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We recently went on a skiing trip to Banff, Alberta, staying at the Ptarmigan Hotel on Banff Avenue.
This was our second skiing trip to Canada, and every bit as good as the first. Overall, we would not hesitate to recommend Banff as a resort.
The Ptarmigan proved to be an excellent choice, being handily situated for downtown Banff, which is an important consideration in Canada, as it can get really cold here (-20C when we were there). The real bonus is that the ski bus stops right outside the hotel, saving a cold wait in the morning!
The room was excellent, if a bit overheated - a typically Canadian hotel trait in winter - with a very comfortable bed (with a duvet, not blankets). The bathroom was also excellent.
Another real bonus with the Ptarmigan is the excellent ski locker facilities just underneath the hotel, with separate lockable cabinets.
Staff were affable, without being overfriendly, especially at the handy bar at the front of the hotel.
As a resort, Banff is excellent, with reliable snow, and three different ski areas included in your ski pass - with free bus travel to and from. Although it might seem a pain getting on a bus to go skiing for the day, in reality Canadian efficiency makes this easy, and in fact we loved having the choice of ski area's to add variety (for the record, Lake Louise was our favourite)
As for nightlife, this tends towards the quieter rather than rowdy (not many nightclubs), but there is stacks of choice in both bars and restaurants, and prices very reasonable and quality high.
Overall, then, Banff is an excellent choice, and the Ptarmigan Inn is probably the pick of the hotels here. Just take lots of very warm clothing!
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