After the last few Best Western hotels I was at, was half expecting another horror story but no, this is actually a very respectable, Best Western hotel!! Much better than Thunder Bay and Headingley.... but this is an interesting story. Was going to stay at the Days Inn but had same billing accommodations as Best Western, so might as well come here since I was getting a nicer room for less anyways. Was in this hotel for about a week.
Came in at around 9PM and upon arrival, was informed that there were no elevators, so I kinda lost it a bit... I travel heavy and there is no way I am going up and down stairs with all my luggage, that's just insane. So I said, screw it and went looking for another hotel since I could not get the same room type I had on the main, nor first floor. Funny thing is, you can easily access the first and second floor but top floor requires you to walk it.
The lady working there did all she could and then found me a room that was up to my standards as I was looking for another hotel. It cost me a bit more but I am fine with that, to get what I want. Didn't want to go hunt for another hotel, was a bit too late.
This is probably the most "least expected" hotel there is. As in, it doesn't look like much but it is really impressive. Don't let the outside appearance dictate your stay, or sway your opinion, this is a good hotel and I am quite demanding and picky. They properly pick their employees here, I think this is what impressed me the most... consistency!! Hard to find this anywhere, even with Fairmont sometimes, so I was impressed here with the staff. BW is often consistent but not necessarily in a good way. Everything here is slightly above average
The room I got was pretty good, I ended up in a family suite, which I enjoyed the extra room as a cool room, very appreciated for my condition. Room was in good condition, nice furniture but the carpet could use a thorough cleanup, wouldn't want to stand on the carpet for long.
Now My Gripes: Drapes need to be re-organized as they all flow the same way, which makes it so light always peeks in, not ideal for night owls and light sleepers. Could barely sleep 6 hours here but I woke up refreshed, none the less. Beds are not the most comfortable, actually low in the grand scheme of things but not like sleeping on plywood. Pillows aren't really good either. Overall sleep quality, I would say is slightly below average but far from terrible.
What Shined Me On: What I liked here is the security here, wow!! There's an RCMP police station right outside my window!! Talk about that for security!! I even noticed some cameras, so I am very happy with that and Strathmore isn't even that big of a town either though there is a lot of bums; which I don't mind donating a few bucks here and there but they are un-thankful here and downright rude, don't give them anything; You're more bound to be insulted than blessed.
Best overall security I ever seen in a Best Western this year, in the Northern part of the country anyways. Service is also very nice, housekeepers are friendly, again, consistency I appreciate though could use some more English lessons; I tend to like interacting with housekeeping. Lots of training going on but even they were helpful or done their best to help... I'm a newbie here too after all. ;p
Although there is a pool by the lobby, it doesn't wreak of chlorine, this is why I stayed as long as I did. Whatever these guys do here as far as vapor ventilation should be across the board. Here be also good sound proofing, like I say, if I can't hear neighbors, it's good sound proofing... though like in most hotels, the door yields the most noise. Though the hotel was rather dead when I was there and as a result, cannot attest for more bustling times.
One thing I also noticed is how generous they are with the toiletries, a rare trait in the BW hotels; others seems to kill them when you ask for extras. Though the bottles are small (0.7oz), common with many BW hotels, they give enough for me to wash my hair, this way the hotel can see how good the toiletries are and my hair is hard to not notice..... my hair loves that Argen Oil stuff, feels silky. Not the best in the hotel industry but definitely way up there. The soap is also very nice, lathers well and doesn't have a strong smell. Only problem, again as most hotels, is tap water quality.
Would I recommend this hotel? ABSOLUTELY!!! This is a rare BW hotel I do recommend whole-heartedly. It's not extravagant, it's not even what I would consider fancy but it is efficient. There are some hiccups but are very minor but the hotel is in otherwise in very good condition; even parking... this is what I liked best, I could park my truck right in front of my room, so I could look at it on demand.
Will I stay again at this hotel? If I have a need for it, then absolutely. However, I came down to Strathmore to meet the people who sold me my awesome truck, I don't have much need for staying here again in the future.
My only big problem was sleep quality, too much light making its way into the bedroom and the smoke detectors light reflection on the ceiling works like a lampshade reflector. Detectors should be re-placed to a side wall, I would say above the bed's headboard, where the light isn't right in your face; this is just poor design from the builders and architects, not staff's fault. If you are a light sleeper, request the smoke detector light be covered with a tape for the duration of your stay, all you need is a piece of tape. Drapes are also letting in way too much light around the edges, they only flow one way and do not go low enough; Drapes are only one way, side to side, no up and down ones; this contributes to light coming into the room. Though I love the jetted tub, real jets that you actually feel and the fireplace was a nice addition too, though it was a tad too hot out to use.
Problem with that is, it took me forever to figure it all out and by that time, was time for me to leave; so take it from me, if you're a light sleeper or insomniac, like me. There is good sound proofing here but light proofing is a whole other ball game.
I also had a "Fairmont Moment" here.... and this is impressive. One morning, I ended up going to get coffee and I am not human yet before coffee, so I brought an empty coffee cup with me to go get coffee, well I didn't realize that this cup was full of change... and really nice change too, rare coins. So I inadvertently left that cup full of change, at the coffee machine and grabbed another cup. Well a few hours later, was looking for that cup of change... can't find it, figured I left it at the coffee machine. So I walked down to the front desk and inquired of lost and found, see if they had found a cup full of change by the vending machine. Originally, I thought I brought the cup with me the night before when I went to use the vending machine but I actually took it that same morning... yeah, me and mornings are mortal enemies.
In the end, they had my cup of change at lost and found and got it back... I was blown away, I never gotten anything back from lost and found and this time, got a whole cup of money back... if this isn't impressive, I don't know what is. Honesty in this day in age is a rare trait and in a region that isn't the richest either says a lot about the community of professionals of the town, in general.
Would I recommend this hotel? Does it sound like it? Absolutely!! Best, Best Western Service I got this year, as far as consistency of employees goes.
I was getting nearly Fairmont level of service here, employees look happy, upbeat, ready and willing to help... even in the middle of the night and G-d knows I spent a lot of time annoying Nada, into working the vending machine... by the way, I pretty much raided the entire thing, I never seen such unique treats in a vending machines, all the good stuff is in C1 by the way. No restaurant on site but the snack machine more than makes up for it... though could use a bit of work.
They also have the best Loyalty Program gift of any Best Western I been to this year, hands down... like, no contest. Finally a gift that actually feels like a gift!!
In conclusion, considering the exceptional experiences and great times I had in this hotel, I feel a 5 star review is well deserved... they worked their way to it, as I had no intention of rating more than 4 stars like any hotel but was shined on a few occasions by my stay here. Unique experiences are why I leave 5 star reviews.
Keep it up!
Shoutout: Alban, Nada, Ruby less