There's no better way to visit the Canmore and Banff area than to take a lovely condo unit and soak up the beauty of our magnificent Rocky Mountains. Solara's units are chic and cozy; the beds are the ultimate in comfort! Some buildings have better wifi reception than others. If you need to conduct business during your visit, make sure you ask for a room with good wifi.

We booked at this resort for a friend's wedding as it was being held at the resort. We were not expecting to have a room as large as the one we got and had a great time while there. We booked a one bedroom and it was plenty of space for the two of us, we will definitely be returning for another stay. The huge kitchen and washer and dryer were not expected and were a great surprise! The muliple shower heads/jets were also a treat. The only downside was the mattress was a little on the hard side so the first night was difficult to sleep but that could possibly be due to my 9 months pregnant self.
We did not make it to the swimming area as we were busy with wedding related activites but will be checking it out next time.
Even though housekeeping was not scheduled to clean our room they still knocked on the door and asked if we needed anything.

The condo itself was beautiful and well kept. nice quiet location.
we attended a wedding in town and biked in between reception and activities. It was very easy to get to bike trails from here.

The pool is situated indoors, but it felt like it was in a basement dungeon... (I think it was windowless) We walked into the pool area, looked around and walked right back out. No one wanted to swim in there because it felt very claustrophobic. Poorly designed layout. Not somewhere we wanted to swim.
For that reason alone, I would not go back.

We stayed at Solara Resort over Christmas. We took a 2 bedroom premium suite for 4 adults and one 10 month old. The suite was beautifully furnished, quite comfortable and spacious enough for all of us. There was a beautiful view of the mountains out our windows. We had a fireplace in the living room and in each bedroom. The fireplaces are electric, and purely for effect. They produce no heat, just look nice. The beds are large and very comfortable. The bathrooms are huge with a deep tub and fabulous shower. The lighting is very dim…hard for putting on make-up. The kitchen was very well stocked for cooking Christmas dinner. It was very clean, with new appliances. There is an electric grill on the balcony...a bit of a challenge to cook on, but the results were excellent. There were enough dishes for one meal, so we ran the dishwasher a few times a day. The housekeeping staff came daily to empty garbage and provide us with dishwashing supplies. They would ask if we needed anything, but would forget to bring what we asked for. And then a few days later we would get two. Not a big deal…if you called the front desk they’d deliver it right away. The rooms are cleaned after three days for those staying more than three days. These suites allow pets, and it was obvious the place was inhabited by a dog with very long fur before our stay. The fur was in the area rug, and dust bunnies were around. It definitely could have been better cleaned before our arrival. In future I would request a suite that didn’t allow pets (if there are any), as one of my family had some allergies from the fur.

As we were traveling with a little one, we needed a crib and high chair in the suite. Since we booked this many months in advance, we spoke with the resort numerous times to make sure they could provide both. We were reassured each time that the crib and high chair would be in the suite when we arrived. Upon arrival, we asked if this was so. The young woman at reception responded that ‘they did not guarantee cribs, it was first come first serve.’ Well, I was very unimpressed with this response. They did offer a play pen with no sheets, which was not acceptable. Eventually we rented a crib…which I would have done before arrival to avoid the aggravation. I suggest you do so if you need a crib.

We stayed in the Aurora building. This one is furthest back in the complex. There is underground parking...a very nice touch as the weather was very cold. In order to get to the main reception area, where the pool is, you need to go outside or through the underground parking to get there. A bit of a trek, but not a really big deal. There are two pools, one hot and one cool, and a child’s water play area. The hot pool is a large hot tub, and the cool pool was very cool. They were also very chlorinated, and we were itchy when we got out. There was a nightly movie in the theatre, but we didn’t make it to any of them.

There’s lots to do in this beautiful area. Great downhill & cross-country skiing. Exploring Banff & Lake Louise. Good shopping locally and good restaurants.

Despite a few hiccups, I would recommend Solara Resort & would definitely stay there again. It’s a beautiful place with excellent amenities, at a very reasonable price.