Hotel survey inaccurate, tourism official says

A recent survey that suggests Banff offers low value for money in accommodation is not an accurate representation, according to an official with Banff Lake Louise Tourism (BLLT).

A survey released in July by Hotel.info, a hotel booking website, put Banff last out of 15 holiday destinations across Canada, with a value-for-money rating of 5.54 out of 10.

Edmonton had the highest value-for-money rating at 8.17.

However, Julie Canning, BLLT President and CEO, said the survey, which is based on Hotel.info customer comments, is an inaccurate reflection of Banff as it is only based on a total of 20 reviews for hotels in Banff.

The survey also includes three- and four-star hotels in Canmore and Dead Man’s Flats, making it a Bow Valley and not solely a Banff category, Canning said.

“It is such a small sample size and it is so significantly different from what we hear from the larger, more established sites,” she said.

Canning said websites such as Trip Advisor and Travelocity provide more accurate and valuable information as each has a significantly higher number of reviews and comments.

Canning said the Hotel.info survey is not reflective of Banff’s standing as the No. 1 destination in Canada and fourth in the world.

But even with its faults, Canning said the Hotel.info survey does provide useful information.

“We are always going to take consumer feedback and we find that valuable and we’ll learn what we can from it, but it is important that we understand the scope and validity,” Canning said, adding Canada has much more than 15 holiday destinations.

Hotel.info put Banff in last place in 2009 as well.

Edmonton came out on top in the 2010 survey.