The Best Hotels for First Time Visitors in Banff

Where to Stay on Your First Trip to Banff

Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

Are you looking for a hotel for your first trip to Banff, Alberta? With plenty of activities and sites, this is a great destination for first-time visitors. So if you're deciding where to stay on your first trip to Banff, don't worry, we've got you covered. We've analyzed the hotels in Banff to find out which are the best for first timers based on price, amenities, location, reviews, and guest ratings. In this guide, we'll be showcasing the best hotels for first-time visitors in Banff, taking into consideration all of these important factors. Whether you're traveling solo, with family, or with friends, there's a hotel that caters to every traveler's needs to make the most of your first trip here. So, if you're visiting Banff for the first time, the hotels below will be great options, as many of them have pools, breakfast, and plenty of comforts to help you relax. So, here they are, the best hotels in Banff for first time visitors.

(Prices are listed in U.S. Dollars.)

Fairmont Banff Springs

4-star Resort with prices starting at $1179 (before taxes) - See All Prices
A Good Stay for Your First Trip
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.

Located at 405 Spray Avenue, Fairmont Banff Springs has great rooms from $1179 (before taxes). It offers an outdoor pool, skiing, room service, a restaurant, and a fitness center. It has a terrific 9.10 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. Only 1.4 km from the city center, first time visitors will especially love scuba diving, a bar, parking, hiking, and child care at this relaxing hotel. Getting room service delivered is always a nice luxury.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Skiing
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Spa
  • Child pool
  • Indoor pool
  • Horse riding
  • Spa/Wellness
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Game room
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Tennis
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room
  • Kids' club


View hotels on the map:

Hi Banff Alpine Centre

Hostel with prices starting at $138 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Time in Banff
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 2-star hotels.
  • Family-Friendly

A great place to stay is Hi Banff Alpine Centre which has nice rooms starting at $138. Offering skiing, a restaurant, a bar, hiking, and golf, it also has a great guest rating of 8.40 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at 801 Hidden Ridge Way. This convenient hotel is also nice because it offers a game room, free parking, a pool table, evening entertainment, and laundry facilities which visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 1.8 km from the city center. The restaurant serves delicious food, too. It's also less than the average price for first time trip hotels, so it's a great value.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Skiing
  • Airport shuttle
  • Family-Friendly
  • Spa/Wellness
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Game room
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Refrigerator


Rimrock Banff, Emblems Collection

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $520 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for First-Timers
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 4-star hotels.
  • Heated pool

We found Rimrock Banff, Emblems Collection to be a great place to stay, and the price starts at $520. We loved that is has an outdoor pool, skiing, room service, a restaurant, and a fitness center, and it also has a terrific guest rating of 8.30 out of 10 from previous guests. It's located at 300 Moutain Avenue. You'll also find a bar, parking, hiking, child care, and laundry services which travelers will love. And this fun hotel is just 2.9 km from the center of town. The heated pool is comfortable, relaxing, and fun for everyone.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Skiing
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Spa
  • Indoor pool
  • Horse riding
  • Airport shuttle
  • Spa/Wellness
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Bicycle rental
  • Heated pool
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room
  • Infinity pool


Banff Park Lodge

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $465 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Among the Best Places to Stay for a First Visit to Banff
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for first time trip hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.

With terrific rooms from $465, Banff Park Lodge, at 201 Lynx Street provides skiing, room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, and a bar. Its terrific guest rating is 8.80 out of 10 from previous guests staying here. New visitors will really like this amazing hotel which also offers parking, hiking, child care, laundry services, and golf. It's located just 0.3 km from the city center, too. That hot tub is terrific after a long day of sightseeing. It's a great value, as the price is less than the average for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Skiing
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Indoor pool
  • Horse riding
  • Spa/Wellness
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Elk + Avenue Hotel

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $414 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect Hotel to Make the Most of Your First Visit
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.
  • Family-Friendly

Elk + Avenue Hotel has a great guest rating of 8.50 out of 10, and offers skiing, a restaurant, a bar, parking, and hiking. The great rooms here start at $414 before taxes and depending on the season. It can be found at 333 Banff Avenue. Furthermore, it also offers laundry services, golf, pet-friendly rooms, a hot tub, and a spa, which is nice for first time visitors. Just 0.4 km from the city center, this fantastic hotel is a terrific choice. We found the price of this hotel to be a great value because the price is less than average for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Skiing
  • Parking
  • Spa
  • Horse riding
  • Airport shuttle
  • Family-Friendly
  • Spa/Wellness
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Refrigerator


Moose Hotel and Suites

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $692 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Great Hotel for First Time Visitors
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Heated pool

The great guest rating of Moose Hotel and Suites is 9.00 out of 10. This place has skiing, room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, and a bar. Prices for the terrific rooms are from $692, and it's located at 345 Banff Avenue. We also love the hiking, rooms with kitchenettes, laundry services, golf, and pet-friendly rooms which are great for visitors. And since it's just 0.5 km from the center of the town, the location is great, too. Having a kitchenette is a nice way for you to have some meals in the room, too.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Skiing
  • Room service
  • Spa
  • Indoor pool
  • Spa/Wellness
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Kitchenette
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Banff Ptarmigan Inn

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $429 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Visit to Banff
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.

A cool place is Banff Ptarmigan Inn because it has great rooms that start at $429. It has skiing, room service, a restaurant, a bar, and hiking, it also earned a great guest rating of 8.20 out of 10 from people who have stayed here before. It's found at 337 Banff Avenue. Only 0.4 km from the city center, travelers will especially love laundry services, golf, pet-friendly rooms, a hot tub, and free parking at this convenient hotel. It's also less than the average price for first time trip hotels, so it's a great value.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Skiing
  • Room service
  • Spa/Wellness
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Refrigerator


Banff Caribou Lodge & Spa

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $409 (before taxes) - See All Prices
A Good Stay for Your First Trip
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.
  • Family-Friendly
  • Heated pool

Banff Caribou Lodge & Spa offers skiing, room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, and a bar which we really like. The terrific rooms here start at $409 (before taxes). It's located at 521 Banff Avenue and has earned a guest rating of 8.00/10. This fun hotel is also nice because it offers hiking, laundry services, golf, pet-friendly rooms, and a hot tub which new visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 1.1 km from the city center. It's a great value, too, because it's less than the average price for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Skiing
  • Room service
  • Spa
  • Family-Friendly
  • Spa/Wellness
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Heated pool
  • Refrigerator
  • Playground


Bow View Lodge

2-star Hotel with prices starting at $369 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Time in Banff
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for first time trip hotels.

Located at 228 Bow Avenue, Bow View Lodge has great rooms from $369 (before taxes). It offers skiing, a restaurant, a bar, hiking, and rooms with kitchenettes. It has a terrific 8.00 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. You'll also find laundry services, golf, a hot tub, an indoor pool, and free parking which first time visitors will love. And this amazing hotel is just 0.4 km from the center of town. Having an indoor pool means that you can swim and have fun any time of the year. It's a great value, as the price is less than the average for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Skiing
  • Indoor pool
  • Horse riding
  • Spa/Wellness
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Kitchenette
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Buffalo Mountain Lodge

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $439 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for First-Timers
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.

A great place to stay is Buffalo Mountain Lodge which has nice rooms starting at $439. Offering skiing, room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, and a bar, it also has a great guest rating of 8.90 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at 700 Tunnel Mountain Road. Visitors will really like this fantastic hotel which also offers hiking, rooms with kitchenettes, child care, laundry services, and a hot tub. It's located just 1.6 km from the city center, too. We found the price of this hotel to be a great value because the price is less than average for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Skiing
  • Room service
  • Spa
  • Spa/Wellness
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Kitchenette
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Also, take a look at the first time trip hotels in nearby destinations: Banff, Canmore, Radium Hot Springs, and Lake Louise.

For more terrific hotel ideas in Banff, make sure you also see Best Family-Friendly Hotels in Banff, Best Luxury Hotels in Banff, Best Pet-Friendly Hotels in Banff, Best Hotels for a Weekend Getaway in Banff, Best Hotels for One Week in Banff, Best Hotels for One Night in Banff, Best Romantic Hotels for Couples in Banff, Best Hotels for Skiing in Banff, or Best Business Hotels in Banff.


How much do hotels for first-time visitors cost in Banff?

Banff Average First Time Trip Hotel Price
$478

Travelers to Banff, Alberta will have a large number of terrific first time trip accommodation options with a variety of great prices. The price of first time trip hotels here can vary by amenities, dates, and the neighborhood. Based on thorough data from 30 first time trip hotels, their average price is a very reasonable $478. If you're interested in more information about hotels here, see our guide to hotel prices in Banff.

The average prices of our suggested first time trip hotels by star rating:

  • 4-star hotels: $637
  • 3-star hotels: $454
  • 2-star hotels: $268


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