Sunshine Mountain Lodge

Sunshine Meadows is a really magical place, in the summer. If you love hiking, add this spot to your list. The hotel was quite nice, too. Top to bottom, the experience felt luxurious, pampering, and (most importantly) quiet. Our room was gorgeous, with a waterfall outside the window and spectacular views of the mountainside.

The only thing we would like to see is…more availability! During our stay, the hours for the gondola to the base station AND the chairlift to the meadow were shut down from 5pm to 9am, making it hard to get out during prime wildlife viewing hours. Amenities like the hot tub, shops, and restaurants also had quite restricted hours. The two restaurants open for the summer were good, but not the quality you can expect in downtown Banff.

We enjoyed our stay, but given the restrictions, we were ultimately glad we were only there for two nights.

The 20 minute gondola ride from the base to the lodge was an excellent start to the experience. Chairlift service to hiking areas was great.

We stayed four nights on a Vancouver to Calgary road trip and this was a major highlight of the trip. The location of the hotel is perfect, yes is takes half an hour to get to Banff but waking up in the mountains and all the fabulous hiking is sunshine meadows is well worth it. The hot tub was also a welcome addition after long hot hikes. Staff were lovely.

Excellent customer service from even before we arrived, when we received a phone call a couple of days before our trip to answer any questions and let us know about the gondola hours, verify room arrangements, etc. Next, every staff member at the resort, including dining wait staff, was super friendly and helpful. The location was idyllic, sitting halfway up a mountain with ski lifts right next to the door. The room reminded us of a Swiss chalet, with warm wood tones.

The Lodge's location near the top of a mountain is what makes staying there so remarkable. You take a 15 -20 minute gondola ride to get to the lodge! Tourists pay $80 just to ride the gondola one day to reach the Sunshine Village, where the Lodge is located.
There is a most remarkable view of the mountains available by simply taking an Express Chair Lift (no charge) up another 800 feet in elevation to a spot that is literally on top of the mountain. There is an observation deck that is a very short hike from where you get off the chair lift that provides a 270-degree view of the surrounding mountains. If you like hiking, you can follow trails for several miles down to the edge of large lakes and meadows; these are superb trails that, in effect, are right at the doorstep of the Lodge. And when you get back from your hike, there is a huge outdoor hot tub, as well as a cedar-lined sauna available.
If you are a skier, come back in the winter, and you can find all different levels of ski runs. You can ski to your room.
Banff is a fun tourist town, too, and you can take the gondola down to the car lot anytime you wish. We spent a morning at nearby hot springs on Sulfur Mountain, which has an outdoor pool with another superb view.
It is less expensive than staying at some of the hotels in Banff, while providing a completely different level of experience and fun. Highly recommended!

Right at the slopes which were open end of June. So instead of hiking we decided to ski. Access to lifts was included so no extra costs.
Also got a free of charge room upgrade

We recently stayed at this hotel and were extremely disappointed by how poorly the transportation system was managed. Most of these issues were never clearly communicated before or during check-in, and they significantly impacted our trip.

1. Hidden transportation rules
The easiest (and only free) way to reach the hotel is by gondola, which stops operating at 6:00 PM. After 6:00 PM, guests must rely on the hotel's shuttle vehicles. Unfortunately, this is where the problems begin.

2. Poorly managed shuttle system
Before 11:00 PM, the shuttle operates on a first-come, first-served basis with no reservation system.
That means if you want to leave the hotel for dinner at 8:00 PM, you may need to arrive at the lobby 30–40 minutes early just to wait for an available shuttle. You're essentially spending your vacation standing in line instead of enjoying Banff.
After 11:00 PM, reservations become an available option, but even that system doesn't work properly.
We returned from dinner around 10:50 PM and called to reserve a shuttle. We were told that every shuttle was fully booked until 11:45 PM, so we waited almost an hour.
When we finally got on the 11:45 PM shuttle, a staff member asked us to get off and switch with another group because they claimed those guests had arrived before us.
If reservations determine who gets on the shuttle, why were we removed? The situation created confusion for everyone involved. The other guests believed we had taken their shuttle and even made rude gestures toward us, while the staff appeared unsure of how to handle the situation.
If the hotel chooses to operate a reservation system, it should be managed consistently and professionally.

3. Unexpected extra charges
The shuttle costed us not only time but money. We were also charged an additional $125 for what was described as an "emergency vehicle" shuttle after hours.
This fee was never explained during check-in, nor was it clearly disclosed beforehand.
If guests are expected to pay extra for transportation, the service should at least be reliable and accessible. Instead, we paid more money only to experience long waits, confusion, and poor organization.

4. Unprofessional staff behavior
Several employees were genuinely kind and helpful.
However, one staff member who was working that evening was incredibly disappointing. After unsuccessfully trying to make us leave the shuttle, I overheard him laughing with a coworker and saying, "It's like herding cats."
After waiting nearly an hour just to return to our room, hearing a staff member mock guests was insulting and completely unprofessional. As paying customers simply trying to enjoy a vacation with friends, this was unacceptable.

5. Outdated in-room amenities
For a hotel advertised as 4-star, the room amenities were surprisingly outdated.
The television did not include Netflix, YouTube, or other basic streaming services. Even many 3-star hotels now provide these features. If you want to watch your own content, bring a Roku, Chromecast, or HDMI cable.

6. Frustrating check-out process
The transportation issues didn't end at checkout.
To avoid delays, we called one hour before checking out to arrange a shuttle.
When we arrived at the lobby with all of our luggage, we were informed that the next available shuttle wouldn't arrive for another 60–90 minutes.
The alternative offered by staff was for the four of us to carry four suitcases and multiple bags onto the gondola ourselves?
We eventually took the gondola because we had no better option, but then had to wait another 30 minutes at the bottom for our luggage to arrive by shuttle.
This is not an efficient or guest-friendly checkout experience.

Final thoughts
If your goal is to make the most of your time in Banff, especially during the busy summer season, I would recommend staying elsewhere.
The shuttle system wasted hours of our vacation through unnecessary waiting, poor communication, inconsistent policies, and unexpected fees. Unfortunately, after returning home, I read many reviews describing the exact same problems dating back several years. Some guests even reported missing flights because of the hotel's transportation delays.
The hotel itself has potential, and several staff members were wonderful. However, the transportation system is so poorly managed that it overshadowed the entire experience.
Until the hotel significantly improves how its shuttle service operates, I would not stay here again and cannot recommend it to others

We loved the free s’mores
We loved the access to the beautiful hikes
We loved the bathroom, the shower was really awesome
The shower gel and the shampoo smelled amazing
And the staff were awesome.

Very kind staff, well organised.
Nice location on the hill.
Very friendly waitress in the Chimney Corner.
Nice details like complimentory chocolates in the afternoon.
A small surprise for my husband's birthday.

The few people at the gondola (specially Mason) ruin our stay

The experience is a big disconnect vs the price charged. The hotel feels like the last maintenance (let alone upgrade) investment was a looong time ago. I understand the value of the location and wouldn't mind staying there, but the price feels inappropriate.

The hotel and the personal

I didn't come for ski, but they seem to have really nice slopes. The only downside is that you have to take gondola for 20minutes to reach the hotel, and to go down too, they help you with your luggage but you'll have to wait for 90minutes, so it's kinda impossible to wait for that on check out, they also allow you to bring your own luggage down but it's just a little troublesome. They have fun activities like hot tub, outdoor badminton and also smores party so overall i loved it.

My wife and I skied 2 days, June 21 and 22nd !!! 2 lifts open, early start was great with very good conditions and grooming considering its end of June!! Hotel staff are always fun and friendly, great outdoor hot tub, really enjoyable weekend.