Where to Stay Canmore & Banff

Figuring out where to base yourself in Banff is one of the most important planning decisions you'll make, and it's one most people get wrong on their first trip. Here's what three visits taught us.

Canmore vs. Banff Town: Our Case for Canmore

This is our most consistent recommendation across all three trips, and the one that surprises people most.

Stay in Canmore instead of the town of Banff.

Canmore sits about 20 minutes east of the park boundary and is technically outside Banff National Park. It is a small, genuinely charming mountain town nestled at the base of the Three Sisters, a dramatic trio of peaks that you will not stop looking at no matter how many times you drive past them. The food scene is excellent, the local shops are worth exploring, and the streets are significantly less crowded than Banff town.

Canmore also sits in the heart of Kananaskis Country and has its own incredible hiking. We have it on our list to do a dedicated trip here specifically, the trails in and around Canmore are seriously underrated and deserve their own full visit.

The drive from Canmore into the park is easy and honestly part of the experience. You are not sacrificing access by staying here, you are gaining a better home base.

Where to Stay in Canmore

Accommodations run a wide range and we have stayed across the spectrum. Whether you are looking for a well-located Airbnb with mountain views, a comfortable mid-range hotel, or a genuine splurge property, we cover what we actually think is worth it below.

• Condos:

  • Valhalla - Pure Mountain Bliss (sleeps 6) - we stayed here during one of our summer trips with our brother & sister in law and two nieces, one perk was they had free rooftop hot tubs that you could book time to use, it was a great landing spot.

  • Canmore Holiday Rentals (32 lodging options, anywhere from 2-10 guests) - we stayed at their TAMARACK 203B location which was the perfect spot for a cozy winter trip to the Canadian Rockies. We were there around the holidays and they even decorated for Christmas which we thought was such a cute touch!

  • Basecamp Resorts Canmore

• Hotels:

  • The Malcolm Hotel - We've stayed here during one of our summer trips, and it is definitely more of a splurge, but the property is beautiful and the pool is amazing, plus you can't beat the views of the three sisters mountains. It's also in a great walkable location to downtown Canmore.

  • Everwild Canmore Hotel

  • The Georgetown Inn

Where to Stay in Banff

• Moxy Banff

• Otter Hotel

• Banff Park Lodge

• Paradise Lodge & Bungalows - located in Lake Louise

• Lake Louise Inn - located in Lake Louise, this is also the shuttle pickup stop for the Fairview Limo Moraine Lake Sunrise Tour.

The One Banff Splurge Worth Knowing About:

The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

It is expensive. It is also one of the most iconic hotel properties in North America, and staying there puts you within walking distance of Lake Louise and gives you access to an exclusive hotel guest shuttle to Moraine Lake, which means no Parks Canada reservation scramble. If the budget allows for it, it is a legitimate consideration and one of the rare splurges in this guide that we'd call truly once-in-a-lifetime.