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Where to Stay

Jasper is a tiny town with a disproportionately large number of hotels. Every second building seems to host accommodations of some type, and you should have no problem finding a room to suit your taste and budget. However, keep in mind that the town is often booked solid during summer long weekends and the winter holiday season. Advance reservations are a necessity.

Because Jasper is a seasonal town, room availability and rates fluctuate. Prices often double during Christmas vacation. During the winter ski season hotels are packed with rowdy skiers and snowboarders who come to enjoy the deep powder of Marmot Basin during the day and the wild nightlife of downtown after dark. If you are planning on a quiet family or romantic getaway, it is best to avoid the university spring break season (February 6-22), as well as the first two weekends in January. During these times, the town takes on a festive atmosphere, and the drunken carolling of vacationing university students can last through the night.

Jasper is one of the nicest small towns you could ever hope to visit. Hotels can be found on the main streets, in the residential areas, at the ski hill, and even alongside lakes in the middle of the wilderness. Jasper National Park, which surrounds the town, has a number of hostels for the more adventurous traveller, and for the truly rustic, the park has cabins with no running water or electricity. The Jasper International Hostel at the base of the Whistlers Mountain Tramway is a great place for planning and staging hiking or climbing trips, and the Maligne Canyon Hostels offer a bare-bones shelter with only the most minimal modern luxuries and distractions. Should you feel like getting even closer to nature, there are government and privately operated campgrounds surrounding the town and scattered throughout the park. If you are planning on camping, visit the Park Information Centre and inquire about the current campground conditions before you set off.

If you would like to have all the amenities of a big hotel without the impersonal feel, then you might be interested in staying at a bed and breakfast or approved accommodations. Approved accommodations are private homes with attached suites for rent to tourists. They are generally cheaper than hotel rooms and offer much more local character. All approved accommodations must meet Jasper Chamber of Commerce standards. Most are located in historical buildings within a few blocks of the downtown core and feature kitchens, one or two bedrooms and well-appointed living rooms. Often the approved accommodation hosts will share secrets on the best restaurants and activities.

The majority of the larger hotels and motels share the north end of town, sandwiched between the Pyramid Lakes Road and the Athabasca River. Set in shady spruce groves below the bluffs that define the western boundary of town, they boast spectacular views of the mountains surrounding Maligne Lake to the east. This is where you will find the Jasper Inn, the Marmot Lodge, and the Pine Cone Inn. At these hotels you can experience nature, and still be close to the action. In fact, a five-minute walk will take you right to the heart of downtown.

A few historical hotels are located right in the middle of downtown along Patricia Street. The Athabasca Hotel and Whistle Stop Inn have been around almost as long as the town itself, and are well known local landmarks, as well as hosts to two of the town’s more famous drinking establishments: the Atha-B saloon and Whistle Stop Pub. Both hotels are excellent for those intent on catching a little local culture, as they are right in the middle of the bar and club strip.

The undisputed star of the Jasper hotel scene is the luxurious Jasper Park Lodge, built in 1922. Located across the Athabasca River from Jasper and nestled among a chain of small lakes, it is famous for its winter ice-skating and elaborate network of hiking and cross-country ski trails. Although it is only a ten-minute drive from downtown Jasper, the deep silence of the forest makes you feel like you are thousands of miles from civilization.

You wont find many major chains in Jasper and its vicinity, and most lodgings are independently operated. Most every establishment boasts individual character and charm.

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