Our stay at Kootenay Park Lodge has to have been the worst place I have ever been. We had been driving for a day and a half and saw on a map that it had "Approved Accommodations" so we called and got a room because we didn't know how far it was till Banff. So we got there later at night and just wanted somewhere to sleep. We get there and it was a very small room with spray foam to fill in the holes in the wall. Where I was sleeping at night you could clearly see through a part in the wall and see our vehicle outside.
The lady at the desk that checked us in did not tell us that Breakfast was served 8 a.m to 10a.m. , lunch 12p.m. to 2p.m. (didn't apply to us but wanted others to know) and supper 6p.m. to 8p.m. and that they close the gates at 10p.m. and don't open till 8 a.m.
For the cleanliness of the cabin was quite bad. I wore my shoes around, didn't have a shower because it was all slimy and smelly and the toilet. The toilet would sink to the ground when you sat on it and not clean at all. The whole floor around it would sink. There was no sink in the bathroom, only in the kitchen. which was not clean at all. It seemed that the beds had been there for a very very long time and very uncomfortable.
For trying to sleep at night, the generator that was going on all night was very loud and annoying.
The hiking trails around there were not for beginner hikers as there were alot of uneven terrain. But very nice once you got going.

The food, I would have to say, does not come close to any restaurant that I have been too. I would have been happy to have ate at a Mcdonalds and I hate Mcdonalds.
Well now we know that this place is not worth what we had to pay for it and will never be staying there again.

After reading the other reviews, we were excited to get a cabin here, but our experience did not seem to equal that of other reviewers. I'd like to start by saying that the staff & owner were incredibly friendly & nice, so it is a little hard to write anything negative, but the cabin just did not measure up. I have no problem with quaint or rustic, as long as it is clean & pleasant, but I did not feel that our cabin was either of those. Perhaps we were in one of the cabins that has not been "updated" yet, but they were hard at work constructing a new one right next to ours, so I think this one may be as good as it is going to be. The whole cabin seemed to be in need of a vigorous scrubbing-- the toilet had fecal residue under the rim, the shower floor under the rubber mat was slimy & smelly with mildew, & I did not feel comfortable putting food items on the kitchen surfaces or walking barefoot on the carpet. The water temperature was very hard to adjust & we had to be careful not to scald ourselves with the extremely hot water... I don't think there was a temp regulator in place. The cabin itself was very dark inside & some of the wiring looked a little suspect. We were there for three nights & on 2 of those nights construction on the new cabin next door (involving the constant operation of a bulldozer right outside our window) went on all afternoon until quite late, one night until almost 10pm. When we selected this cabin, we were not told that this would be going on or asked if it would bother us. The Visitors Center did not open until 10am, & we had to wait until then to be able to access their internet to check weather reports. Guests must pay for internet usage in the Center, which is provided by satellite feed, in half hour increments. I did not know that anything slower than dial-up existed, but the satellite connection was the slowest I have ever experienced... just to check weather for two locations, with no "extraneous" web surfing took 30 minutes & cost a little over $5 US. We had come to the area for hiking, but unfortunately the weather did not cooperate, much of the surrounding woods had been burned in two fires, & so we had to drive further out to the Banff area, an hour away where the weather was even worse. Since we found the cabin environment so unpleasant & we aren't the type to just sit inside we decided to leave early. All of this being said, the unburned areas of surrounding forest are extremely beautiful, it was quiet when the bulldozer wasn't digging, & there were other guests there who seemed to be enjoying their stay, two of which we overheard say that they had been coming for 10 years, & most of the reviews I read here were very positive so perhaps our experience was an unfortunate fluke. However, if we return to this area in the future, we will not choose to stay here again.

While it doesn't really compare to our suite at the Fairmont Banff Springs this place is not to be overlooked. Our Cabin had a small wood burning fireplace and Kitchenette and was quite quaint. I am an outdoorsy person that has spent much time in the Interior of Alaska and traveled extensively throughout Southern Africa so I am used to woodsy type accommodations.

The Silence of this place is spectacular, the people are wonderful and for the price of under $50 USD (At the time) can't be beat. There was a fella living there and helping out around that was doing small carvings that he burnt in sticks with an old lens from an antique projector, kind of like when we were kids harnessing light through a magnifying glass and burning grass. I paid the fella some extra $ and he did a walking stick that is a keepsake and a wonderful conversation piece. While I am not sure if he is still there it was a very neat thing to both see and experience.

This isn't for people that want to have some night life or a close by place to go hang out ,it is a rustic place to experience and enjoy the outdoors in one of the most amazing locations on earth. I for one would skip the Fairmont and head straight here the next time I visit as this is far more my style. My Then Fiance(Now Wife) bought a map book in the general store called "Back Roads and Timber Trails of South Eastern British Columbia" to get our bearing. We then made it a point to "off-road" to as many Highlighted natural hot springs as we could find over the course of 3 days. We Found 6 but there are 15+ more. If you can keep your bearings and can read a basic map this is a wonderful and scenic thing to do with a spouse or loved one.

Oh and don't forget to get a nice basic but wholesome breakfast at the small restaurant in the original Main building.

I cannot express how much this place touched myself and my wife. I have traveled far and wide and when people ask either my wife or I where our favorite relaxation spot is it is without a doubt our #1.

We stayed in a cabin with basic kitchen facilities (mini fridge, two-burner stove, toaster, coffee maker, utensils and dishes) for three nights as this was the only place where you can easily access hiking trails in Kootenay National Park. Check-in was fairly efficient and we were pleasantly surprised by the cabin. The cabin is quite old but has great character, including a big fireplace that we didn't use since it's summer (but wood and paper are provided). If you expect everything to be shipshape, then this is not for you as the front door and screen could use some repair. Fortunately, there were no mosquitoes, only a few houseflies that we easily dispatched with a rolled-up newspaper. The living room is quite spacious (with a couch and chairs), bedroom ok, and the kitchen and dining area small but adequate for 2. The cabin is very dark because of the dark wood and sparse lighting (except for the reading lights in the bedroom -- these were VERY bright). There's a small porch in front, with chairs and a table for relaxing in at the end of a long hike -- very nice. You do hear the traffic from the highway but this dies down at night, and the bedroom is at the back, so it was very quiet for sleeping. One downside is there was no housekeeping service at all during our 3-night stay, so you have to make your own bed each day, take the garbage out, and ask for more bath soap (little tiny ones) and shampoo (and if you want, fresh towels) from the office. The bathroom could use more hooks for hanging up towels to be used more than once. One very good aspect is the staff at the visitor center -- I think the person who was very helpful about hiking trails was the lodge owner, but not sure. We didn't eat in the restaurant as we prefer to make our own meals, so cannot say anything about it. However, I would definitely recommend the cabins if you're in the area.