We appreciate the feedback you have provided. Our hotel strives to cater to budget travellers looking for less expensive yet clean and adequate rooms. Our room rates are on average $50 to $70 cheaper than similarly sized rooms at competing hotels. We think our repeat customers appreciate being able to spend that money on an extra tank of gas for their cars, having a fine meal at good restaurant, etc. We can keep our prices lower, because we are a family-run business that is less reliant on keeping a huge staff.

With regards to your specific comments about the air conditioning, most hotels in the North do not have air conditioning, and if they do, only in a select number rooms and you are expected to pay extra for that luxury. Air conditioning is something that people from more southern locations take for granted that is just not that widespread in the Yukon on account of our cold climate. We decided to install central air conditioning in the rooms, but unfortunately, as often is the case in the North, the contractor that installed it was not qualified for the work and has since gone out of business. The system works if explained to the guest correctly, but is not ideal in providing the individual control that guests seek. We are looking at ways to improve the air conditioning, but our options are limited due to the lack of local contractors qualified in this work. I hope you understand, and thank you for your fair and balanced review.

The staff and ownership at the Family Hotel regrets your negative experience. We have six older non-renovated rooms in the basement. Obviously, being in the basement, these rooms are less desirable than other rooms. We offer these rooms as pet rooms, as there are limited offerings in Whitehorse for pet owners. Most pet owners do not appear to mind having a basement room, if that means they can have their pet in the room with them. Our policy is to always instruct potential pet-owning guests to see these basement rooms first before deciding to rent them. You probably had an opportunity to view the room first prior to actually renting the room. Based on your feedback, we have decided to re-examine our policy of providing pet rooms in the basement for pet-owning guests. These rooms will now be used for monthly rentals.
With regards to the graffiti you saw, this is unfortunately a major problem in Whitehorse. Although our property has not been the subject of graffiti painting, the back wall of the adjacent Real Canadian Superstore grocery store is the subject graffiti painting frequently. We have brought this to the attention of the grocery store management. They have repainted their back wall, but, without adequate security, the wall simply gets painted with graffiti again. I can assure guests that we constantly watch over our back parking lot, and to this day there has not been one incident of vandalism or theft of a vehicle parked there. We will also be expanding our network of video cameras to cover more areas of the exterior parking lots.
Your review concerns us, and since 2009 we have initiated several improvements to our property – inside and out. These investments include changing all exterior siding, expanding family room sizes, installing new flat screen TVs in all rooms, replacing all the beds, and installing all new furniture in the rooms. I hope these changes will prompt you to take a second look at our property. Our hotel strives to cater to budget travellers looking for less expensive yet clean and adequate rooms.

Although we encourage feedback and constructive criticism when we do not meet guests’ expectations, this review is a compete misrepresentation of the facts. Our hotel values the sleep of our guests, and the very name “Family Hotel” is meant to convey that we want an establishment free of loud noises and partying. In fact, it was our desire for a quiet establishment that prompted us not to have a hotel bar or lounge within our establishment. The rules are very clear that no outside guests are allowed after 11:00 pm, which you chose not to obey, and thus forfeited your deposit. I can probably bet though that even with losing your deposit you still saved money at our hotel. We aim to provide clean and adequate accommodations to budget travellers. Our room rates are on average $50 to $70 cheaper than similarly sized rooms at competing hotels.