voyager61

My husband and I are looking for a few suggestions for places to stay in BC or Alberta, either within 5-6 hour driving distance of Washington State or a short flight that offer a very romantic setting/view, good day hiking and good food for a 30th anniversary trip. Prefer $500 a night or under...I know there are a lot of choices, so I'm hoping to get some clarity by hearing your favorites. Thank you!

ltt

fly into calgary, ab and go to banff. certainly can be romantic, tons of hiking and plenty of restaurants.
tofino on vancouver island - longer drive/ferry time then you'd like but you could fly there too.
penticton, bc area on the okanagan lake
salt springs island

note that july 31-august 3 is a holiday weekend in bc and alberta. most popular places will have limited accommodations left so hopefully you aren't traveling then. the border crossing may be busier then normal too.

voyager61

These are great ideas...if you or anyone else has specific accommodations, especially with views, to recommend in Banff or Penticton, please share. Thanks again. Also suggestions for fun activities to add to the day hiking in either area. We're going at the end of August, but thanks for the heads-up on the holiday at the beginning of the month.

kgsneds

Banff or Lake Louise would be great, but I would book ASAP. Even the end of August is still peak season and the nicer/more desirable locations tend to book quickly.

If you can splurge, perhaps the Chateau Lake Louise in Lake Louise. You'd have wonderful hiking at your doorstep, great food and stunning scenery. It's a Fairmont Hotel, so all the perks & service that go with that reputation. The Banff Springs Hotel is a bit 'posher', but not quite the same jaw-dropping scenery. Buffalo Mountain Lodge gets good reviews (Banff).

Another option would be the Emerald Park Lodge just over the border into BC. Hiking trails literally at your doorstep, great location and excellent food. Or Cathedral Mountain Lodge or Baker Creek Chalets.

voyager61

Thank you for the info. I have been trying to figure out if we should just go for one of the Fairmonts up there since this is a big anniversary. I think we just might do that for a couple of nights, but then go somewhere more low key/affordable afterwards, maybe in Jasper.

ltt

how many days / nights do you have for this trip? splurging on the fairmont lake louise for 2 nights for your anniversary would be special but it's very pricey and you should check if there is anything available. note that parking is about an extra $25/night. if i was putting out that much money anyways, i'd want to pay to have a lake view room. otherwise, there are plenty of less expensive places to stay in banff. slightly out of town but with great views is the rimrock hotel. i prefer to stay in town so you can park the car at the end of the day and walk to restaurants and shops in the evenings. jasper has less accommodation options as it is smaller and so prices and availability can be worse then banff. google "reviews of banff hotels". lots of information there.
penticton area - we usually rent homes there so can't give any suggestions, but again, google "reviews of penticton hotels" (also look at naramata, summerland, peachland).

cuteoldgal1

Buffalo Mountain. lodge would be my choice!