# [2012] BRMR - Banff Rocky Mountain Resort owners



## barto

I'm up to three weeks now at BRMR (will probably shed my week #9 soon), but after our last trip there in August we were told that most of the 1-bedroom units on the lodge side - the ones that were renovated to switch the patio doors for windows - will be reserved strictly for non-timeshare guests.  Timeshare owners will be in units across the street and a couple on the lodge side (you can tell which ones by them still having patio doors).

I'm guessing the new owners (Banff Lodging Company) are more comfortable with hotel-type operations given their other properties so are trying to focus more on non-timeshare guests to play to their strengths.  

However, as a timeshare owner, I'm not as impressed.  Are our annual maintenance fees not worth more?  

Anyone else out there know more or care to share their thoughts?

Bart


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## spirits

*We were just there*

We own a week 52 and have been going there for about 8 years as owners and renters.  I find the staff very helpful and I love the place.  I often get extra time during the summer and spring break so this year have been back 4 times.  The renovated units(from 5-6 years) across the road are certainly very nice and I do not think the newer ones (this spring)would be much nicer.  After all granite countertops and full ovens are certainly an improvement over what was there before.
The new manager is Neil from the sports desk.  He has been there for many years and I think his long time status will be a good help to the owners.  From what I know the timeshare owners only own about 1/3 of the property and so are not high priority because they are not a large group compared to the 7-8 hotels run by the owners group.  We have always been treated well so I think it might just be lack of knowledge by the desk workers, not anything discriminatory . But I will be back there at Xmas and so might ask discretely.


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## spirits

*Oh Yes. The new BBQ area*

Forgot to mention one downside of staying across the road is the common BBQ area is on the other side and a long hike to do some grilling.  But since we are there mostly at New Years, grilling at 40 below is not too appealing.  However this summer there was work going on and apparently our side will have a new BBQ pit.  If it is a nice job then perhaps we will not be the poor cousins anymore....if that was the case.


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## barto

I didn't mean to say that we didn't love the place nor find the staff helpful (usually), and I certainly agree that the older upgraded units are a nice improvement from years prior to that.  

And Neil is great - glad to see him as the Front Desk Manager.  He mentioned in our July meet & greet that he wasn't happy that the renovations on the lodge side were very poorly timed for the prime summer season, so I don't know how much pull he'll have for us timeshare owners, and there might be limits as to what he can do in any case.

Not sure what you mean about the front desk workers' lack of knowledge or being disciminatory... didn't mean to imply anything like that in my initial note.

And we finally asked on our way out in August about that construction & were told it would be a new BBQ pad, so that would be very welcome if we're to be (nearly) always relegated to being across the street.  I like your "poor cousins" term - I guess that's what I was getting at.


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## Tacoma

I would also like to see a barbecue area by the units across the road.  When my husband asked though the answer implied was that it was a Parks Canada decision to take it away and leave only one central area since barbecues attract wildlife and that is dangerous for them and us if they are constantly attracted to the food smells.  The answer made total sense to me so I am doubting that another barbecue area will come back.  Too bad for my husband since he generally has to barbecue on vacation. 

Joan


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## spirits

*No problem*

Hi.  Just wanted to clarify my comments.  When BRMR went to the new owners I had a chance to talk to Jim the new manager.  He was glad that Marla was still in the office because he did not have any experience with timeshares.  As I was talking to the front desk staff I realized that many of them were from other countries and most of them did not know very much about timeshares.  I think there are no slights ever intended from the desk towards ts owners  and did not mean to imply there was.  I think that one of the situations is that most TS owners who come have pets and the new units are mostly across the road and were set aside to allow pet friendly units in one location.  
I know that I was certainly surprised in a good way to see the new units go to pet friendly renters.  I would have thought they would keep the older units for that purpose.  We don't have a dog but quite often my son and DIL will want to join us for a few days and they have a dog.  It's nice to have the option.  
As a side note, last year I was trying to organize an owners supper at BRMR and had invited Marla.  She would have like to attend but unfortunately the timing was not good.  I would like to see a BRMR owners "club" started but think most original owners are not computer users.  I have come to think that Tug is still the best way of us communicating


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## barto

We had also heard that it was a Parks Canada thing to remove the barbecues from the other side, but maybe that's why they were making a fairly substantial concrete-based structure when we were there in mid-August... to make it safer & up to Parks Canada requirements, but that's just a guess.  Something happened that they can put one in there, though, and that's a good thing.

I guess I'm just a little concerned to see the areas available for timeshare owners reduced like this, where only the across-the-street buildings and just a few on the lodge side are open to timeshare guests.  I didn't find out that was the plan until we were on our way out or I would have tracked down Neil to get his take on it.

A BRMR group of some kind would be nice, but you're probably right that TUG (and this Canada board) is likely the best place for us owners to communicate.


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## spirits

*Is anyone at BRMR before xmas*

We will be there in Dec and I can bring up our concerns to Neil.  Also if anyone else has any more comments or questions send them here and we can keep a list?  Then I'll get back to us here. 
According to Marla, she needs to keep availability of timeshare owners units for timeshare owners.  I would think the resort needs to communicate with her to keep the number of units reserved open.  I think that many owners deposit their weeks into RCI and so the resort has a lot of units they can rent to the public.  I know we ALWAYS use our week at BRMR and they have been very accommodating to us. One of the young guys even said that they could have given us a new unit when we checked in (we were a little early) but that none had been cleaned yet.  I know I will ask for a new unit for our next visit and see what will happen.


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## barto

spirits said:


> We will be there in Dec and I can bring up our concerns to Neil.  Also if anyone else has any more comments or questions send them here and we can keep a list?  Then I'll get back to us here.
> According to Marla, she needs to keep availability of timeshare owners units for timeshare owners.  I would think the resort needs to communicate with her to keep the number of units reserved open.  I think that many owners deposit their weeks into RCI and so the resort has a lot of units they can rent to the public.  I know we ALWAYS use our week at BRMR and they have been very accommodating to us. One of the young guys even said that they could have given us a new unit when we checked in (we were a little early) but that none had been cleaned yet.  I know I will ask for a new unit for our next visit and see what will happen.



Interesting - we got a different story about the newly-renovated units... that they were specifically NOT for timeshare stays but only to rent out to the 'hotel' crowd.  So yes, please do share your experience.  When in December?  We're scheduled to do the 23rd-30th in a 1-bedroom (via exchange).  And our week 9 we usually rent out or bank as it's a bad time for our schedules... should really try to sell that one some day!


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## spirits

*We will be there also*

My week 52 is the same time as yours this year.  Taking the mini tree with us So please look me up when you are there.  We can track Neil down together and get the low down and share the news with everyone else.  I know that Jim was open to get to know owners when I spoke to him but he was not there that long.  Oh well, the real winner is the stay in Banff.  Whether we are on one side or the other is small potatos.  Hey, maybe we will be able to check out the BBQ at -40 eh?


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## barto

We usually bring some decorations when we stay over Christmas/New Year's, too!    We may not use the week ourselves this year - depends on some other factors so we might not know until fairly late in the year.  Hope so, but life may get in the way!  

I guess I'd just like to know that us timeshare owners won't get pushed to the back and treated poorly with the new owners... we did stay in a renovated unit (1803) but it's already showing some signs of wear.  Would be nice to know that we can indeed get placed into the updated ones, too.  If we don't meet up, obviously would love to hear anything you find out then.

And of course if anyone has any more info in the meantime, please post away!


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## spirits

*We got one of the new units*

Hi Barto.  When we were up at Xmas we were across the street from the clubhouse and had the two year old units but were happy since the granddog was with us for a few days and we needed a pet friendly unit.
I was able to get a week during spring break and am now sitting watching tv our first night here.  We walked in as usual and the staff were getting us ready for the new, new upgraded units.  Apparently there are some pet friendly units among them.  I asked if the new ones were reserved for "hotel" type reservations and the staff said no, just as they are cleaned and people show up.
We forgot to bring our camera but if our son comes up we will take some pictures and post here on TUG.  There was just a review put up recently so I don't want to repeat anything but I will write something on the upgraded units for BRMR owners to compare.  So far, as in anything there are pros and cons.  We have only been here 1 night so our first impressions are WOW!.  I like the two part coffee table since I can have a table for my coffee and computer while the hubby has a coffee place while he is watching tv.  Colors are very modern with black appliances and slate type tile in the bathrooms and wood laminate in the kitchen.  The units are called the Wolf units and there is a huge mural of a wolf embedded into the wall above the kitchen table.  It might scare little children.  Red leather type kitchen chairs. The closets were taken out in the front entry, kitchen and upstairs. No dressers in the bedrooms and just a shelf type unit in the master bedroom. 4 coat hooks in the front entry might not be enough in the winter with ski gear.  No place to really store that stuff right now in the unit.  3 flat screen tvs, 2 in the bedrooms.  And a really large crack where the front door does not quite fit in the frame.  I would think it would be very drafty when the weather is really cold.  One king size bed, one queen.  Arm chair in lr is really, really stiff but good for typing.  Well, we are here for the mountains and the units are a little more glamorous than the other upgraded ones with the dark colors.  I like it for the two of us, but wonder if a family came would the lack of closet space be an issue.  I guess I would have to say I would be very happy in either unit.  They each have their pros and cons.  
Just asked hubby for his input.  He really likes the larger master bedroom.  He feels that he has more space to move around the bed in this unit instead of doing the sideways shuffle in the other unit.  I liked the wooden dressers in the other units for storing clothes.  There is no storage in the second bedroom except for the nighttables.  No shelves, no closet, no dresser.  If I was a second couple I would not be happy but since we only have our adult children sleeping there they can live out of a suitcase  Well, that is the report.  Same friendly staff, same beautiful mountains.  The important things are still here


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## eal

Thanks for posting such a detailed update!


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## barto

Yes, thanks for that - forgot to check back here for...well, quite a few months - oops!  

Interesting trade-offs in the Wolf units - we also like the dressers with drawers in the bedrooms (2-bedroom units) of the older units as well as the closets downstairs, but multiple flat-screen TVs would be nice as well as some of the other updates.

I did talk to Marla who handles the timeshare bookings & such, and she said it had been a problem with some staff that they would suggest the Wolf units weren't available to timeshare guests.  Apparently "it depends", but quite often the Wolf units are booked for hotel-style stays of a couple of days, which could interfere with them being available for a full Sunday-to-Sunday week, so timeshare owners would likely not get a Wolf unit, esp. during busier times.


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## Ski_goddess

*Another three BRMR weeks....*

Hi,
I'm new to this forum, but have weeks 30, 52, 53 in Banff and 31, 50, 52, 53 atMountain View Villas Cranberry(Collingwood, Ontario -deeded)

Has anyone wondered about the re-buy in on BRMR lease that MAY happen in 2025 for another 20 years?......
I sold the weeks offsite years ago and remember the explanation back then, it's changed a bit now! Lol

FYI, if anyone is ever interested in week 52 rental or trade atBRMR, let me know.  This year MAY be available......due to severe illness in my immediAte family......
Unit 1637. 

I think a separate BRMR group would be great.....

Cheers,
S.


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## Marla BRMR

Hi Ski goddess,

With regards to the Lease, the Head Lease comes up for renewal in June 2025. This is not an automatic renewal. Two things have to happen:
   1) the majority of members have to vote that they want to renew the land lease, and;
   2) we have to see if the Federal Government/ Parks Canada will renew the land lease. 
If both sides are a yes, then the contracts will continue until June of 2045 at which point they will definitely expire. However, depending on those 2 criteria, the contracts may expire in June of 2025. Unfortunately we will not know until probably a couple of years prior what the status will be. Notices will be sent by post to all members at that time.

If you have any further questions, you may always contact me at the BRMR Customer Service Office Toll-free 1-877-663-6332.

Marla
Customer Service Manager
Banff Rocky Mountain Resort


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## spirits

*Welcome Marla*

Hey, it is good to see you here.  I keep teasing the front office staff at BRMR they need to come here to see what timesharing is all about (;

For those who do not know, Marla is the friendly person who arranges all our owner's extra bonus days.  She is also the one who looks after our guests if I cannot use my week and need to rent it out.  I have spoken to her numerous times when I need to get away to Banff and find an owner who cannot use their week and I rent from there.  In other words Marla is the one who runs the rental program at BRMR and does such a great job at it.
I'm sure I have not gotten all her duties written down here but she sure does a lot


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## Marla BRMR

Hi Spirits,

Thank you for your kind words. I wanted to make sure I was available to help with any program questions, so was finally able to get an account.

I do not actually run a rental program though. Members would do the rental themselves, and just provide me their guest name so that I can issue a guest confirmation and make sure their guest is properly registered in the hotel system.

Thank you for your welcome.

Marla 
Customer Service Manager
Banff Rocky Mountain Resort


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## spirits

*A question for Marla*

Hi Marla.  Just a question about 2025.  What happens to the owners who do not want their week after 2025.  Will they be able to dissolve the contract then if the majority vote to continue it...or do they go with the majority vote?
Thanks  Mary


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## Marla BRMR

Hi Mary (Spirits),

If the majority of members vote to continue the Land Lease, and if Parks Canada/Federal Government allow the extension, then all accounts would continue on to June 2045.

Marla 
Customer Service Manager
Banff Rocky Mountain Resort


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