More about Hotel Arts And Event Center
Good French Style Menu
by DSwede about Saint Germain
I stayed nearby in the Hotel Arts which made a couple of my friends happy since it gave them the perfect opportunity to eat at Saint Germains. Its received other favorable reviews and therefore was on the hot list for my friends to try.
The interior is slightly elegant, but overly so. While a dress code may not be enforced, business casual may be the norm. The tables have white linens, but you can also eat up at the full service bar too if you wish. The salads and starters are good. We particularly liked the oysters made in a citron vodka. But then again we also liked the mussles steamed with beer and herbs.
The entrees were excellent too. The boeuf bourguignon was tender and flavorful. But also listen to the daily specials, like the one we had with the jumbo shrimp and rich pilaf.
The service was decent, but we were there on a quiet evening so had rather attentive service.
Great staff and excellent location
by TripAdvisor Member amenityjunkie
We stayed at the Hotel Arts for a night before heading to Lake Louise. I wasn't expecting too much after reading some of mediocre reviews, but after staying at the Hotel Arts I wonder where these reviews were coming from. My family booked 12 rooms there and everyone could not stop talking about the friendly and accommadating staff. The rooms are large with a plasma tv that my husband loved, and the toiletries smelled so good! The hotel was within walking distance to many cool places, and the lobby was very comfortable (lots of waiting when there are 24 family members). We ate at the Raw Bar and were very impressed.
On our return home we stayed at the Sheraton Eau Claire (booked before we had a chance to stay at Hotel Arts) because it was the #1 rated hotel on trip advisor. It is easy to compare the two because the rates are about the same. Hotel Arts blows the Sheraton out of the water! The Sheraton staff was very friendly and it has a convenient downtown location, but I liked the Hotel Arts location better. The Sheraton looks like any chain hotel while Hotel Arts has a cool and sleek design. My husband and I plan on returning to Calgary someday and we definitely agree that Hotel Arts is the place to stay.
I must include that two of our party members complained that the rooms were a little dark (not enough light) and I saw that comment in some of the other reviews as well, but it was a non issue for me.
Urban Chic Hotel a Breath of Fresh Air
by TripAdvisor Member BT-Travels
We recently stayed at Hotel Arts for three nights. It was refreshing to stay at such a unique and chic hotel that offered genuinely great service! The hotel decor is fantastic from the lobby to the two restaurants to the rooms; very modern, unique, and interesting but extremely comfortable! We stayed in one of the luxury rooms with two queen size beds and very much enjoyed the comfortable bed and pillows, the large wall-mounted plasma tv, the Essential Elements Spa Bath amenities and of course the decor! Our room did face the busy street below and at times we did hear traffic noise but ear plugs were helpful and those that sleep solid will not be bothered. I would definitely suggest requesting a room that does not face the street if you require a lot more quiet during the night. While we did not try the restaurants in the hotel, both were decorated very well with the Raw Bar having a lot of character and an interesting seafood menu! The outdoor heated pool was very nice which was surrounded by chic pool chairs, all of which can be seen from the lobby and the corridors to the conference rooms and restaurants; neat hotel design! Overall, a friendly hotel that offers a wonderfully unique and refreshing experience!
2nd Best Stay Ever
by TripAdvisor Member Taiger88
I have NO Idea what the Previous traveller is talking about. We just came back from a 2 Night Stay at The Hotel Arts & it was FANTASTIC!
The Staff were Extremely Helpful & Friendly. They even Helped in Locating a Place for Our Dog to Stay while we went Shopping & seeing the Sites (Calgary Zoo, Stephen Ave, etc.)
The Room was Emaculate! The bathroom had a marble finish & the beds were SOFT, Comfortable & Luxurious. Big balcony facing South to get the Sun in the Morning & the Full moon in the evening.
Yes there was Some noise from the Bars around the area BUT when you Close the Huge Balcony door it Shuts all of that out.
Our Dog was most comfortable laying on the carpeted floor. She did not even sleep on her dog bed that we brought with us.
As for our reservation well RULE of THUMB .. always, Always, ALWAYS CONFIRM with the Hotel atleast 48 hrs BEFORE you arrive that the Reservation you made is ACCURATE.
They had us actually in a king w/ a pull out sofabed for the kids BUT were Quick to Change that when advised we needed 2 Queens.
The Swimming Pool was Clear, Clean & Warm. With Lots of Towels available. Upon Asking, We were able to bring guests to the Pool. My sisters & their Families also had a Wonderful time in the pool.
Me thinks you do protest TOO much previous traveller.
By the Way the ONLY Downside was NO Complimentary Breakfast in the A.M. Which is STANDARD fare in Europe. :)
Big Thanks to Denis & His Staff for a Wonderful Relaxing Stay.
Love it....
by TripAdvisor Member lilblondie1976
I think i drove my poor boyfriend nuts raving about how much i liked this hotel. I always research my hotel before i choose but this hotel i didn't have to because i had been before about a year ago when my cousin booked it for us. I knew that the beds were to die for and that the decor was great. The only thing I didn't know was how good the customer service was going to be this time. Not that there was anything wrong with it last time. But now you really notice it, it stands out. When we first arrived 2 guys came out to open the car doors, offered to carry in the luggage and told us about valet parking. We said no thank you and took care of it ourselves but it was a nice option. The check in only took 2 minutes because i had booked online with hotels.com ($107 a night) we got a parking pass for free parking for the weekend and went up to the room. We ate at the raw bar that night and everything was good there. I think a little overpriced but that's calgary in general for you... :-) The beds are super cozy pillow top beds with duvets as the blanket instead of some of those other hotels that have that thin excuse of a blanket that slides off the bed all night. The next day i went down to the lobby and everyone there was very friendly and i was asked immediately if they could hale a cab for me. That afternoon when i got back the car door was opened for me upon arrival. It's such a nice touch. No expectation of a tip either which is nice.( I did ask because i'm in the customer service industry myself) So here is the kicker, the ultimate in customer service in my opinion. There were no cabs available right away so one of the valets offered to drive us to the restaurant that we wanted to go to. As we pulled up my boyfriend realized that he had forgotten his celphone so he drove us back with no grumbling and then returned us once again to the restaurant. There was no request for cab fare or a tip, of course we gave him one though. But it was nice to get good customer service with no expectations. The next morning at check out it took about 30 seconds and we were on our way. I would stay here over and over again.
The only compaints that i would have is that the doors are thin and you can hear alot of what's happening in the hallways but even as a light sleeper this won't stop me from going back. And the lighting is not the best but i just opened up the curtains and who cares if someone sees you in your pjs they won't know who you are :). Overall for the price and location and service that you get i wouldn't dare try somewhere else just because of those small problems. I've heard of people paying alot more and getting alot less.
Stunning room, great value
by TripAdvisor Member timtx01
We paid C$269/night for two "Deluxe" rooms and it was well worth it. These rooms are very large--clearly this was two rooms with a wall knocked out to make one large suite. There is a huge walk-in shower (no tub) with a built-in steam feature, the entire bathroom is quite large and done in marble throughout. The room itself was clean, furnishings were in great shape, decor very chic and welcoming, 42" plasma screen TV and comfortable king-sized bed. Hotel staff are young and enthusiastic. Drinks and food in the Raw Bar downstairs were quite good, but pricey. Drinks mostly ran C$10-14 and up, appetizers were upwards of C$15. One minor gripe, the air conditioning does not seem to be working too well. But there are two sets of balcony doors off my room so I simply opened these to get some fresh air moving through. We will recommend our employees stay here on future visits to Calgary, it was cheaper than other downtown hotels we looked at and far nicer.
Awful Experience
by TripAdvisor Member Albertatravel
Over priced, dirty ,no parking harassed by street people and Management who just don't care. That was a recent experience my Wife and I had at this Hotel. Pulled up to the hotel but they had no where to park after finding a parking meter was told that there is parking "around Back" but once again no luck.
If you fear dust and dirt don't look behind any of the furniture you will be traumatized for life.
On our way downtown during the middle of the afternoon we were accosted by a large group of street people that hang around the hotel, needless to say we were fearful of venturing out at night.
Desk staff as well as management don't care and brushed off our concerns ( too bad they won't brush off the furniture).
There are many other good quality reasonably places to stay in this city.
Boutique In Name Only
by TripAdvisor Member Mehl
This used to be a Holiday Inn in a marginal part of town. Now it is a "boutique" hotel (in name only) in a marginal part of town. Take a walk around the neighborhood and you bump into homeless people and ugly undeveloped lots. As for the execution of the "boutique" hotel design, they did it on the cheap. The designer should look for a new career. At night the hallways are dark and boring and depressing. The rooms are even darker. If you look closely you can see signs of the old, generic Holiday Inn room everywhere. There's nothing special here, unless a big flat screen TV turns you on. The lighting is dreadful. They even forgot the minibars. And the hotel is run by kids. I don't get it. $250 per night. Calgary needs some new hotels.
Looks more impressive than it is
by TripAdvisor Member Angelco
We stayed in this hotel for one night before heading to Banff. It had been recently redecorated, although some of the workmanship and fittings looked a little cheap, and the room appeared to be clean. The location was okay, but as we wandered down the road in the evening to find some dinner, we passed a few dodgy looking people hanging around the area. Overall, though, it was reasonably priced and our stay there was fine.
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