We discovered Castle Mountain Chalets whilst driving the Bow Valley Parkway on a trip in January so decided to spend a night there to check it out.

We booked one of the slightly larger pine cabins and immediately regretted booking only one night as the cabin was very spacious with a modern bathroom an incredibly comfortable bed and a decent sized well equipped kitchen. The ultra efficient log burner in the one corner quickly got the cabin up to temperature; we even had to open all the windows and the front door to cool things down at one point.

The surrounding scenery is stunning, and the reception shop very well stoked at reasonable prices, the cabins are just a short drive/walk away from several attractions including Johnson’s canyon.

However there is one huge drawback, the cabins are right next to the railroad at a location where it crosses the main road with no gates so approaching trains have to sound their horns constantly as they pass through. The night we stayed they were passing through at a rate of at least two per hour all through the night. Despite what was possibly the most comfortable bed in North America we got very little sleep and were then glad we were only spending one night.

We stayed here unexpectedly when Johnston Canyon Resort had double booked our bungalow and were very happily surprised when we were shown our appartment. The resort itself is a 10 KM drive from Johnston Canyon (Falls) and is a self-catering accommodation. There is a communal recreation room including a computer with internet access, a hot tub, BBQ area etc. The accommodation was spacious and well equiped. The bathroom has a jacuzzi bath and separate shower cubicle. Overall we were very comfortable and the staff very welcoming. However, since this was an unexpected stay, we were not prepared for self-catering. There is a small shop on site which sells a variety of things.

We booked for five nights in the new loft apartment suites. The new suites provide a little bit of luxury- with their incredibly comfortable beds, well equipped bathrooms including jacuzzi baths, superbly equipped kitchen and comfortable lounge with sofa/bed and small balcony.

The accomodation is actually superb and with the reduced end of summer/weekend rates made them incredibly good value for money.

The Chalets themselves are a mix of different style/era properties within easy travelling ditsance of both Banff and Lake Louise. Set on the Bow Valley Parkway there are excellent opportunities for wildlife watching although it was a bit quiet when we were there.

The downside if the proximity to the train lines and having read previous reviews had drawn the conclusion that its a balance between location and any disturbance caused. We did find that the noise could be "blocked out" in the main- but a couple of nights either there were more early morning trains- or the driver had upped the volume on his "horn"- whichever- a couple of nights we didn't sleep as well as we would have liked.

We had one minor maintenance problem- actually caused be a problem in the neighbouring flat. When we reported the problem we received possibly our best customer service in a long time. The complementary bottle of wine was also an excellent gesture (and quite tasty).

These flats are excellent and the accomodation well run. On that basis they can be highly recommended- just remember the trains- so they aren't a shock.

The ad for the cabins described them as Luxuriously Rustic. Rustic yes, luxurious not so much. The bath fixtures were stained, we ran hot of hot water, some kitchen utensils were not clean, the coffee pot was inadequate. However, it was the train noise that was the worst. The first night we were there it seemed that there was a train at least every 30 minutes. Because the cabins are only about 100 yards from the tract it sounds as if the train whistle is right in the room. Forget getting a decent nights sleep. The next couple of night were not as bad, but definitely not good. Would not stay there again.