Schmap Calgary Where to Stay

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Calgary - Where to Stay
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Calgary Home
Schmap Calgary guide and map

When finding a place to stay in Calgary, your choice of activities will likely play a major factor in picking an area to stay. The most luxurious accommodations, which are also surrounded by the best dining and entertainment in town, can be found in the Downtown and Eau Claire districts. For those desiring the peace and quiet of a romantic getaway, one of the hundreds of bed and breakfasts scattered throughout the city and Rocky Mountain Foothills can satisfy even the most demanding guest. Hotels catering to business travelers and conventions can be found near the Calgary International Airport and in the Banff Trail area. Adventurers may prefer the lodging in the Bowness region for its proximity to the mountains of Banff and Kananaskis Country.

Downtown

Built by the Canadian National rail company, the first major hotel in Calgary wined and dined investors before introducing them to the splendour of the mountains. The Palliser Hotel still stands as a monument to the faded railroad history which first put Calgary on the map. Although airplanes have replaced trains in transporting travellers to Banff, the Palliser Hotel continues to provide luxurious accommodations for those who desire nothing but the best, along with such newer hotels as the Sheraton Cavalier and the Westin Calgary.

Bowness

Adventurers and skiers on their way to Banff can watch the rising sun blaze scarlet off the eastern slopes of the Rockies from the balconies of the Bowness hotels. Conveniently located beside the Trans-Canada Highway directly across from Canada Olympic Park,these hotels offer easy access to the mountains while still allowing you the pleasures of Calgary nightlife. These hotels are best suited to travelers with their own vehicles, as it is a lengthy bus ride to Downtown or a C-Train station and taxi service is often slow to arrive this far from the city center.

Macleod Trail

If you want to be right in the thick of the action, the hotels along the Macleod Trail Strip are located amongst the biggest shopping centers and nightclubs in Calgary, and are only a five-minute drive from the Stampede Grounds, the Saddledome and Downtown. Most of these hotels are moderately priced franchises of large international chains, and are a good place to stay while enjoying the sporting events and festivals in the Stampede area. There are several C-Train stations close to the hotels, which allow for quick and easy access to downtown.

Bed and Breakfasts

If you feel like something a little more laid-back than a big hotel, try one of the more than 100 bed and breakfasts scattered throughout the city. Each has a unique charm and personality, and service is generally better than that in hotels. Most are a little more expensive than comparable hotel lodging, but it is well worth it for the warmth and comfort.

Banff Trail

The Banff Trail hotels cater to business travelers who want to be close to the Downtown business district, but want a more affordable stay with modern amenities. Located beside the Banff Trail C-Train station, which whisks commuters to the heart of downtown in less than five minutes, all are almost brand new, and most feature high-speed Internet access as well as virtual office services. These hotels are also popular with football fans, as they are right across the street from McMahon Stadium and the University of Calgary. Early reservations are very important during the football playoffs in October and November when exuberant fans flood the area.

Airport

If you are flying into Calgary and are only planning to stay overnight, a cluster of hotels near the airport can save you the 20-minute cab ride into town. Complete with a selection of chain and independent restaurants, as well as most of the city's warehouse-style shopping, the area around the airport could be considered a city independent from the rest of Calgary. Many of the hotels here cater to business travellers who want quick and efficient service and don't want any hassles. Many of these hotels have virtual office services including equipment rentals and high speed Internet connection.

There are several times of the year when it is vitally important to make your hotel booking far in advance. During the Calgary Stampede, which lasts from July 4-10 every year, almost every hotel room in the city will be booked as thousands of rodeo fans flood into town. If you are visiting the city and are not in the rodeo spirit, it might be advisable to book a bed and breakfast out in the country, as the revelry is loud, boisterous and affects nearly every part of the city. Similarly, during years that the Canadian Football League's Grey Cup is held in Calgary, accommodation becomes quite scarce.

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Calgary Stampede

The greatest outdoor show

Stampede Park
Calgary, AB T2P 2K8
Canada
+1 403 261-0101(Info) / +1 403 269-9822 (Tickets) / +1 800 661 1767 (Tickets)
www.calgarystampede.com

More than a million people pass through the gates of Stampede Park each July to enjoy what's billed as the greatest outdoor show on earth: a rodeo, carnival, midway, agricultural fair and street party packed into the confines of a downtown park. This event really lives up to its billing and absolutely takes over the city, with locals and visitors alike going cowboy for ten days.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Mike Chen

Photo: kris krüg

Calgary Stampede photo by Michael Surtees

Photo: Michael Surtees

Calgary Stampede photo by rare_method2007

Photo: rare_method2007

Calgary Stampede photo by Roberta McDonald

Photo: Roberta McDonald

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Calgary Stampede photo by Ian H. Neilson

Photo: Ian H. Neilson

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Calgary Stampede photo by Maria Teresa Michelangeli

Photo: Maria Teresa Michelangeli

Calgary Stampede photo by Bill Nadraszky

Photo: Bill Nadraszky

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Calgary Stampede photo by Alistair Henning

Photo: Alistair Henning

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Calgary Stampede photo by YatesLaberge.com

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Calgary Stampede photo by Kristel Dekkers

Photo: Kristel Dekkers

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Calgary Stampede photo by Larry McClements

Photo: Larry McClements

Calgary Stampede photo by Paul Melting Tallow

Photo: Paul Melting Tallow

Calgary Stampede photo by Asamanja Mallik

Photo: Asamanja Mallik

Canada Olympic Park

Calgary's Olympic site 88 Canada Olympic Road Southwest
Calgary, AB T3B 5R5
Canada
+1 403 247 5452
http://www.coda.ab.ca/ These facilities are used both by high-performance winter athletes and by ordinary, adventurous, Calgarians. The bobsled track immortalized by four crazed Jamaican sledders continues to be used for World Cup events. The downhill ski slope is a popular entry-level spot for skiers, while the half-pipe area crawls with local snowboarders. The park also gets steady summer use by cross-country and downhill mountain bike racers. Inside the main COP building there is a restaurant/bar and the Olympic Hall of Fame and Museum. Park admission is free; activities vary in price.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Fairmont Palliser

Luxury in an old railway hotel 133 9th Ave Southwest
Calgary, AB T2P 2M3
Canada
+1 403 262 1234
http://www.fairmont.com/palliser/ This stunning railway hotel has been a Calgary landmark and institution for almost a century. Despite its years, it is still considered one of the best hotels in the city. Royalty stay here, as did the top dignitaries during the 1988 Olympics. The hotel has retained much of the oak, marble and crystal grandeur of its early days and remains deeply steeped in history in its public areas. The hotel also offers cozy lounges and one of the finer restaurants in the city.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Shawn Kennedy
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McMahon Stadium

Home of the Stamps 1817 Crowchild Trail Northwest
Calgary, AB T2M 4R6
Canada
+1 403 289 0258 McMahon Stadium is the largest outdoor sports and concert venue in Calgary, with a seating capacity of 35,650. Located between the University of Calgary and the Banff Trail LRT station, its home teams are the CFL Calgary Stampeders and UofC Dinos football clubs. Used in the 1988 Olympics and host of various concerts over the years, McMahon is best known as the shrine to Calgary's beloved Stamps. Whatever the weather, the stands are packed with maniacal fans, often in varying degrees of drunkeness and undress.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Lesley Lynn Porter
Photo: Connor Bredin

Northeast

Calgary
Canada
The Northeast is separated from the rest of the city by the Deerfoot Trail, a freeway which carries most of Calgary's commuter traffic and is one of the most dangerous roads in Canada. Comprised mostly of older working-class neighborhoods interspersed with industrial areas, the Northeast is the place to find factory-outlet shopping, as well as the Calgary Zoo, Botanical Garden and Prehistoric Park and Calgary International Airport. The area around the airport is currently undergoing heavy development, whose goal is the transformation of a rather seedy district into a comfortable village where air travelers can find all types of accommodation, dining and shopping without ever leaving the area.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Wes Devauld

Westin Calgary

At the heart of the business district 320 4th Avenue South West
Calgary, AB T2P 2S6
Canada
+1 403 266 1611
http://www.westincalgary.com/ This modern twin-tower hotel is a CAA/AAA Four Diamond Award-winner in the heart of Calgary's downtown business district, only a short walk to most major office towers and to numerous downtown amenities and services. The hotel has some of the most flexible and expansive meeting facilities in the city, and its ballroom is often the site of major award and fund-raising dinners. Geared to the business traveller, every room has data ports and two telephones with voice mail, along with in-room refreshment centres and remote-controlled televisions. A fitness centre is on the premises.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Peter Miller
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Other Schmapplets in this city related to "Calgary - Where to Stay"
Calgary
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Calgary - Neighborhood Guide
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