Hostels in Alberta, Canada

I actually enjoyed my stay at this hostel. The staff are very accommodating and welcoming. I stayed in a room with mix men and women. I was surprised at first if I am in the wrong room because when I went in the room there were women. I just confirmed that it was the right room when I saw another male. So, 2 males 4 females. They were actually very kind and they respect each other for example they do not disturb another person because he/she might be resting. It is also good to meet other people of different nationalities. They have a kitchen that we can use. I had 2 breakfasts and it was pretty much a bonus for me. Breakfast was good. They also have their own bar where you cane eat and drink. Overall, amazing!

The hotel is clean and neat. The breakfast offers sufficient choices but some of them does not taste good.

The room is too old, the appearance is not good, the price is very good, the breakfast is acceptable, just average

All the staff were really friendly and helpful, with some good tips on where to go and what to do - was pointed towards some great MTB trails. Kitchen was always cleaned thoroughly after breakfast, the rooms were cleaned regularly and the shower is good. Stayed in a mixed dorm for a week and had a couple of small issues with a ”princess” in the bunk above me - and mentioned it to the staff, who said they would have a word if required. The ”princess” left - so there was no need for them to intervene - but it was good to know that they won't put up with disruptive guests. Location is a short (10min) flat walk from the very centre of Banff - so couldn't ask for a better location.

I stayed at the HI Banff for just 2 nights, and got to experience 2 different ‘types’ of private rooms. I had initially booked online for a 4-6 female dorm (there weren’t any private rooms left on the third agent site when I had placed my booking), but when I asked to be switched to private upon arrival, I was fortunately offered the option to stay at a 6-person dorm - all by myself - for the first night, and then move over to a private log cabin for the second. Both were interesting experiences, and the room decor (especially with the electronic hearth in the log cabin) definitely made you feel like you were staying at a quasi-wilderness hostel. It was fun on the whole, despite the slight inconvenience of having to move between the two nights. Both the shared shower room and the private en suite shower/bathroom were clean and well-maintained, with decent water pressure and hot water supply, which are extremely important things to have when you’re visiting Banff in its subarctic state...! I didn’t use the kitchen or patron the hostel’s restaurant (called Cougar Pete’s), so unfortunately can’t comment on those aspects. I will say, however, that the only downside of this hostel would be its relative distance from downtown Banff (i.e. the centre of Banff Avenue where all the shops and restaurants are located) - it takes a good 20-min uphill walk from Banff Avenue up to Tunnel Mountain Rd where the hostel is located, and for any season that isn’t late spring, summer or early fall (okay, so winter is the biggest issue I guess), I don’t think you’d find walking for 20 plus minutes out in -10 degree Celsius conditions quite the idea of a pleasant stroll, especially after dinner when it’s dark and bitterly cold, lol. There’s of course the option to take public transport (the Roam transit bus), with Bus No. 2 stopping at Douglas Fir station (the hotel right next to HI Banff), but bear in mind this is a bus that comes at 25-minute intervals. So, not the most convenient arrangement, and something to be aware of when planning your itinerary. Overall though, I really enjoyed staying at the HI Banff, and found it a rather lovely experience as a first-time visitor to Banff. On a side but related note, I’ve rarely been let down by the HI chain, and I’ve stayed at more than 7 HI hostels by now...

I was very pleased with our stay. The lady at the front desk was helpful by allowing us to check in earlier. The breakfast was delicious. I would stay there again.

The room was very clean. Inn is in close proximity to everything. But the mattresses are very old and uncomfortable. I read comments about the beds but thought how bad could it be? It was bad. My mattress was extremely uneven. There was a large dip on one half and you could see it when just looking at the bed. You can feel the springs through the mattress too. The bathroom is tiny, and when we got back to our room around 1am there was no hot water only warm. If they would just update the mattresses this would be a lovely place to stay. There is limited onsite parking and only 5 or so parking spaces on the street if you can’t park in the lot. Very friendly, welcoming staff at check in. Room key is a house key, don’t lose it, $100 charge if you do.

I really like this hotel, I have my own free parking lot, the location is very good, and it is very close to banff. The first floor lobby has free coffee hot water and fruit. Sitting on the sofa and watching the scenery is so cool. The room has a small balcony that is perfect for watching the scenery. The room is very clean, very recommended

We needed a pet friendly hotel and found this hotel. I am so glad that we found this place. I am a big supporter of the Choice Hotel group. The price was in our budget. We were given a ground floor room which was perfect! The room was nice and clean and our dog loved it there. We were able to park right in front of the patio doors to our room. The front desk staff were very friendly and very helpful. Right next door to the hotel is a great restaurant...Taste of Persia. They have a great breakfast menu. We will definiety stay there, whenever we are in Edmonton!

Motel is old, but rooms are big, and clean, staff are helpful and friendly. Stayed two nights here in GP and slept well...for the price, can't beat it. The continental is pretty basic, but again, budget stay so you are getting what you pay for.

I actually enjoyed my stay at this hostel. The staff are very accommodating and welcoming. I stayed in a room with mix men and women. I was surprised at first if I am in the wrong room because when I went in the room there were women. I just confirmed that it was the right room when I saw another male. So, 2 males 4 females. They were actually very kind and they respect each other for example they do not disturb another person because he/she might be resting. It is also good to meet other people of different nationalities. They have a kitchen that we can use. I had 2 breakfasts and it was pretty much a bonus for me. Breakfast was good. They also have their own bar where you cane eat and drink. Overall, amazing!

All the staff were really friendly and helpful, with some good tips on where to go and what to do - was pointed towards some great MTB trails. Kitchen was always cleaned thoroughly after breakfast, the rooms were cleaned regularly and the shower is good. Stayed in a mixed dorm for a week and had a couple of small issues with a ”princess” in the bunk above me - and mentioned it to the staff, who said they would have a word if required. The ”princess” left - so there was no need for them to intervene - but it was good to know that they won't put up with disruptive guests. Location is a short (10min) flat walk from the very centre of Banff - so couldn't ask for a better location.

I stayed at the HI Banff for just 2 nights, and got to experience 2 different ‘types’ of private rooms. I had initially booked online for a 4-6 female dorm (there weren’t any private rooms left on the third agent site when I had placed my booking), but when I asked to be switched to private upon arrival, I was fortunately offered the option to stay at a 6-person dorm - all by myself - for the first night, and then move over to a private log cabin for the second. Both were interesting experiences, and the room decor (especially with the electronic hearth in the log cabin) definitely made you feel like you were staying at a quasi-wilderness hostel. It was fun on the whole, despite the slight inconvenience of having to move between the two nights. Both the shared shower room and the private en suite shower/bathroom were clean and well-maintained, with decent water pressure and hot water supply, which are extremely important things to have when you’re visiting Banff in its subarctic state...! I didn’t use the kitchen or patron the hostel’s restaurant (called Cougar Pete’s), so unfortunately can’t comment on those aspects. I will say, however, that the only downside of this hostel would be its relative distance from downtown Banff (i.e. the centre of Banff Avenue where all the shops and restaurants are located) - it takes a good 20-min uphill walk from Banff Avenue up to Tunnel Mountain Rd where the hostel is located, and for any season that isn’t late spring, summer or early fall (okay, so winter is the biggest issue I guess), I don’t think you’d find walking for 20 plus minutes out in -10 degree Celsius conditions quite the idea of a pleasant stroll, especially after dinner when it’s dark and bitterly cold, lol. There’s of course the option to take public transport (the Roam transit bus), with Bus No. 2 stopping at Douglas Fir station (the hotel right next to HI Banff), but bear in mind this is a bus that comes at 25-minute intervals. So, not the most convenient arrangement, and something to be aware of when planning your itinerary. Overall though, I really enjoyed staying at the HI Banff, and found it a rather lovely experience as a first-time visitor to Banff. On a side but related note, I’ve rarely been let down by the HI chain, and I’ve stayed at more than 7 HI hostels by now...

The hotel is quiet on the west side of town. Give us three bus tickets for six days, you can sit on the 1st and 2nd roads, and you can go to nearby attractions by bus. A & W fast food restaurant (similar to McDonald's), gas station and convenience store are nearby. The interior space is large, the bathroom and toilet are clean, there is a microwave oven and a small refrigerator. Wifi speed is good. The overall experience is excellent. If you come again, you can also book this home.

The hotel is clean and neat. The breakfast offers sufficient choices but some of them does not taste good.

We needed a pet friendly hotel and found this hotel. I am so glad that we found this place. I am a big supporter of the Choice Hotel group. The price was in our budget. We were given a ground floor room which was perfect! The room was nice and clean and our dog loved it there. We were able to park right in front of the patio doors to our room. The front desk staff were very friendly and very helpful. Right next door to the hotel is a great restaurant...Taste of Persia. They have a great breakfast menu. We will definiety stay there, whenever we are in Edmonton!

You get what you paid for. If you are looking for a very affordable place to stay and your only concern is your budget then this is your go to place in Edmonton area. Location wise, it is in an odd place and there aren't shops close to this location so you'll have to go out and drive if you need to buy something. With regards to service, they went above and beyond my requests and are super friendly and welcoming. I requested for a portable heater because they have no way to adjust the heat temp in each room (it's centralized) and they offered me this option for free. Their TVs are smart TV and I'm super amazed because you don't get this in bigger 3 star hotels where you pay almost double the price of what you pay here! You will just have to request in the front desk for the TV's remote control if you want to use the smart tv features like logging in on your streaming apps or casting/mirroring videos from your phone or tablets to the TV's screen..

Staff were friendly, check in was great. First night was good/decent got back after the cleaners were there. Our “clean” blankets were gross, stained, lint balls, gross. I have pictures, there was also a gross Kleenex rag left on my bed by the cleaners that had a gross brown mucus ball in it. Will never go back, my normal hotel in the area was all booked up. Literally felt like I was gonna get stabbed in this hotel. I’m sure there’s better hotels for 100/night

Excellent logistics provided during our event held at this hotel. We recomend this hotel for the organisation of any business meeting. We have been treated with professionalism by the staff of this hotel. If you need a venue in Edmonton, this is the place to go. AITnet.ca

I previously stayed here back in 1999. I remember the receptionist told me off when I got there because I did not prebook with a long lecture. This was in the days when you had to find a pay phone and ring and book, and Via Rail who normally arrive around 11 were in the habit of arriving sometimes a day late.   This time the complete opposite experience happened when had to suddenly detour to Edmonton after Via Rail informed those of us on board that Jasper had been evacuated due to fire and the train was stopping in Saskatoon before returning to Winnipeg. Finding free Wi-fi at a petrol station the bus stopped at for five minutes I was able to book a room (although it's a lengthy process the HI Canada site needs to cut this down for this sort of scenario). A lot of stressed people arriving at the hostel were in this situation having fled from Jasper or trying to work out what to do if on way, and the awesome female staff member on reception handled this busy situation extremely professionally and efficiently. She also helped out later that night whenever approached the receoptin desk with advice on which bus stop was closer or easier to get to, to catch a bus to Calgary (to get to Canmore/Banff (which were selling fast). She waited until the booking went through for the bus in case I had to work something else out before processing extending my stay at HI Edmonton another night so I could keep the same bed. The hostel itself is great, although a little utilitarian in decor like a lot of HI hostels f, but really who cares about that. Full length lockers in room to fit 90L backpack Great free Wi-fi (which was needed after bus and Via Rail not having any). Dorm bed (in mixed dorm) was very comfortable. It is in a residential neighbourhood on the southern side of the river but only a couple of blocks walk to a city bus to Southgate Transit Centre (local buses cost $3.50 by the way). Downtown stop for intercity buses, local bus stop even closer. Easy walk across the river on High Level Bridge (a few blocks north) to downtown. Supermarket close as well. You get free various flavours of Kelluggs Nutrigrain breakfast bars or porridge for breakfast. There's a games room with pool tables, a TV room, both of which no one used while I was there. A living room type thing (got used a lot), kitchen. Plenty of places to plug in and charge devices.

The room is too old, the appearance is not good, the price is very good, the breakfast is acceptable, just average

Very clean hostel with great, helpful staff. It's in a really good location close to downtown and has a supermarket across the road. It's great for solo travellers as it allows you to meet lots of new people from all over the globe. Breakfast was good for a hostel but if you didn't want the free breakfast there's a Tim Hortons across the street.

Visting friends in Calgary as part of a week-long road trip from Washington State. Along River Ridge turned up in searches and sounded perfect. We received detailed instructions via email well in advance of our stay. These proved useful as there were a couple things that would have been easy to miss. A bike path runs between the street and driveway, and you need to back out of driveway, so we were very cautious. There were only three parking spaces but on-street parking was plentiful. We were in the King Suite which has a shared kitchen area with the Queen Suite. The kitchen provided everything we needed in that department - mugs, glasses, plates, snacks. They were clear on what to expect for breakfast, so we weren't expecting a hot cooked meal. We had fruit, yogurt and cereal and ate a big lunch when we went out! (try Angel's Cafe...). I had a couple minor questions about the room which were quickly answered through email, so the lack of on-site host was not an issue. The tub was wonderful, the shower had rain head and handheld. Bed was comfortable. Fireplace did not work but I suspect they had gas turned off for summer, so we did not call about it and it did not impact our stay. The fridge in the room has a freezer compartment but it was overdue for defrosting so I could not refreeze our cooler blocks. But since most in-room fridges don't have freezer compartments I let this one slide. Overall, happy to give a big thumbs up.