canmore lodging
 

Looking into going to Banff/Calgary area.
Lodging looks ridiculous at both places. Canmore looks as if to have decent lodging at better prices (don't have to stay at a resort) Have seen a few places on websites but would like some feedback if possible.
How would the weather be in say, September. Rates seem to drop some - are attractions still open then. Never been to Canada - looks absolutely fabulous!

Hello riddlekitty2,

Yes, attractions are still open in September.

The average daily high in Banff in September is 59 deg F, but the highest temperature recorded in that month in the last 70 years was 86 deg F.

The average daily low temperature for the month is 35 deg F, but the lowest temperature in the last 70 years was 2 deg F.

You are right that Canmore tends to me more affordable than Banff and Lake Louise. Yet Canmore is close enough to Banff National Park that it can be used as a base for seeing Banff and Lake Louise. I have a fondness for Lady Macdonald Country Inn and Georgetown Inn.

But I do feel a bit guilty plugging the same Canmore properties again and again. A great deal of accommodation has been built in Canmore in the last few years, and there are many new places I am not familiar with.

If time permits, it would be great to see Jasper, but that is a sufficient distance away that it really isn't feasible to see it from a base in Canmore. Jasper has a good stock of what are called "home accommodations." They are like B&Bs but without the breakfast. Some of them come with kithens or kitchenettes so you can prepare your own breakfast. You can find them by doing a Google search for HOME ACCOMMODATION + JASPER. Two such properties that have received good reviews on this forum are 105 Patricia Street and Crayston's.

When you're looking at hotel rates, make sure you understand whether prices are being quoted in U.S. dollars or Canadian dollars. If you're looking at a hotel's own web site (as opposed to Expedia, Travelocity, etc.), the rate usually is posted in Canadian dollars.

If you stay in a hotel, 7% GST and 5% Alberta room tax will be added to the rate that's quoted on a web site. If you live outside of Canada, there is a form that you can use to claim a rebate of the GST portion of your accommodation rate and the GST that you've paid on purchases of most durable goods that you take home with you.

Beware the GST refund claim forms that you'll find in racks of tourist brochures. Those forms are not government-issued forms. Rather they belong to companies that submit the claim on your behalf and skim an administration fee off the refund. You can get the government-issued form, for which there is no processing fee, here:

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tax/nonresi...ors/tax-e.html

Most home accommodations have a small enough annual turnover that they fall into the category of businesses that do not have to collect GST from their customers. If I remember correctly, they don't charge 5% room tax on their accommodation either, but don't quote me on that.

Hope that helps.

I can confirm Judy's recommendation of the Georgetown Inn, as we followed her suggestion and stayed there the first 2 nights of our recent holiday. We stayed in an "Albert" room, with a king size bed, comfortable lounge area and spacious bathroom with jet bath. They serve a decent breakfast and evening meals either in the dining room, or the informal "Miners lamp" pub.

http://www.georgetowninn.net/about.html

I think if (or should I say "when") we go again, I'd be tempted to use Canmore as a base, for visiting the Banff area. We realy liked the place and found it less touristy than Banff.

Riddlekitty2 - it is absolutely fabulous!!

Thanks a bunch for all the information.
The Georgetown Inn does look wonderful.
I usually rely on guide books or brochures for my travel plans but there just isn't much out there for this area. Most guides books are for Toronto, etc. and not a lot of websites willing to send information. So anything I can find out from folks who know what they're talking about is greatly appreciated.
What activities, other than just gasping at the scenery could anyone recommend? Not much for extended hiking by the way. Thanks!

I'm surprised that you were unable to find guide books and brochures on the Rockies, because it's one of Canada's top tourist attractions. Although, because you mentioned that a lot of the information was about Toronto makes me think that you could have been looking for info on "Canada", and not "Alberta". If you search for guide books and brochures on the province of Alberta, or the Canadian Rockies, or even "Western Canada", you might find a lot more of what you're looking for!

I went on a trip to the area last weekend, and decided to use Priceline to bid on a hotel in Calgary, as it's a lot cheaper than anything in Banff or Canmore. However, it is 1.5 hours to the east.

You cannot use Calgary as a base, but if you just need one night stay in the area and want to save some money to get a good hotel, then you may want to think about Pricelining Calgary. [Okay, I invented a verb here. ;) ]

I paid US$45+tax (total about $55) for the Marriott in downtown Calgary. But by September, Canmore may be more affordable than in July.