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Source:
Moon Handbooks
Canadian Rockies,
4th Edition
"Businesses do not pay for inclusion in
these
books, nor they are listed on this website in exchange for reciprocal links. In
the course of updating my travel guides I have personally inspected each of
the recommended accommodations and in my unbiased opinion they offer the very best value
your traveling dollar can buy."
—Andrew
Hempstead
About this
Guidebook
Purchase
information
Summary and reviews
Chapter and map list
About the author
Highlights of the
Canadian Rockies
Introduction
Slide show
Geology
Wildlife
Hiking
Golfing
Banff
Dining
Tips for Travel to Canada
Getting to Canada
Getting around Canada
Where to Stay
Visas and Officialdom
The Seasons
Information and Services
Money
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Canadian Rockies Accommodation
Every accommodation recommendation you read about in the printed
version of Moon Handbooks Canadian Rockies has been personally
inspected by the author. Some make the cut for their unique mountain
charm, others for good value rooms. Here is a selection of the
former--places that are more than somewhere simply to rest your head at
the end of the day.
Banff Accommodation
Finding a room in Banff in summer
is nearly as hard as trying to justify its price. By late afternoon just about
every room and campsite in the park will be occupied, and basic hotel rooms
begin at around $150. Fortunately, many alternatives are available. Rooms in
private homes begin at around $50 s, $60 d; HI-Banff Alpine Centre has
dormitory-style accommodations for under $30 per person per night; bungalows or
cabins can be rented, which can be cost-effective for families or small groups;
and around 2,400 campsites in 13 campgrounds accommodate campers. Wherever you
decide to stay, it is vital to book well ahead during summer and the Christmas
holidays. The park's off-season is from October to May, and hotels offer huge
rate reductions during this period. Shop around and you'll find many bargains.
Blue Mountain
Lodge
137 Muskrat Street
tel.: 403/762-5134
internet: www.bluemtnlodge.com
summer rates: $85-110 s, $90-110 d
Two blocks from the main street, this rambling older-style lodge has 10 guest
rooms, each with a private bath, TV, and telephone. Guests have use of shared
kitchen facilities, a lounge, and Internet access while enjoying an expansive
cold buffet breakfast for each morning.
Tarry-A-While
117 Grizzly Street
tel.: 403/762-0462
internet: www.tarry.ca
summer rates: $140 s, $150 d
Dating to 1917, Tarry-A-While was built for one of the Canadian Rockies’ most famous
residents, Mary Schaffer. Guests choose from three rooms, each with its own
character. The upstairs, simply furnished, Wild Horse Room is particularly
appealing. It features fir-paneled walls, a solid pine bed, and a claw-foot
tub in the ensuite bathroom. Rates include an expansive breakfast spread and
use of an upstairs sitting room piled high with local literature.
Brewster's Mountain Lodge
208 Caribou Street
tel.: 403/762-2900 or 888/762-2900
internet:
www.brewsteradventures.com
summer rates: from $220
More than 100 years since Jim and Bill Brewster guided their first
guests through the park, their descendants are still actively involved in
the tourist industry, opening Banff's most central and stylish
accommodations in 1996. Brewster's Mountain Lodge features an eye-catching
log exterior with an equally impressive lobby in a prime downtown location.
The Western theme is continued in the 71 upstairs rooms. Superior rooms
feature two queen-size beds or one king-size bed ($220), deluxe rooms offer
a private balcony ($240), and Loft Suites have hot tubs (from $270). Rates
here in the off-season are slashed up to 50 percent.
Baker Creek Chalets
Bow Valley Parkway
tel.: 403/522-3761
internet: www.bakercreek.com
summer rates: from $185
Baker Creek Chalets lies along the Bow Valley Parkway, 43 km (27 miles)
northwest of Banff and just 12 km (7.5 miles) from Lake Louise. Each of the
25 log cabins has a kitchenette, fireplace, and outside deck (complete with
cute woodcarvings of bears climbing over the railings). Basic one-room
cabins are $165 for two; one-bedroom cabins with loft (sleeps six) are $185;
two bedroom cabins (sleeps six) are $240. A newer lodge wing has eight
luxurious suites, each with richly accented log work, a deck, a microwave
and fridge, and a deluxe bathroom; $195 s or d, $215 with a double
jetted-tub, and $275 with a loft. (Check the website for great off-season
deals). The restaurant here is highly recommended.
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Canmore Accommodation
As you raise your eyebrows over hotel
pricing in Canmore, consider two things: many hotels discount rooms year-round
(use the websites listed below to find current deals and packages) and secondly,
room rates in Canmore are a relative bargain compared to Banff, just up the
road.
Riverview and Main
918 8th Street
tel.: 403/678-9777
internet: www.riverviewandmain.com
summer rates: $85-120 s or d
With around $100 budgeted for a room, it’s hard to go past Riverview and Main,
centrally located half a block beyond the end of the downtown core. The rooms
are decently sized and brightly decorated and each has access to a deck. The
guest lounge centers on a riverstone, wood-burning fireplace. Rates include a
selection of hot and cold breakfast items.
Creekside Country Inn
709 Benchlands Trail
tel.: 403/609-5522 or 866/609-552
internet:
www.creeksidecountryinn.com
summer rates: $159-179 s or d
The Creekside Country Inn is a modern, mountain-style lodge featuring lots of
exposed timber. The 12 rooms are elegant in their simplicity; eight have lofts.
Facilities include a lounge with roaring log fire, a small exercise room, a
whirlpool, and a steam room. Rates include a gourmet continental breakfast that
will set you up for a day of hiking.
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Golden Accommodation
Blaeberry Mountain Lodge
tel.: 250/344-5296
internet:
www.blaeberrymountainlodge.bc.ca
summer rates: $65-145 s or d
This rustic retreat is set on a 62-hectare (150-acre) property among total
wilderness. Rooms are in the main lodge or self-contained cabins, with plenty of
activities available to guests. Standard rooms with shared bathroom are $65 and
the large cabins, which feature a separate bedroom and full kitchen, are $145.
Breakfast and dinner are offered for $12 and $22 respectively. To get there,
drive nine km (5.6 miles) north of Golden along Highway 1 then seven km (4.3
miles) farther north along Moberly School Road.
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Jasper Accommodation
Bear Hill Lodge
100 Bonhomme Street
tel.: 780/852-3209
internet: www.bearhilllodge.com
open mid-April to mid-Oct.
summer rates: $135-175 s or d
Bear Hill Lodge is the only “summer only” cabin accommodation right in the town
of Jasper. The original cabins are basic, but each has a TV, bathroom, gas
fireplace, and coffee-making facilities ($135 s or d; $155 with a kitchenette).
Chalet Rooms are larger and more modern, and each has a wood-burning fireplace,
but no kitchen ($155). Colin Rooms are more spacious still; each has a jetted
tub, gas fireplace, and limited cooking facilities ($175). All units discounted
40% during the first and last month of operation.
Tekarra Lodge
Hwy. 93A
tel.: 780/852-3058 or 888/404-4540
internet: www.tekarralodge.com
open: May-early October
summer rates: from $154 s or d
Appealing Tekarra Lodge is on a
plateau above the confluence of the Miette and Athabasca Rivers, 1.5 km (0.9
miles) south of downtown Jasper. Ensuite rooms in the main lodge are $154 s or
d, but it’s with the historic self-contained cabins that Tekarra really shines.
Each has been totally modernized yet retains a cozy charm, with comfortable
beds, fully equipped kitchenettes, wood-burning fireplaces, and smallish but
adequate bathrooms. Also on site is a restaurant open for breakfast and dinner,
bike rentals, and a laundry.
Jasper Park Lodge
tel.: 780/852-3301 or 800/257-7544
internet: www.fairmont.com
summer rates: from $549 s or d
Historic Jasper Park Lodge lies along the shore of Lac Beauvert across the Athabasca River from downtown. It has four restaurants,
three lounges, horseback riding, tennis courts, a championship golf course, and
Jasper's only covered shopping arcade. The 446 rooms vary in configuration and
are spread out over the expansive property. The least expensive units ($549 s or
d) are smallish, hold two twin beds, and offer no views. Fairmont Deluxe Rooms
($559 s or d) have water views while Jasper Premier Rooms ($629 s or d) have a
distinct country charm, each with either a sitting room or patio and lake views.
Moving up to the more expensive options, Lakeview Suites ($759 s or d) overlook
Lac Beauvert and are backed by the 18th fairway of the golf course.
Each features a patio or balcony, fireplace, and two TVs. The vast majority of
guests don’t pay the summer rack rates quoted above. Most often the cost of
lodging is included in one of the plethora of packages offered, such as the
Grand Canadian Lodge Experience, which includes golf, meals, taxes, and
gratuities and brings the cost of a room standard down to well under $400 per
night (click on the “Packages and Promotions” link on the Fairmont website for
all the options).
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Kananaskis
Country Accommodation
Kananaskis Village, a modern
mountain village 90 km (56 miles) from Calgary, was built for the 1988
Winter Olympic Games. It was again in the world spotlight when eight of
the world’s most powerful men met here during the G8 Summit in June 2002.
Kananaskis Resort
tel.: 403/591-7500 or 888/591-7501
internet:
www.kananaskisresort.com
summer rates: $230-290 s or d
The more intimate of the two village accommodations is Kananaskis Resort.
Some of the 90 guest rooms are bedroom lofts with gas fireplaces,
kitchenettes, large bathrooms, and sitting rooms ($290 s or d); the others
are standard hotel rooms that begin at $230. The inn also offers the
Mountain Spa facility, a fitness center, an indoor pool, the Wildflower
Restaurant, and a pub.
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Lake Louise
Accommodation
HI-Lake Louise Alpine Centre
Village Road
tel.: 403/522-2200 or 866/762-4122
internet: www.hihostels.ca
summer rates: $34-112
With beds for $100 less than anyplace else in the village, the HI-Lake Louise
Alpine Centre is understandably popular. Of log construction, with large windows
and high vaulted ceilings, the lodge is a joint venture between the Alpine Club
of Canada and the Southern Alberta Hostelling Association. Downstairs is a large
reception area and <B>Bill Peyto's Café;<P> Upstairs is a large lounge area and
guide's room--a quiet place to plan your next hike or browse through the large
collection of mountain literature. Daily guided hikes through summer ($25) are a
great introduction to the area. Members of Hostelling International pay $34 per
person per night (nonmembers $38) for a dorm bed or $99 s or d ($112 for
nonmembers) in a private room. Rates are discounted to $24 for a dorm and $75 s
or d for a private room ($28 and $83, respectively for nonmembers) outside of
summer, including through the extremely busy winter season. The hostel is open
year-round, with check-in after 3 <H>p.m.<P> In summer and on weekends during
the winter season, advance bookings (up to six months) are essential.
Paradise Lodge and Bungalows
Lake Louise Drive
tel.: 403/522-3595
internet: www.paradiselodge.com
open: mid-May to mid-Oct.
summer rates: $185-285 s or d
Not right in the village, but a good deal for families, small groups, and those
who like privacy, Paradise Lodge and Bungalows provides excellent value in a
wonderfully tranquil setting. Spread out around well-manicured gardens are 21
attractive cabins. Each has a rustic, yet warm and inviting interior, with
comfortable beds, separate sitting areas, and well-appointed bathrooms. The
least expensive cabins are $165, or pay just $10 extra for a one-bedroom cabin
with a fully equipped kitchen ($185 for two bedrooms). A self-contained two-room
bungalow, with a large balcony and views across the Bow Valley, is $195.
Twenty-four newly built suites, each with a fireplace, TV, one or two bedrooms,
and fabulous mountain views start at $235, or $255 with a kitchen. The Honeymoon
Suite, with all of the above as well as a large hot tub, is $285.
Back to top
Waterton Lakes National Park Accommodation
Kilmorey Lodge
Mount View Road
tel.: 403/859-2334 or 888/859-8669
internet: www.kilmoreylodge.com
summer rates: $113-213 s or d
This historic 1920s inn on the shores of Emerald Bay provides excellent
value for money. Victorian furnishings, lots of exposed timber, squeaking
floorboards, and historic photographs add to the charm. From the lobby a
narrow stairway leads up to 23 rooms tucked under the eaves, many of which
have spectacular lake views. Each is furnished with antiques, and the beds
have down comforters to ensure a good night's sleep. Downstairs is one of
the town's finest restaurants, along with a lounge and gazebo for enjoying
a quiet drink on those warm summer nights. Standard rooms during summer
start at $113 s or d, rising to $213 for the spacious Deluxe King. Some
rooms have lake views, but book in advance for these. Inexpensive packages
are offered in winter.
Crandell Mountain Lodge
Mount View Road
tel.: 403/859-2288 or 866/859-2288
internet:
www.crandellmountainlodge.com
summer rates: $129-199 s or d
Across the road from the Kilmorey Lodge is Crandell Mountain Lodge, a
centrally located country-style inn. The lodge has seen many changes since
it first opened in 1940 with shared bathrooms and wood-heated water. Today
each of the 17 rooms has a private bath and is beautifully finished with
country-style furnishings (no phones), and out back is a private garden
area. Two rooms are wheelchair-accessible. The smallest rooms are $129 s
or d, most--with a choice of fireplace or kitchenette--are $159-199, and
the largest suite is $199. Rates are reduced around 30% between
mid-September and May.
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Yoho National Park
Accommodation
Emerald Lake Lodge
tel.: 403/609-6150 or 800/663-6336
internet: www.crmr.com
summer rates: $335-700 s or d
Emerald Lake Lodge is a grand, luxury-class accommodation along the
southern shore of one of the Canadian Rockies' most magnificent lakes. It
boasts 85 units, as well as a hot tub and sauna, swimming pool,
restaurant, lounge, and café. Guests can also go horseback riding, or go
boating and fishing on Emerald Lake. The rooms are large and many of the
more expensive ones are on the lakefront in cabin-style buildings. Rates
range $335-700 s or d per night, with sharp discounts in the off-season
(rates as low as $150 in November).
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