The Best Airbnbs in Banff, Canada

This luxury condo spoils you with postcard-worthy mountain views, a stone fireplace and access to a communal hot tub, pool table and fitness center. There are two bedrooms and two sofa beds, sleeping eight guests in total, as well as rust-colored walls, nature paintings and mahogany furnishings that create a warm, autumnal setting. If you’re there on a Thursday, be sure to grab some fresh local produce from Canmore Mountain Market, so you can whip up something special in the marble-topped kitchen or even cook under the stars using the balcony’s BBQ grill.

Pull on your cowboy boots and don your best Stetson; this one-bedroom apartment has all the trimmings of the Wild West. A saddle is slung over the stairs outside (the chosen perch of the resident cat), fringed leather chaps hang on the wall, cow-print blankets are draped across the furniture, and Western-style stirrups double as towel hooks. There are plenty of hiking trails just strides from your doorstep, while you can also sit back and take in the dramatic mountain views from the patio over a tumbler of whiskey. Two people can curl up in the queen bed, but the pull-out sofa bed is also an option.

This two-bedroom condo, found just off the highway in a nature-wrapped hamlet, is decked out with polished panel-wood floors, tobacco leather armchairs, and decorative photos of Canadian wildlife. It may be a little tight for the four people it can sleep – there’s only a queen bed and double bed – but when you’re busy clambering up mountains, getting lost in dense forest or bathing in natural hot springs nearby, it is a homely base to come back to. Hang your pillowy winter jackets on the handy coat hooks and rustle up something hearty in the kitchen, or sink into the brown tweed sofa with a well-deserved glass of bubbly.

Sleeping two, this hand-built, one-bedroom log cabin is the stuff of fairytales. Keep a watchful eye out for Goldilocks’ resplendent ringlets as you pull up a seat on the porch to devour the freshly baked muffins, citrusy juice and steaming coffee that is hand-delivered every morning by your thoughtful hosts. Curl up under the flannel duvet, thankfully void of the big bad wolf, and sink into a deep sleep under barbed antler lighting. Wake up to birdsong and watch deer leaping through the forest, before shrugging on your favorite crimson coat – à la Red Riding Hood – and setting off on one of the many mountain trails that start steps away.

Swap the jam-packed streets of Banff for the peaceful hamlet of Dead Man’s Flat in this two-bedroom condo, sleeping four with a queen bed and twin bunk bed. It sits in the heart of nature, with views of an old-world windmill and snow-dipped mountains from the balcony, proving the area is a lot more idyllic than its ghoulish name suggests. You’ll have access to underground parking – so no chipping away at icy windscreens in the winter – a communal outdoor dining space, and a shared hot tub where you can treat yourself to a long soak after a windswept hike.

A private room for two in a storybook chalet, this wood-clad suite includes a private bathroom, a pillowy king-size bed and a stone gas fireplace. Behind an emerald door, you’ll find the outdoor deck overlooking the surrounding wilderness; slip on your fluffiest jumper for a spot of stargazing or watch the grazing deer over a morning tea. If you’re itching to get out and explore, there are thermos flasks and travel mugs so you can have a hot drink to go. A warm greeting from the friendly host – a French chef called JD – and his welcoming dog Duke is sure to get your stay off to a good start.

Pack your swimsuit, walking boots and going-out garb: this two-bedroom condo is not only a short amble from Canmore’s cocktail bars, but it also has access to an indoor swimming pool and is surrounded by prime hiking country. When you’re not gulping down locally-made brews or adventuring in the wilderness, lounge on the property’s suede sofa and warm your toes by the fireplace, or take in views of Ha Ling Peak from the master bedroom. There is room for six people to sleep, but only if you’re all happy to share, as there are just three beds.

This two-bedroom townhouse draws from its wild surroundings, with mist-shrouded forests on the walls, shaggy fur throws and spiky potted plants. There are four beds: the master room includes a wooden sleigh bed – inspiring dreams of rocketing down the slopes – while the second bedroom has two double beds, and the lounge has a sofa bed. Bring your dog (as long as they keep off the furniture) and take them on muddy scampers through the nearby woodland; spend your days relaxing in the shared hot tub, splashing around with your kids in the communal pool; or opt to languish in front of Netflix with a cup of joe.

This rustic one-bedroom condo, housed in a former motel, sits in the alpine village of Dead Man’s Flats. Inside feels as though you have stumbled into the home of an old-school lumberjack – think buffalo plaid pillows and blankets, a painting of autumnal forest and animal skin rugs – but it’s deceivingly modern, with cable TV, a coffee maker and sleek panel wood floors. Perfect for a pair of couples with its two queen beds, it comes with a complimentary National Park pass that you can use to go on some Instagrammable hikes through the wilderness, before spending social evenings on the balcony, sipping sundowners and planning your next adventure.