site, with a backhoe, dirt, concrete, and pipes directly outside our window. We returned to the front desk, where the staff member realized she had made a mistake and apologized. The manager kindly moved us to a beautiful suite with a large balcony. Although it was a significant upgrade, the room was clearly unfinished (missing curtains, paint spots, sticky areas on the floor, unfinished trim; see photos). Because the room was not fully prepared, it was also missing basic amenities: no minibar items, no slippers, missing soap, and surprisingly no complimentary water. When I called the front desk, I was told water cost $6 per bottle. Two bottles were delivered, but with an $8 delivery fee and tip, we ended up paying $26 for water at a hotel charging over $1,000 per night. On top of that, the cleaning staff failed to show up to make-up the room, so we had to call them at 6 PM requesting room refresh. The balcony had spectacular views, but two major issues ruined the experience. First, construction noise began early every morning, with heavy equipment, reversing alarms, hammers, and cement saws disrupting the otherwise peaceful setting. Second, the balcony was shared with neighboring rooms because the privacy dividers had not yet been installed. We initially accepted this, but it became a serious problem. One night, while we were in bed with the curtains open enjoying the mountain view, a child appeared outside our window staring into our room. The next morning, while my wife and I were both nude after showering, she screamed that there was a man outside. A guest was casually walking along our shared balcony while talking on his phone. I had to bang on the glass and yell for him to leave while standing exposed in our room. We reported this at checkout and suggested temporary barriers be installed until the permanent dividers were completed. The front desk employee was horrified and apologetic, but we have received no follow-up or apology from management. Adding to the frustration, major facilities including the pool and fitness center were closed due to construction. Guests could use another hotel's facilities, but that required a 15-minute shuttle ride. This hotel has the potential to be excellent once construction is complete. However, guests should be informed about the ongoing renovations, unfinished rooms, limited amenities, and privacy issues before paying full price. In its current state, it is not ready for a luxury hotel experience.

Checking in was awkward as the person dealing with me (Carlos) allowed another guest to thrust something in his face and effectively cut in front of me—-Irritating after a long day of travel. Our room was a bit dusty and not particularly clean, though the view was fabulous. I did ask that they turn the settee around to face the view which they said they would; it did not happen. Checkout was very chaotic and unnerving; we had a train to meet. Staff was smiley but unhelpful. Lots of noise from ongoing renovations. It was an odyssey in the morning to purchase overpriced coffee from the only place open at 8:00 a.m. Complementary coffee in Lobby would help! Clearly this Hotel is experiencing renovation pain. I would not return to this hotel until they have completed the renovations, if at all.

We spent three nights at the newly renovated Rimrock on opening day of their soft opening. Our overall experience was very good, although a few issues I'll elaborate on prevented our trip from being outstanding. Check-in was at 4 PM and although we arrived at 4:30 we were told our room was not ready, which was curious as this was opening day and the room should have been ready well before. We were also inundated with what appeared to be two tour groups on busses at the same time so things were hopping. The check in staff, particularly the front desk manager, Amelia (I hope I got that right), was very apologetic and offered us a complimentary drink at the bar while we waited. She was also instrumental in getting our bags to the room and our car handed over to the Valet/Bellmen (who also were very helpful throughout our stay!). She then escorted us to the room and made sure any questions were answered. One nice thing was after dinner, there was a fruit and cheese plate along with a nice bottle of red wine waiting for us for late night nibbles. The room was very nice (see pics) and the view was incredible. The bed was comfortable and the amenities included a Nespresso, bar fridge, Wifi and TV. Shower was large and featured a waterfall shower head and hand wand, with good water pressure and plenty of hot water. We did have a minor hiccough when we ran out of toilet paper and it required me to go to the front desk 40 minutes after I called for it to show up. Once I talked to them personally extra showed up in minutes... I get everyone is still learning the rhythm of their jobs but details like this are very important when you're charging premium rates and there were multiple small instances where follow ups by me were necessary to get addressed. I expect this will improve. Despite the ongoing renovations everything was spotlessly clean and the room was quiet even with the window wide open to take advantage of the cool night air. The concierges were outstanding and very helpful, helping us with getting to and from the town-site and outlining available activities offered by the hotel and Banff in general. They had e bikes available although we didn't take advantage of them, they would be a great way to explore the town-site and numerous trails in the area. One thing that would have been nice to know is that the pools, outside deck area and the listening room listed on the website were not completed and unavailable. While this didn't hamper our stay, the website did not say that they were not open. I'm sure they'll be great once they are done, though. So, value. For the price we paid, we could have had a Fairmont Gold room at the Banff Springs, The Rimrock's sister hotel, and while I respect we arrived in the middle of high season and the view is impeccable I think the price was still a little steep. We would like to return once everything is completed and see if the value proposition improves. We have been to Banff multiple times over the years and we will definitely consider staying here again the next time we are here. I would recommend staying here at the end of the day as the staff are fantastic and the meals we had (in a separate review) were stellar.

When we got in our rooms we had a letter on the table saying do not open the curtains because work men are outside We was only told via email a day before departure that there were building works started, im sure thete we’re more workmen than holiday makers.

Just came back from a 3 week trip across Canada and can honestly say this was my favourite Hotel. Even workers in other hotels told us they think the Rimrock was the best hotel in Banff. The staff were exceptional going above and beyond. We felt staff and management alike genuinely wanted to please, unlike most hotels accross canada who were more interested in getting a good review from us. The Rimrock is the only hotel i felt i wanted to say thankyou. We had a free shuttle into banff right outside the hotel,so easy to pop into town. Breakfast buffet was 10/10. Would book if you want to eat in Restaurant as got booked up very quickly. We stayed in the fairmont lake louise for one night which although luxurious and is a beautiful hotel in a stunning setting, was somehow devoid of soul compared to the Rimrock. This was a once in a lifetime trip made all the better to this hotel and it's staff.