Very Disappointing

We had a prepaid reservation made when the hotel was a Holiday Inn . What we found when we arrived was certainly not up to Holiday Inn standards although some redecoration had been done. The bedroom was satisfactory.

However there was no Guest Directory in the bedroom and we were told nothing at checkin. When I enquired later, I was given a photocopied menu and it was explained that a directory was not available because they had only taken over in July.(this was on 10 September.!)

When we went to look for dinner we found that the restaurant was closed for refurbishment but there were a few tables provided in the bar. We then found a notice which said that apart from breakfast only cold food would be available over the weekend. Another advised that renovation work was expected to continue for the next 10 months .

We went out to eat .

My advice is to avoid this hotel for the next year while the new management gets its act together.

On the credit side there are some nice books to look at while you wait in the foyer.

Good location

The hotel is still in the process of being decorated after changing hands. The lobby and bar areas are complete and look very stylish. The room we had was still in the Holiday Inn decor which was ok, standard hotel layout and furnishings, so don't necessarily expect a room as pictured on the hotel website. The hotel was conveniently situated for the Calgary Tower, and not too far from the main shopping areas, easily walkable. Didn't like the fact that you had to pay an extra $7 a day for parking, this should be included in the hotel price in my opinion. We had a snack in the hotel bar and were actually surprised by how good and reasonably priced the food was.

Good Value

I stayed here over a weekend and, all-in-all, I thought is was great value for the money.

The lobby and bar have been nicely renovated. The pool is small, but it is heated and they also have kerosone space heaters, which help given Calgary's unpredictable weather. Pool-side service is a nice touch.

I had the breakfast buffet, which was a good as any. Food and beverage prices were quite reasonable. They lacked the 20% plus mark-up that you find in many hotels.

I didn't stay in one of the deluxe rooms, but mine was renovated, decent and clean.

The fitness room isn't much to speak of.

I guess I can see why some people might find the neighbourhood to be a bit sketchy, but it is by no means unsafe, and nothing at all if you are used to larger centres. The great thing about the location, though, is it's proximity to the great shopping, restaurants, and bars on 17th Avenue.

Maybe it reaches a bit beyond what is really is, in that the service and ammenities don't yet seem to match the decor of the public spaces; but for the price--$99-- I'd say that it is a very, very good value.

Signage needs improvement.

Attended a function at the hotel on a Saturday. The parking lot signage is deceptive saying "Holiday Inn Parking." so here I am thinking "Oh ok this is parking for the hotel." Well it turns out it's a combination pay parking lot hotel parking lot and I've got a parking ticket on my windshield at the end of the night. At the place that I parked all I did was follow signs saying to the lobby. If you strictly look at those signs you will end up totally not seeing the self serve ticket machine.

Other then that the service at the function was alright and the food was good too thus the 2/5 rating. Thankfully never ended up with food poisoning like the previous poster. However the parking ticket really soured what would have been a good night. Managment didn't want to deal with this either I may as well have been talking to a log or a wall. I suppose they must get a cut out of every violation notice Ideal can write. From reading another review on this site I see someone else got stung by one of their parking tickets too.

Not the greatest but not the worst

As of July 1, 2005 this hotel, now called Hotel ARTS, is no longer part of the Holiday Inn chain. The hotel is simply mediocre but no worse than any other hotel I've stayed in. The desk clerks are also the switchboard operators and it is annoying (and impolite) that they interrupt helping customers at the desk to answer the phones. The neighborhood seems borderline but we walked the four blocks to the Calgary Stampede grounds and back with no problems--even at midnight. The hotel restaurant was mediocre at best and the service was very, very slow by East Coast standards. The rooms were clean but not immaculate and they were stuffy because the housekeeping staff insisted on turning off the a/c when they left the room. I had to leave a note to ask them not to turn off the a/c. We stayed here because we were told that it was the closest hotel to the Stampede Grounds -- and indeed it was. But, as it turns out, the downtown area is relatively small and there are other hotels that while not as close were still conveniently close.

Stay Away Until Renovations Done!!!!

This hotel is going through major renovations. I was extremely upset to arrive at the hotel only to find out it was being renovated. I was not told anything at the time of booking. My room and in fact the whole hotel smelled of paint. There was dust everywhere. Plus I was sick after eating the room service food. DO NOT ORDER ANY ROOM SERVICE!

Nice hotel

We stayed here for 2 nights recently. The Hotel is great, clean and well kept rooms and friendly staff. Would be much better if breakfast was included but the $12 for the buffet was good value and the omelettes are delicious for even less. We ate at Mountain Jacks both nights only because we couldn't find another suitable family restaurant nearby. Walking around with the children the area started to feel a bit seedy. Wont complain as the food was delicious and good value. Note, the parking is not free and make sure you display your ticket in the right place or you will end up with a fine like us. For a family day out I would recommend the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology. It is a 1 1/2 hour drive but worth it if you like dinosaurs and fossils.

Food Poisoning

I live in Calgary and frequent this hotel for business meetings and seminars. Last month I got food poisoning at their restaurant. I wrote a letter (to notify them of the incident and hopefully get an apology). Since then I received an email from Holiday Inn head office telling ME to call the manager of the hotel - and this was after I had already written a letter.

Very disappointed with the lack of concern and customer service. I have since been encouraging our head office to book meetings elsewhere.

Great Experience.

I stayed at the Holiday Inn Downtown Calgary in March 2004.

Very Clean, Awesome Staff. We stayed on the 12th floor. the view

from the balcony of Downtown including the Calgary Tower was

Breathtaking. Wow! Very close to every thing Saddledome and Calagry

Tower within Walking Distance. Very close to the LRT (Light Rail Transit)

to get you outside the downtown area. I just wished they had a

Continental Breakfast. For a Get Away for the Weekend. This is the

Best Place to stay in Calgary you won't be dissapointed. I know I will

be heading back soon!! :)

Affordable downtown luxury

We always seem to have excellent experiences with downtown Holiday Inns. This hotel is no exception. Great location. Genial staff. We had a spacious, nicely decorated king bed room. Sparkling amenity laden bath. Best of all, we had a private balcony with a spectacular view of downtown and the Calgary Tower. There is a nice pool and the restaurant offers a very reasonably priced, bountiful breakfast buffet. The hotel is convenient to all of Calgary`s offerings to the business person and tourist alike. There is also free self parking. All in all, an exceptioal hotel experience. Highly recommended!