Canadian Rockies Hotels

Canadian Rockies Hotels

On our Canadian Rockies adventure we stayed in 2 hotels in Banff and Jasper. Usually our hotels are based on the 3 Cs - cheap, clean, and convenient. However, on this vacation we splurged a little and paid more money for some nicer places to stay and we were sure glad we did! The hotels were well worth the price and I highly recommend them to anyone visiting these places! Below are our reviews of each place we stayed! 

Banff National Park - Irwin's Mountain Inn

Irwin's Mountain Inn is located right in the downtown part of Banff. We spent 2 nights here and it was exactly what we needed! With the exchange rate, the rooms cost about $250 a night, U.S. dollars. They accepted both cash and credit cards. The location of this hotel was a huge perk. Since it is located in the downtown area, it is near numerous restaurants, shops, and even a small grocery store. Though there is parking, the spots are tight, so it was nice that we could walk to get dinner at night and not have to move our car. We loved exploring Banff every night after a day of hiking. There was plenty to see and do! Our room and the hotel itself was also wonderful. We opted for a smaller room that had a queen sized bed and a bathroom. We had a nice view of the mountains and the Wi-Fi worked well which we appreciated! The room was very clean the bed was comfortable, and I could get a nice hot shower, which is very important to me after a long day of hiking! The hotel also had a restaurant in it which is convenient if you are too tired to walk somewhere. We didn't eat there because we loved walking around Banff, it is a cute little town with lots to explore!

Views in downtown Banff

View from our window!

Pros:

• Parking
• Free Wi-Fi
• Conveniently located
• Clean and comfortable
• Very helpful staff
• Can pay with a credit card

Cons:

• A little pricier 
• Parking spots are tight 

Overall, we loved this hotel and would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Banff! 5 out 5 stars!

Jasper National Park - Jasper House Bungalows 

Our next hotel was the Jasper House Bungalows located inside Jasper National Park and about 10 minutes from the town of Jasper. This hotel was completely different from Irwin's Inn and we really liked having 2 different experiences. Where Irwin's was a small hotel in the city with everything at your fingertips, Jasper House Bungalows are more like small cabins in the woods, isolated and peaceful. We had our own little log cabin to ourselves. It had a queen size bed, spacious bathroom, a small kitchen with a stove and sink, a kitchen table, and a living room with a TV and couch.  Our room had a beautiful view overlooking the Athabasca River. My husband even took a dip in the river after a long day of hiking! There is a lot to explore down by the river and even if you are not into swimming in freezing cold glacier water, it is nice to dip your feet in and walk along the water. There is a nice trail we walked on that we really liked! While we did not see any bears, many people claim to have seen bears in the river and roaming near the cabins. So it is smart to take all food inside with you verses leaving it in your car. We paid about $230 a night, U.S. dollars, and they also accepted credit cards. We found that just like Irwin's, it was well worth the money! Since they are located in an isolated spot, they are not near any restaurants apart from the hotel restaurant. However, the drive from the Bungalows to Jasper is about 10-15 minutes and there are many places to eat there. We chose to eat 2 dinners at the hotel restaurant, Elk Village Restaurant. We loved the food there and it was the best place to get decent Wi-Fi. The Wi-Fi does not work in the rooms unless you are really close to the restaurant. We stayed for 3 nights and loved our time here.

Behind our cabin, overlooking the Athabasca River

Pros:

• Free parking
• Peaceful and quiet
• Beautiful views of the river
• Very spacious rooms with your own kitchen
• Great location in terms of access to hikes and things to see inside Jasper National Park

Cons:

• No Wi-Fi in the rooms
• 10-15 minutes to get to town
• A little pricier  

Overall, we were very pleased with the Jasper House Bungalows! It was worth the money and we would easily stay here again if we ever return to the Canadian Rockies! 5 out of 5 stars!

Final Thoughts: 

These hotels book up quickly! We booked ours in December and we visited in August! So make sure you plan accordingly if you want to stay in these wonderful places!