I think without rental car is easiest. The shuttles are really easy to use and there are a number of stops within Banff where you can pick up the shuttle. I don't think the shuttle schedule is up right now, but there are 3 or 4 stops within the main area of Banff. We're going to be staying in the Canmore from January 3 to January 6 - we're planning on skiing 3 of those 4 days probably, and we would be more than happy to pick you up and head on out to the hill together on those days. We've got an SUV with a roof rack, so it shouldn't be a problem for 4. The shuttle is really easy, especially to get to Sunshine Village - but I do think it's faster to get by car to Lake Louise. We usually spend at least one day doing something else - walking around the trails in Banff, or going for a snowshoe or something like that.
If you're going to be car-less, I would recommend staying close to the main part of Banff - which is off of Banff Ave, between approximately Moose Street and the Bow river. The area further down Banff Ave is just hotels, and you'd have to walk quite far to get to restaurants etc. Some of those hotels do offer a free shuttle downtown, so if you would want to do that then that's ok, but I prefer not to be bound to a shuttle.
Banff Aspen Lodge, Brewster's Mountain Lodge and Banff Park Lodge are all pretty nice and in about the same category of hotel. Brewster's and Banff Park Lodge are pretty close to the main town parking lot which is one of the shuttle stops. If you stay at the Banff Aspen Lodge, the shuttle stop is very close by too - at the Banff Ptarmigan Inn which I believe is just 1 or 2 doors down. I don't think any of these hotels would have a separate room/suite layout - most of the hotel rooms on Banff Ave are just one room, and one or two beds in them.
Brewster's is very nice - clean, convenient, has fridges and a free continental breakfast. Banff Park Lodge does not have breakfast - but is also very nice, clean and has fridges. It has an excellent location, like Brewster's. I like that Banff Park Lodge is also just behind Banff Ave, so off the main street, and close to the Bow river. Banff Aspen Lodge is great - free buffet breakfast. Again, really good location, right at the end of the busy strip - so very convenient and its a nice and clean place.
The Moose Hotel and Suites just opened up about a month ago, and I've never stayed there, but I've heard very good things about them so far.
If you want to be a bit further out from the main area, the hotels on Tunnel Mountain are very nice. And these will often have better amenities. They will often have one bedroom suites with kitchens, nice pools, restaurants etc. It's much quieter on Tunnel Mountain and more family-oriented. In that area, I can recommend the Buffalo Mountain Lodge, Douglas Fir Lodge and Hidden Ridge Resort. The one annoying thing about this area is that it is
not on the shuttle pick-up route. You have to take the resort shuttle into Banff and then take the shuttle from Banff. It's not a huge amount of time added, but it is definitely annoying to have to do that. You'll also have to take the shuttle into Banff for dinner and for activities in Banff.
Check those places out - there are, of course, other options if you want to have a car. But being car-less is pretty easy considering there is a shuttle from the Calgary airport straight to Banff, and they will drop you off right at your hotel:
https://www.brewster.ca/transportation/brewster-banff-airport-express/
There are also 2 fancy resorts in Banff - the Banff Springs and the Rimrock. They are not however on the shuttle route. They're also not in the downtown area, so I don't generally recommend them. But if you are looking for something more than usual, it would be those two!