Elk and Avenue in Banff: Hotel Review

Elk + Avenue Hotel on Banff Ave is one of the best places to stay in Downtown Banff. If you’re wondering where to stay in Banff, you should put this hotel on your shortlist.

This is the first hotel we ever stayed in when we first visited Banff years ago. The Elk and Avenue Hotel is situated right on Banff Ave, the main street in Banff. It’s also surrounded by spectacular mountain scenery, and Mount Rundle may be the first thing you see in the morning and the last thing you see at night. You can enjoy the best of all worlds from your cozy and convenient base at the Elk and Avenue Hotel.

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Elk and Avenue Quick Details

• Address: 333 Banff Ave
• Neighborhood: Right on Banff Ave, only steps away from great shopping and restaurants.
• Booking.com:  Elk + Avenue Hotel
• Expedia: Elk + Avenue Hotel

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Why Book the Elk + Avenue Hotel?

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You Don’t Have to Leave the Hotel to Search for Great Dining

While it’s true that the town of Banff has many fantastic restaurants, sometimes you just want to stay in and enjoy a meal at your hotel without having to fuss over parking or wandering out into the cold.

At the Elk + Avenue Hotel, you don’t have to worry about finding great dining because great dining is right on-site. Delicious, fresh, relaxing, and quintessential Canadian Rocky Mountain charm, are some of the words that describe the hotel’s signature restaurant, Farm & Fire.

At this popular dining establishment, the claim to fame is the wood-fired dishes made with Canadian-grown ingredients. The Fireside Lounge is the perfect place to enjoy a post-adventure nightcap next to a roaring fire.

If it’s caffeine you crave, the attached Good Earth Coffeehouse is where you’ll find fresh, top-quality coffee, espresso and tea. It’s a great place to grab a coffee in Banff before you head out on your adventures.

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A Variety of Comfortable, Well-Equipped Rooms

The Elk + Avenue Hotel understands that every guest has unique needs when it comes to amenities, space and budget, so that’s why the hotel offers a variety of rooms to suit those individual needs.

Regular, loft, deluxe and suite rooms are available and each one features a modern and simple design paired with superior comfort. All rooms feature en-suite bathrooms, air-conditioning, luxury toiletries, hairdryers, a desk and free Wi-Fi service. The deluxe rooms and junior suites feature mountain views and extra space.

• See Rooms on Booking.com
• See Rooms on Expedia

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Enjoy Access to Plenty of Amenities

At the Elk + Avenue Hotel in Banff, you’ll also enjoy a range of amenities and facilities that will help make your stay that much more enjoyable.

We all know that things can go wrong during a vacation, but there’s no need to worry when you have a 24-hour front desk service with staff ready to help out at any time of the day or night. Coin-operated laundry facilities are also on-site if you need to do laundry during your stay.

In Banff, it’s widely known that finding a parking spot downtown can be difficult. However, when you stay at the Elk + Avenue Hotel, you’ll have access to free heated underground parking area. This comes in particularly handy in the winter when it’s -30C outside.

If you don’t feel like driving you can just walk onto the main street and explore the lively town of Banff on foot, which we always recommend over driving. Banff Ave is completely walkable and there’s really no reason to drive anywhere Downtown once you park your car! We love that we could park at Elk+Avenue at night and walk right to dinner every night.

There are many gift shops around the town, but also a gift shop in the hotel. This is ideal if you just want to do a quick shopping excursion to pick up a few items to take back home without having to wander all around town searching.

If you happen to be staying in Banff during the winter, chances are you’re there to ski. With full-size ski equipment lockers on-site at the hotel you won’t need to worry about tripping over your skis in your room!

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You Can End a Busy Day With a Relaxing Soak

Banff is an exciting place with so much to see and do and no doubt, you’ll be exhausted by the time you finally make it back to your room at the end of the day.

However, you won’t want to head straight to bed when a relaxing and rejuvenating soak in the hotel’s Jacuzzi awaits. After your soak, you can enjoy an equally relaxing session in the dry sauna at the hotel.

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You Can’t Ask for a Better Location

The location of Elk + Avenue Hotel is in the heart of Banff, right on Banff Ave. Its location makes it easily one of the best hotels in Banff. You can walk out of the hotel and onto the main street of the town where you’ll have easy access to many cafes, restaurants, shops, entertainment venues, bars, and community green spaces. An outdoor gear shopping spree or a big night on the town only steps away from the hotel.

If you want to take a road trip outside of Banff the possibilities are endless! The beautiful sights of Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Canmore, and Kananaskis are all less than an hour’s drive away. Stunning Jasper National Park is just over three hours away and the bustling city of Calgary is about an hour and a half away from Banff.

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It’s Pet Friendly

Whether it be a dog, cat, or other furry companion, your four-legged friend will be treated much the same way as the two-legged guests at the Elk & Ave Hotel

Those traveling with their pets will be treated like Kings and Queens here. Upon arrival, you’ll receive a free package with items to help you and your pet have the best possible stay. The package includes a pet bed, a food dish and some treats. It’s a fantastic pet-friendly hotel in Banff. Upon booking, inform the hotel that you will be traveling with a pet. A $25 fee per room, per night applies, maximum 2 pets per room.

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Things to Note Before You Book You Stay at Elk+Avenue

Of course, no review is complete without discussing some of the negative things you may come across during your stay at Elk + Avenue in Banff:

• The walls are not very soundproof and you can hear a lot that goes on in nearby rooms. This can especially be a problem on weekends, during spring break, and when there are major events going on in town. You’ll have larger crowds and people tend to stay out later during these times.
• Sometimes the free parking can be a hassle and you may have to loop a bit for a parking spot. This shouldn’t be an issue if the hotel isn’t very crowded during your stay, but the spots can fill up during the summer. That being said it’s much better than wandering around the town for parking.
• The air-conditioning malfunctions from time to time. This can be particularly problematic during the warmer months if you really want AC.
• The hot tub also tends to break occasionally. If this is one of the amenities that is important to you during your stay, you may want to double-check that it’s working before you arrive.

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Getting to Elk + Avenue Hotel in Banff

From Calgary, travel north for two and a half miles on the Deerfoot Trail before taking the exit onto Stoney Trail West. After approximately 15 miles, exit onto the Trans Canada Highway West. You’ll drive along this stretch for about 50 minutes. The views will get great once you hit the Stoney Nakoda Casino near Kananaskis. You’ll know you’re getting close when you make it to Canmore.

When you reach the gates of the national park, this is where you’ll purchase any permits you need for your stay, including a park pass, if you haven’t done so before online. Drive for another 15 minutes and take the first exit into the town of Banff. This whole trip takes about an hour and a half from Calgary. See the rest of our Banff travel tips.

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