hmballz

Are there any decent hotels in or around Jasper besides the Fairmont (way too expensive!)? We are making a trip in June and would love to stay in a hotel for 2 nights...

Borealis

Yes, there are quite a few interesting options in terms of accommodation in Jasper.
Are you set on staying in a hotel?
There are other types of accommodation available, including cabins, motel-type places, inns and B&Bs.
We like Becker's Chalets ("cabins" = actually the newer ones look like fourplexes, all have kitchens, there is a dining room/restaurant on site). Becker's Chalets are located approximately 3 miles south of Jasper townsite right next to Athabasca River - a quiet tranquil spot.
Pyramid Lake Resort is a newer place that has comfortable accommodation (it has units with kitchenettes and also "standard" units that are more like a hotel room.) It's located north of Jasper townsite, about 3 miles or so, and is on a hillside overlooking a lake - very pretty spot (we have seen black bears and moose roaming around the resort grounds! - oh, and at Becker's we regularly see elk and deer).

Jasper is a tourist destination that is quite distant from any other town, so it has plenty of accommodation. However, because it is in a National Park, there is a restriction on the amount of new development, and that generally raises the room rates.

For an overview and ideas for other places to stay, check out this website:

http://www.explorealberta.com/

detraveler

I have stayed at the Jasper Inn in the downtown area of Jasper. We stayed in the newest wing a couple of years ago in a loft suite. It was a very nice room and much less expensive than the Jasper Park Lodge. We ate at the restaurant where the Becker Chalets are located. It was a beautiful spot at sunset and the food was great. You might consider there as well.

jimmoi

I always thought the Sawridge was a pretty good deal for the bucks. But remember, NOTHING in Jasper is "cheap"

BookemDano

We were in Jasper last July and booked the Chateau Jasper as is was next highest rated hotel after the Jasper Park Lodge according to a travel handbook. When we got there, we were terribly disappointed. So much so that we called the JPL and hoped for the best. The reservationist was able to book us a rate of $165 CAD. I'm not sure what your budget is, but maybe you could try it and see what happens. It was a beautiful hotel.

Borealis

BookemDano - which travel handbook was it that gave you such bad information? And what was it that 'terribly disappointed" you about Chateau Jasper??
These type of details may help others who are looking for accommodation information for Jasper.

Your comment about the "rating" of Chateau Jasper started me thinking about rating systems. It helps to know who did the rating and how they arrived at their conclusions. For example, the website that I provided in my earlier posting (above) is the official Alberta accommodation website, and it gives ratings only for SOME accommodation. I checked into that and found that the ratings (Canada Select) are for properties that voluntarily participate in the rating program, and the stars awarded refer to cleanliness, comfort and level of amenities and service available (one to five stars, more amenities = more stars).

Although Jasper Park Lodge is a beautiful place to stay (location, amenities etc), their rates are two to three times higher than most other accommodation available in Jasper, but their facilities aren't two to three times as nice. In my opinion, it is a bit of a rip-off. People who have never been in Jasper usually choose to stay there because of their own "comfort zone", at that price it is guaranteed to be acceptable accommodation whereas in their minds there are too many "unknowns" for other hotels.

By the way, we have stayed at JPL on numerous occasions, but only in the off season when their rates are more reasonable.

I did a bit of browsing of websites for accommodation in Jasper. The website for Chateau Jasper wasn't very informative or useful, so I guess that it isn't too surprising that you were disappointed.
However, the Sawridge (which someone else mentioned) has a very good website and the rooms actually look nicer than the ones that we've been in at Jasper Park Lodge!! . . . may have to give it a try next time that we are in Jasper .

ghutton

Try Alpine Village, about 2 km south of the town for a real special treat. Great value for your $ compared to JPL with great log cabins with fireplaces and kitchens. Some of the units are real upscale, but not the prices, and some cabins are older but cute and less expensive. This place seems to be a real find as it is off the main road. I beleive it is still a family run business as well.

luna

We live in Edmonton, and we stay at Becker's when we go up in the warm weather, and at the Jasper Inn in the winter. Both are excellent - high standards of cleanliness, great rooms, fireplaces, and cooking facilities. The Jasper Inn is right in the town of Jasper, while Becker's is a 6-or-7-minute drive from the west end of the town.

maj

We had a not so great experience with Alpine Village. We had confirmed reservations for 3 nights and when we arrived we found out that someone there had made a mistake and only made them for 2 nights (they were aware of their mistake before we arrived), therefore we were told we would have to find another place to stay the third night. Luckily it wasn't the peak season and we found another cabin available (although about $40 more). It still wasn't convenient to have to move. Although they were "very sorry" and "this never happens" we were not offered any conpensation for our inconvenience and the additional rate of the other cabin--the attitude was "sorry this happened, but there's nothing we can do about it". The cabin at Alpine Village was very small and the bathroom floor was sticky. When we moved to Becker's, we were very disappointed that we hadn't just stayed there the whole time, even at the increased rate. There is much more to offer there. Mistakes happen, but I would hate to be planning a vacation when that area is very crowded and find myself without a room I had planned on. I don't know when they found out about their mistake, but they knew about it by the time we arrived there--and never tried to call us before our arrival. I know people have stayed at Alpine Village and liked it--which was one of the reasons we went there (plus it was a little more reasonable), but sometimes you get what you pay for.

IslandGrl

Hi there: I also highly recommend Becker's Chalets. The location is breathtaking and the rates quite reasonable as I remember. I stayed in one of the original cottages -- very basic and rustic, but cozy and fun. The newer chalets looked very comfortable and nice. It's about a five minute drive into town.

ghutton

Becker's is nice, if you don't end up with the cabins beside the road (our bad experience). Too bad about the negative expereince one writter had about Alpine Village as we really love this place, as does our fiends and family. We have been going there for years and never had any problems. I guess everyone can make mistakes. I just like the fact that there is no trafic noise, no buses idling outside your cabin, no extra trafic from restaurants and what not that I found at Becker's, and all the hotels in Town, and more privacy with the cabins. They just did major renovations last year (maybe this is why there was a mix-up- still not acceptable, but these things happen) on some of their older cabins and now have the best larger cabins in the park. Book early as they are alway full and it can be tough to get the best cabins if you wait until too late (a couple of months we've found).