Hiking

Reviews of Johnston Canyon Lodge and Bungalows

2.5 out of 5
Johnston Canyon Lodge and Bungalows
Hwy 1A, Box 875, 25km west of Banff, Johnston Canyon, AB

Reviews

8.8

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 93 out of 153 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 35 out of 153 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 12 out of 153 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 9 out of 153 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 4 out of 153 reviews" "

8.6/10

Cleanliness

9.0/10

Staff & service

8.0/10

Amenities

8.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Nancy, Anacortes

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Excellent rustic experience. We received a complimentary upgrade to a bungalow and it was such a pleasant surprise. This property is nearly 90 years old and super well maintained and comfortable. We had a wood burning fireplace in the living room which was separate from the bedroom. Overall, it was charming and we would definitely go back. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The location next to the Johnston Canyon made it easy to hike the canyon and explore other places. The only tradeoff for staying here is lack of access to grocery stores or restaurants. The shop onsite is pricey and the restaurant closes early.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Front desk team on 18 Oct 2023
Hello Nancy, thank you for sharing your experience. We're glad you liked our property and enjoyed your free upgrade to a bungalow with fireplace. Regarding the on-site store and restaurant, we take note of your comments. We hope to welcome you again in the near future! Best regards, Front desk team

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Front desk team on 12 Oct 2023
Thank you for your review!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023
Response from Front desk team on 12 Oct 2023
Thank you for sharing your feedback!

10/10 Excellent

Anne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A beautiful stop
Staff was amazing and very helpful and the accommodations were absolutely the cutest we loved it there
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023
Response from Front desk team on 12 Oct 2023
Hi Anne, thank you for your kind review. We are happy you loved your stay and we hope to see you again in the future. Best regards,

10/10 Excellent

Carol

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Front desk team on 27 Oct 2023
Thank you Carol for your review! We hope to welcome you again in the future! Best regards,

10/10 Excellent

Karen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great location between Banff and Lake Louise. Quiet and peaceful away from the bustle of their bigger towns
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Front Desk Team on 7 Oct 2023
Dear Karen,Thank you for taking the time to leave us this nice review. We are very happy you enjoyed our privileged location and that you had a relaxing stay with us.Warm regards,

10/10 Excellent

Jean-Francois

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Front Desk Team on 7 Oct 2023
Hi Jean-Francois,Thank you very much for this nice review.We hope to welcome you in the near futureKind regards,

10/10 Excellent

Krishnan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Vish's review
I picked Johnston Canyon because it is midway between Banff and Lake Louise, and less expensive than either of those two options. This was a hiking trip, and most all my hiking trips were in the Lake Louise OR Banff areas. Johnston Canyon itself offers great hiking and other outdoor opportunities. Comfort-wise, the place is great. The cabin/bungalow was spacious, the room was comfortable, the staff super-friendly and helpful. Absolutely the only down side of staying in a place like Johston Canyon is (potentially) related to meals. The lodge does have a restaurant (which I liked) that has breakfast, lunch and dinner, but some may find the options limited. And if you do not find enough meal options, the nearest other eating establishment is not convenient. For my part, I had all my dinners at this restaurant.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Front Desk Team on 6 Oct 2023
Hi Vish,Thank you for taking the time to leave this nice review.We are delighted that you had an excellent stay. Our location is indeed very strategic if you plan to visit the surroundings of Banff and Lake Louise.We hope to welcome you again in the near future :)Warm regards,

10/10 Excellent

Carolyn

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Cute, cozy studio. Wonderful hot shower and comfortable bed. Tastefully decorated with quality hardwood furniture. Staff very friendly and welcoming. Would stay here again.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023
Response from Front Desk Team on 6 Oct 2023
Hi Carolyn,Thanks for taking the time to leave us a review. We are delighted that you enjoyed our cozy studio and wonderful team! :)Looking forward to welcoming youWarm regards,

10/10 Excellent

Andy

Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Front desk team on 24 Oct 2023
Thank you Andy for your review! Best regards,

4/10 Poor

Luc

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities
Didnt worth the price. Staff was great tho
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Front desk team on 2 Oct 2023
Hello Luc, thank you for taking the time to review your recent stay and for your comments about our staff. Our prices are in line with similar accommodations in Banff National Park, but we are sorry that the cabin did not live up to your expectations. Kind regards,

10/10 Excellent

Kayla

Travelled with family, Travelled with family and small children
This is a lovely place to stay!
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Front Desk Team on 27 Sept 2023
Hi Kayla,We really appreciate your feedback :)We hope to see you again in the near futureWarm regards,

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice cozy place after a long day of hiking. Comfy bed. Clean and supplied well with needed items.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Front Desk Team on 27 Sept 2023
Thank you very much for taking the time to leave us this nice review.We are glad you enjoyed our cabins after a long hike. Hopefully, we will see you again in the futureKind regards

8/10 Good

Jill

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Basic but clean cabins. Really strong smell of cleaning products when we walked in. Love the proximity to hiking trails and really appreciated the free bikes to tour the Parkway.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Front Desk Team on 26 Sept 2023
Thanks for taking the time to review your recent stay Jill.We are pleased to hear that you enjoyed our lovely location which is in close proximity to a variety of different hikes, trails and the Bow Valley Parkway, a great cycling experience during the months of May and September.Thank you for your feedback regarding the use of cleaning products and odours. We strive to use cleaning agents that don't contain harsh chemicals or leave unappealing scents behind. We will pass your comments along to management for future consideration.We thank you again for choosing to stay with us and hope to welcome you back in the near future.Best,

10/10 Excellent

Raymond, Midland

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful setting, friendly staff & owner, accommodations were tight for two but very pleasant and met our needs. We plan to stay again in a larger cabin.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Front Desk Team on 26 Sept 2023
We really appreciate you taking the time to leave a lovely review Raymond.Thanks for your kind words regarding our location and hardworking staff members. We hope you had a memorable stay and hope to welcome you back in the near future.Best,

10/10 Excellent

Steve, Gradners

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Charming cabins.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Front desk team on 26 Sept 2023
Thank you Steve for your kind review, we hope to welcome you again in the future. Best regards,

10/10 Excellent

Jessie

Travelled with pets, Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Quiet with a view of the canyon
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Front desk team on 26 Sept 2023
Hi Jessie, thank you for taking the time to review your recent stay. We are glad you enjoyed your creek view cabin and we look forward to welcoming you again in the future. All the best,

8/10 Good

Jeffrey

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Front desk team on 26 Sept 2023
Hi Jeffrey, thank you for your review! Kind regards,

10/10 Excellent

Elizabeth, Rensselaer

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
My family and myself had a lovely time staying at the cabins. We were situtaed right towards the front of the property with easy access to the cafe. Would recommend this for older travelers.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Front desk team on 21 Sept 2023
Hello Elizabeth, thank you for taking the time to review your recent stay. We are very happy that you and your family enjoyed your stay with us and we look forward to welcoming you again in the near future. Best regards,

10/10 Excellent

Jerry

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
It's a great place
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Front desk team on 19 Sept 2023
Thank you Jerry for your kind review, we hope to welcome you again soon! Best regards,

10/10 Excellent

Phyllis

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I loved this property. It was quiet and the staff was the best. Best part there was no TV so it was very relaxing
Stayed 6 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Front Desk Team on 17 Sept 2023
Dear Phyllis,We are delighted that you had a pleasant and relaxing stay with us. In fact there is no cable service (only a DVD and blue ray player) because this is part of our desire to disconnect/relax and (re)connect with nature.We hope to welcome you again in the future :)Warm regards,

10/10 Excellent

Elizabeth

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I loved the surrounding areas, very picturesque.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Front Desk Team on 14 Sept 2023
Thanks for taking the time to leave a lovely review Elizabeth.We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our exclusive location at Johnston Canyon and within Banff National Park.We hope to welcome you back in the near future.Best,

10/10 Excellent

James, San Rafael

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Front desk team on 15 Sept 2023
Hi James, thank you for your review! We hope to welcome you again in the near future. All the best,

10/10 Excellent

Linda A

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Front Desk Team on 13 Sept 2023
Thanks for taking the time to review your recent stay Linda.We hope you had a memorable stay and hope to welcome you back in the near future.Best,

8/10 Good

Judy

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I loved the hiking trailhead right on the grounds. The trail led to numerous waterfalls, and continued for a few mules past them.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Front Desk Team on 9 Sept 2023
Dear Judy,Thank you for taking the time to leave this review. We are very glad you enjoyed our location, the beautiful Johnston Canyon and its falls.We hope to see you again in the near futureWarm regards

10/10 Excellent

Eric

Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Front desk team on 29 Sept 2023
Thank you Eric for your review. We hope to welcome you again in the near future. Kind regards,

8/10 Good

Kelly-Ann

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Right on the trail head to the Johnston canyon waterfalls! The cabins themselves are quite expensive for what they are.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Front Desk Team on 7 Sept 2023
Thank you for taking the time to leave a kind review Kelly-Ann.We are pleased to hear that you enjoyed our lovely location at the Johnston Canyon trailhead.We understand that our prices may not be the most budget friendly but unfortunately, costs are strongly influenced by our location within Banff National Park, perhaps the premier Summer tourism location in Canada.You will find that our prices are lower than our competitors of similar style lodgings. The exclusivity of our location is also a factor in our pricing. Most of our cabins have been standing since the 1930's and is also part of the appeal of booking a stay with us.We hope this information helps explain pricing concerns and hope to welcome you back in the near future.Best,

8/10 Good

Indrajit

Travelled with family, Travelled with group
Very good location. Property is old and need microwave and fridge to be replaced due to it’s condition. Per day price is quite high. Very convenient for walk and biking.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Front Desk Team on 5 Sept 2023
Dear Indrajit,Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. We are glad you appreciated our nice location.Concerning the microwave and fridge, we actually informed our maintenance team the day of your departure so they can be replaced or fixed. Thanks for letting us know.Have a great day

10/10 Excellent

Jeff

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Very nice and quiet
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Front Desk Team on 4 Sept 2023
Dear Jeff,Thank you very much for your nice review! We are very glad you enjoyed your stay with us and we hope to welcome you again in the future.Kind regards

8/10 Good

Kristine

Travelled with family and small children, Travelled with pets
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Good
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Front Desk Team on 4 Sept 2023
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review for your recent stay Kristine.We hope you enjoyed your stay and we hope to welcome you back in the near future.

10/10 Excellent

Alexandra

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
From the moment we checked in the staff was very polite and accommodating. The property was very well-maintained, and the cabin was extremely clean. Very cozy, conveniently located to the walking trail and overall a much needed relaxing experience. Will definitely be back and recommend to others!
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Front Desk Team on 4 Sept 2023
Thank you for taking the time to leave a lovely review Alexandra!We are most pleased to hear that you enjoyed your stay with us. All of our staff members have worked extremely hard this season to give our guests the best experience possible. Your kind words will be passed along to our team and will be much appreciated.We hope to welcome you back in the near future.

10/10 Excellent

Susanne

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I am afraid to review this location, as it is best kept a secret for myself. I cannot believe I have not stayed here before. Perfect cycling HQ.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Front Desk Team on 4 Sept 2023
Thank you for your lovely review Susanne!We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your first stay with us. We hope it is the first of many. It is especially lovely here for cyclists during the months of May to mid June and for the month of September when the Bow Valley Parkway closes for a more cyclist friendly experience.All the best and we hope to welcome you back in the near future.

6/10 Okay

Carole, Farnborough

Travelled with family
The cabins were awesome but very dated with door locks not always working limited parking sharing one space for two cabins. Only one place to eat but exceptional food had the lunchtime menu as new staff but was good selection. Staff exceptional. Can’t justify the price at £880 for two nights so overpriced wouldn’t stay here again even though it is a wonderful area can just as easily stay in Banff and drive up
Response from Front desk team on 4 Sept 2023
Hi Carole, thank you for taking the time to review your recent stay with us. We are glad you liked our location and our exceptional staff! As for the cabins, they are all historic structures dating back to the mid 1920's and each one comes with their own parking spot. Pricing is greatly influenced by our exclusive location within Banff National Park but away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Banff. The cabin style that you booked (containing a full kitchen, living room with fireplace, bathtub). The Royal/Large Bungalow is our most expensive cabin offered. If you are looking for similar styles of accommodation with the same amenities, you will find that our prices are very competitive. Thank you again,

10/10 Excellent

Loretta

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We loved the quaint, craftsman style cabin. The property was well-maintained and clean upon arrival. Dining at the restaurant was a pleasure. Overall, we enjoyed a nice stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Front desk team on 4 Sept 2023
Hi Loretta, thank you for review. We are very happy that you enjoyed your stay in our cabins and that you had an excellent dining experience in the restaurant! We hope to welcome you again soon! Kind regards,

8/10 Good

Katrina

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Front Desk Team on 4 Sept 2023
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review Katrina.We hope you enjoyed your stay with us and hope to welcome you back in the near future.All the best,

8/10 Good

frncis and ann

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Front Desk Team on 30 Aug 2023
Thanks for taking the time to leave us this nice review. We are glad you had a good time at Johnston Canyon Lodge :)

8/10 Good

Mirayah

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Front desk team on 30 Aug 2023
Thank you Mirayah for your review!

6/10 Okay

David

Disliked: Staff & service
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Front desk team on 30 Aug 2023
Hello David, thank you for reviewing your recent stay. Kind regards,

10/10 Excellent

Tooraj

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Front desk team on 30 Aug 2023
Hi Tooraj, thank you for your review. We hope to welcome you again soon! Kind regards,

10/10 Excellent

Tej

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Absolute gem of a place - was spotless. Lovely cabin in the Banff area
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Front Desk Team on 26 Aug 2023
Hi Tej,Thank you for your lovely review. We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your stay with us. In particular, that you appreciated the cleanliness of our cabins and property. We will pass on the feedback to our hardworking housekeeping and maintenance teams.Looking forward to welcoming you back in the near future.

10/10 Excellent

Alma

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nice place to stay and relax with mountain view. A bit pricy.It needs a fan during summer time
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Front desk team on 23 Aug 2023
Hi Alma, thank you for reviewing your recent stay. We are pleased that you find our accommodation nice and relaxing. Regarding the fan we take note of your comment and we will pass it on to management. Kind regards,

10/10 Excellent

Jeremi

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great place! Amazing stay.
Amazing place to be! Quaint little cabin, nice hike, employees are very nice!
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Front desk team on 22 Aug 2023
Hi Jeremi, thank you for your feedback. We are happy that you had an amazing stay and liked our cabins and staff!! We hope to welcome you again soon! All the best,

10/10 Excellent

Cindy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I'm not big on fancy things however I love a clean bathroom and a great bed. This place was perfect. Absolutely spotless. Quiet and a great night sleep. Shower was hot and lots of pressure. Cabin 27! You knocked it out if the park Johnston Canyon bungalows.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Front Desk Team on 21 Aug 2023
Thank you for your review Cindy! We passed it on to the housekeeping staff, and they were really happy to hear you loved the cabin.We hope you enjoy the rest of your travels!

2/10 Terrible

Levi

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Front desk team on 11 Sept 2023
Hi Levi, thank you for your review. We are sorry that you did not enjoy your stay. Next time, please come to the front desk and tell us why so we can improve it while you are here. Sincerely,

10/10 Excellent

Jacob

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
It’s a really unique experience with nature all around the place
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Front Desk on 17 Aug 2023
Thank you for the review Jacob! I'm glad you had a lovely stay. Have a beautiful time in the Rockies!

2/10 Terrible

Gurkirat

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
We did like the place after checking in and then we went to see canyon and came back at night to our lodge. There were couple of mouse in our room making noise cause it’s quiet at night so we couldn’t sleep the whole night. And the staff did nothing. We don’t recommend it.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Front Desk Team on 15 Aug 2023
Hi Gurkirat,I'm sorry you did not enjoy your stay with us, and that is surprising to hear about the mouse making noise in the night. It could have also been a squirrel, but regardless of what critter came into the cabin, we would have been happy to help if it was brought to our attention. We do our best to make our guests satisfied here. We appreciate the feedback as it helps us improve. Kind Regards,

10/10 Excellent

Jarod

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Front desk team on 14 Aug 2023
Hi Jarod, thank you for your review! Kind regards,

8/10 Good

Tienna

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Awesome experience! The staff were very friendly. The cabin itself was cozy and very cute. Definitely a good alternative if you can’t get a camping spot but don’t want to be in a hotel. The surrounding trails get extremely busy on weekends to the point it kinda feels like you’re in a group of hearded cattle so don’t recommend that.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Front desk team on 13 Aug 2023
Hi Tienna, thank you for taking the time to review your recent stay. We're so glad you found our cabins cozy and cute and that you had an overall awesome experience! We are located at the Johnston Canyon trailhead and now that it is high season it can get very busy on the weekends that's why we always recommend our guests to do the trail really early in the morning or in the late evening. We hope to welcome you again soon! Regards,

10/10 Excellent

Laurie

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
A great place to stay in Banff National Park that is close to many attractions in the Bow Valley Area.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Front Desk Team on 10 Aug 2023
Thank you very much for leaving this kind review Laurie.We hope to see you againKind regards,

10/10 Excellent

Aaron

Travelled with family, Travelled with family and small children, Travelled with partner, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Family friendly, full bathroom and kitchen and comfortable beds!! The ambiance of the 1920’s cabins was special to us!
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Front desk team on 8 Aug 2023
Hi Aaron, Thank you so much for taking the time to review your recent stay. We are very happy that you liked our 1920's cabins and that you enjoyed your stay here with your family. We hope to welcoming you again soon! Best regards,