Where NOT To Stay In Banff And How To Watch Out For Cheap Hotels

There is so much to do in Banff! It all depends on where to go and what to do when you’re in Banff – but it can be overwhelming when you are searching for deals on Banff hotels. It’s hard to decipher where not to stay in Banff and which “cheap” hotels to avoid.

If you haven’t been before, Banff is absolutely gorgeous in all the seasons – spring, summer, fall or winter! It’s mostly known for its ski hills and winter landscape, but I highly recommend going in the fall when the leaves are changing colours. It’s a beautiful sight!

Now, I’m normally a planner (I’m the super organized planner in my friends group) so I like to take into consideration all the elements and places we want to visit when we go on a girls trip like this one that we took to banff. I also like nice things, I appreciate a comfy bed and a decent breakfast when I book my hotel visits.

When I was choosing a downtown Banff hotel to stay the Brewster’s Mountain Lodge came to mind! It’s in the middle of the Banff main street and it is across from some of my favourite restaurants. And it had a great deal on for one nights stay during the summer!

The cons of the Brewster’s Mountain Lodge were the beds were firm, our room faced the parkade and the street lights were blaring through the curtains, and I could hear loud people shouting outside in the parkade well past midnight.

We only stayed one night at Brewster’s Mountain Lodge, it served it’s purpose but I would not recommend staying there in the future. 

Here’s a quick layout of our trip before you see for yourself through my photo journal:

DAY 1 | We arrived at Banff at noon and immediately ate lunch at Eddie Burger + Bar – I ordered the chicken burger and was not impressed with it. But the regular burgers seemed like those were their expertise. Then we drove over to the Johnston Canyon hiking paths. We hiked first to the upper fall, then stopped at the lower falls on the way down. It was August and rainy, so there were almost no tourists and it was a quiet hike. We checked into our Banff hotel after 3PM and headed to dinner at Magpie + Stump . One of the best Banff restaurants is the Magpie + Stump for Mexican food – my mouth is watering thinking about it.

DAY 2 | We checked out of the Brewster’s Mountain Lodge and headed across the street to the Wild Flour Bakery for delicious dark chocolate mochas and breakfast sandwiches. The continental breakfasts at The Brewster’s Lodge was sad and pitiful, so be prepared to outsource your own breakfasts. Then we walked along the river to the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel. Where we enjoyed afternoon tea in the tea room overlooking the terrace at the Fairmont. It was a beautiful experience!

Tell me, what are your good and bad experiences when staying at a Banff hotel? 

If you like this post, check out my Top 5 Places To Visit In Banff With Kids post before you go!

Make sure you pin this travel post on Pinterest so you can come back to it later!