Hotels in Alberta

Sandwiched between the Rockies and the prairies, Alberta has a wealth of visually stunning locations and cultural offerings. Of Canada's 13 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Alberta is gifted with 5 such special sites: Dinosaur Provincial Park, Waterton Glacier International Peace Park, Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, Wood Buffalo National Park, and Head Smashed-in Buffalo Jump - World Heritage Site. Of course, in Banff National Park, Lake Louise is a go-to Canadian family skiing hotspot. For exciting urban adventures, try the city of Edmonton, home to an impressive number of museums and galleries, or check out the famous Calgary Stampede for the Canadian version of ‘The Wild West’ rodeo!

Hotels in Alberta

You’re spoiled for choice when it comes to finding hotels in Alberta; even 5-star hotels are reasonably priced compared to most Canadian travel destinations. Luxury hotels in Alberta, such as the breathtaking Rimrock Resort Hotel in Banff, or gorgeously styled Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge in Jasper, combine high-quality service and amenities with stunning surroundings. Cheap Alberta hotels are aplenty in Calgary where you can stay comfortably at the Calgary Marriott Downtown Hotel or check out the pocket-friendly Sutton Place Hotel in Edmonton for excellent Alberta hotel deals.

Things to see in Alberta

Dinosaur Provincial Park, one of the world's richest dinosaur fossil fields, has yielded over 500 specimens. Dinosaur P, park is truly an excellent family camping getaway: kids will be delighted by day-time tours and walks featuring fossils and the paleontological history of the badlands. Another must-see in this province is Jasper National Park: where else in the world would you be able to drive between ancient glaciers? The Icefields Parkway straddling the Continental Divide is the place for this unique experience of a lifetime. Attracting international visitors, the Lethbridge Japanese Gardens is another place worth visiting. These magnificent gardens were built to honour the history of Japanese-Canadians interned in Lethbridge during World War II.

Where to stay in Alberta

The first city in Canada to host the Olympics, Calgary’s amenities and cultural offerings are vast: you can see the Calgary Flames face-off with other highly ranked hockey teams like the Edmonton Oilers, enjoy Canada’s third largest ballet company, or you can shop at the Olympic plaza. In Edmonton, you can visit and delight in the spectacle that is the largest mall in North America: the West Edmonton Mall. Shopping is the least of what you can do here for family fun: there are theme parks, water-slides, movie theatres, golf, and of course skating rinks. For a cultural experience, go to Medicine Hat and see the world’s tallest teepee, “the Saamis Teepee”, or spend time drag racing with the locals.

How to get to Alberta

There are numerous direct fights, international and connecting flights to Calgary International Airport or to Edmonton International Airport. Greyhound buses and Via Rail trains are also highly accessible and budget-friendly ways to get to Alberta. If you’re driving from the Eastern USA, take Freeway 15 to highway 4 to get to Lethbridge, or continue on to Calgary by taking Provincial highway 24 until you hit the TransCanada Highway (highway 1) straight to downtown Calgary. From Toronto, take highway 400 to highway 69 and then take highway 69 North, to Sudbury. From there, take highway 17 West to Sault St. Marie and then highway 17 North towards Thunder Bay where you get on the TransCanada Highway 1 directly into Calgary.