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Hostel Project

Albertan ski girl

Angel Diva
There are a lot of great hostels around the ski areas here. We often stay in hostels as a family because 4 of us is perfect for a 4 bed dorm, and we get to cook meals there too. Here's a list of ASG-certified comfortable hostels in the Canadian Rockies, listed by ski resort :smile:

Lake Louise:

1) Hi-Hostel Lake Louise Alpine Centre:

https://hihostels.ca/en/destinations/alberta/hi-lake-louise

We love this place - and we rarely stay anywhere else in LL. It's even better than the cheap hotels around. The beds are comfortable, you can request quieter areas in the hostel, it has lovely grounds, and the kitchen is great. It has a lovely loft lounge - perfect for reading, playing boardgames in the evening. Bill Peyto's pub in the hostel is the best pub in town. About $30-35 CAD per person per night. There's an HI membership discount and ACC discount. And it's on the ski shuttle route to Lake Louise - from door-to-lodge of the ten peaks in 10 minutes!

2) One of our favourite gems is in Field, BC, about a 20 minute drive from LL: The FIreweed Hostel

https://www.fireweedhostel.com/

It's wonderful! And Field is definitely charming. About $30-$35CAD per person per night. But it fills up fast, so you've got to book early. We like to stay here too - and it can be a base for Lake Louise and for Kicking Horse if you've got a car. The minus here is that you need a car, and sometimes if there is a lot of snow, Highway 1 around Field can get closed because of avalanche control above the roads, so you may not be able to get to Louise or the Horse.

3) Sometimes if we like to do something a little fancy (but relatively affordable) near LL, we stay in Field BC at Emerald Lake Lodge:

https://crmr.com/emerald/

Midweek rates are actually only about $125 CAD per night for double occupancy. Amazing atmosphere, great beds, wonderful outdoor hot tub. The minus is no kitchens to cook in. But we bring breakfast and lunch and keep it in the fridge in the room and then go out for dinner.

Sunshine Village/Norquay:

Because of the nature of the park, there is no accommodation near either of these two hills, so all accommodation is in Banff. We often stay at:

1) HI-Banff

https://hihostels.ca/en/destinations/alberta/hi-banff

We love this hostel too. Great facilities, and great kitchen. Regular dormitory rooms (about $30 per night), and we especially love their private cabins, about $120 for quadruple occupancy! So still the same price if you are with a small group. There's an HI membership discount and ACC discount. A minus here is that it is not on the ski shuttle line.

2) Some of you will know that I rave about my favourite flea bag motel in Banff, the Homestead Inn.

https://www.homesteadinnbanff.com/

The best thing about this place is that it's basically you're own room for $59 CAD per night. The room has two double beds - but they feel kind of small, so I wouldn't try and fit 4 people in it. But for 2 people travelling - golden :smile: The other great things is the massive mini fridge, and the microwave. Perfect fleabag in room meals :smile: It's old and tired-looking, but it's clean and cheap! It also has the distinct advantage of being literally right next to the shuttle to Sunshine or Lake Louise. I love that about this place. It's also right next to Wild Flour, the best bakery in town where I get breakfast.


Nakiska and cross-country paradise in Kananaskis, especially Peter Lougheed Provincial Park

1) HI-Kananaskis:

https://hihostels.ca/en/destinations/alberta/hi-kananaskis

Hotels rooms and private rooms are very cheap here (about $25-$30 CAD per night). It's super quiet, lovely and very nice! Great kitchen and staff, and you can literally cross-country ski out the front door. There's an HI membership discount. It is also now very near the new Kananaskis Nordic Spa! https://knordicspa.com/

Within a 30 minute drive of Ski-Big 3 and Nakiska:

I love the condos in Canmore - and this is definitely monetarily one of the best deals in a best group. And you have a kitchen and they're so swank. Prices for quadruple occupancy are usually between $120 CAD and $200 CAD per night. A little more expensive than a dorm, but the kitchen alone is totally worth it. My personal favourites are:
the Copperstone Resort - https://www.copperstoneresorthotel.com/
Falcon Ridge Resort - https://www.falconcrestlodge.ca/
also Creekside Village, and Fire Mountain Lodge

DO NOT ever stay at the HI hostel in Canmore. It is beautiful, it's on a ridge overlooking the Bow Valley and simply gorgeous. It has a great kitchen and lounge. BUT it literally has the worst beds I have ever slept on in my life. If you enjoy sleeping on a piece of plywood covered by a bedsheet, this is the place for you. My back needed a holiday after my holiday.

Marmot Basin:

1) The Jasper Downtown Hostel

https://jasperdowntownhostel.ca/

This is a little pricey as far as hostels go - about $40CAD per person per night, but it's the cheapest accommodation you will find in Jasper National Park pretty much. And the hostel is gorgeous and clean and new! We love it hear. Great kitchen too, and fantastic location right in downtown, but still quiet. They've also got private rooms in a variety of configurations. It's on the ski shuttle route too.

2) HI-Jasper

https://hihostels.ca/en/destinations/alberta/hi-jasper

Of the HI hostels on this list, this is the least nice one, but we still like it and stay there. We're staying there this year after the new year for 4 days in a family room. The dorm beds are in massive room, but it's prety quiet and very clean. Rates are about $30 per person per night. One plus is that it's right near cross-country skiing at Whisters campground. But the downside is that it's a ways out of town, so you'll have to have a car ideally to drive around. it's also not on the ski shuttle route either.

Fernie, BC:

1) Raging Elk Hostel

https://ragingelk.com/

It's downtown and it's raging. It's definitely a younger crowd than the other hostels listed here we've stayed at, but still very clean and good prices. About $30 CAD per person per night. The kids liked it here - not sure what that says :smile: It's also in downtown Fernie, which is an awesome place! But you need a car to get to the resort.

2) VRBO in Fernie - it's great and very very reasonable, with accommodation available at the resort.

Kicking Horse - Golden, BC

1) Dreamcatcher Hostel in Golden:

https://dreamcatcherhostel.com/

It's lovely super clean and comfortable. Beds are $32CAD per person per night. They just renovated their bathrooms, and they have laundry facilities which is a bonus for multi-day ski trips! It's in downtown Golden, so you need a car for KH.

2) Golden is motel land! You can get innumberable rooms for about $60-$80 CAD for double occupancy. The ones we can vouch for and we like include: the Premier Inn; the Holiday Inn Express; the Pinewood Inn, and the Brookside Motel.

3) If B&Bs are a thing for you, them there's also the Auberge Kicking Horse - nice host and great breakfasts! About $135 CAD for double occupancy, including breakfast https://www.aubergekickinghorse.com

That's it for now - hope that helps your list!
 

SallyCat

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@Albertan ski girl that is a fantastic overview! Thank you so much for taking the time to do that!

I am still working on the project, but holy heck am I busy right now!

I'm thoroughly enjoying everything I'm doing at the moment, but have to admit to utter failure at being a lazy, shiftless, ski bum!

I mean, I TRIED to retire at age 49, but apparently, you "need money to do things", blah, blah, blah, so I got a job (in addition to the one I already had) and then agreed to become an EMT and then also do pro bono social media work for a local nonprofit. And now I get, like, four hours of sleep a night.

But the hostel project is still very much in the works; I will build it bit by bit in the little slivers of time I have free, so thank you for contributing!
 

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