Chateau Canmore Quality Resort

Subsequent to our week at Panorama Village, BC, Carolyn and I continued our Canadian adventure at Chateau Canmore (about a 1 1/2 hour drive from Calgary) during the week of October 4, 2003..located within the community of Canmore, BC this was NOT a terrible resort, but it WAS the worst resort that I have heretofore experienced ie. my previous timeshare experience has been pretty good.. our accommodation was relatively clean and basically comfortable... a 1-bedroom (a large room with a gas fireplace.. very nice), 1-bathroom, full kitchen unit which included a washer/dryer combination.. the 'dining area' was a table more like a tall, round end-table rather than a dining-table.. the unit was sparsely furnished with a single, modest sized TV/VCR, no paper towels, 1 additional roll of toilet paper, stingy amounts of laundry soap, dishwasher detergent, and liquid detergent, no hand soap (a liquid body soap dispenser was on the shower wall).. both the registration and maintenance staff were friendly and competent.. fresh towels were provided at mid-week..

A wine & cheese party was hosted by the resort Sunday evening affording the activity director the opportunity to promote the local fee-oriented tourist activities.. unfortunately, the wine, cheese and vegetable dips ran-out before the presentation had finished..

The historic Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) rumbles just beyond the resort's property.. although the dishes rattle a little, the engines growl and the freight cars rattle, I was surprised that no whistles/horns were blown and my sleep was not interrupted.. the resort is adjacent to a Quality Motel.. previously the resort and motel were co-owned and shared amenities.. but that is no-longer so.. now resort guests must travel about two miles to an affiliated timeshare (Mountain Gate) to use swimming pool, exercise and spa facilities.. while the resort nestles among spectacular ranges of the Rocky Mountains, the units have been constructed perpendicular to the mountains such that, from inside the units, there is no view of the surrounding majestic peaks..

Canmore is a bustling, thriving community replete with art galleries, grocery stores, library (with free Internet service), restaurants and sundry shops/services.. the town is well located as a base from which to visit/explore the Columbia Icefields (including the Athabasca Glacier), Lake Louise with its historic CPR hotel, Banff (don't miss the gondola ride up Summit Mountain, the hot springs, the historic hotel), the Bow Valley Parkway, and the gravel road drive through Kananaskis Country and Spray Lake.. Joe Tragesser