The Best Hotels to Book in Jasper, Canada
Sandwiched between the Yellowhead Highway and the Icefields Parkway in the Rocky Mountains of Canada, you’ll find the historic town of Jasper. Once a trading post run by two of Canada’s fur heavyweights – Hudson’s Bay and the North West Company – today this town is the gateway to its namesake national park nearby and attracts fresh air fiends with its enticing medley of outdoor activity, indigenous culture, and picture-perfect scenery. Read on for our choice of the best hotels (and cabins) Jasper has to offer, all bookable with Culture Trip.
Mount Robson Inn, for dog-friendly vacations
Budget Hotel
Nothing is ugly here – not even the view of the parking lot. You can’t ignore those mountains in the background, can you? This pet-friendly Jasper hotel is located on the main street, a short walk from the town center. Fuel up with the complimentary breakfast – bowls for your pup are provided too – and go cross-country skiing: there are pet-friendly ski trails near town. Afterward, lock your skis in your own storage locker and soak your muscles in the outdoor hot tub. Wrap up warm because the town has many dog-friendly restaurants with outdoor seating for four-footed patrons and humans.
Jasper House Bungalows, for Athabasca River views
Cottages
Located some 3km (1.8mi) south of town along the Icefields Parkway just outside Jasper, this collection of rustic cedar bungalows overlooks the Athabasca River. After elk tacos in the on-site restaurant, you’ll fall asleep with the window open, letting in the river’s murmur. In the morning, you wake up to an elk looking in at you, judging you: tonight you’ll have the veggie burger with brie and cranberry chutney instead. Over breakfast, you glance at the free newspaper but decide you don’t care what’s happening in the world: just look how turquoise the river is!
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, for keen golfers
Lodge
With a golf course which took 50 teams of horses and 200 men a year to build, it’s no wonder Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge has been voted the best golf resort in Canada for the past 20 years. But this hotel has more to offer; hidden behind its village of heritage log cabins connected by winding paths, the Boathouse has paddleboards, canoes, and kayaks up for rental, so you can explore the hidden coves of nearby glacial lakes. There are also bikes to rent if you want to explore the local trails.
Chateau Jasper, for superb Canadian cuisine
Hotel
Wildlife can frequently be spotted roaming the verdant landscape surrounding Chateau Jasper which is flanked by towering pine trees, and the Sunwapta Falls, Pyramid Lake and the Jasper National Park are all nearby. This hotel has 119 rooms featuring alpine-style decor, while guest perks include the on-site Silverwater Grill and Lounge, where Executive Chef Jamie Hussey (along with his 80-strong culinary team) whip up a celebration of Canadian cuisine.
Jasper Inn, for a super-popular outdoor terrace
Hotel
Thirty minutes in the car from Marmot Basin Ski Resort, Jasper Inn can be found in a quiet location just off the main street. Chefs at the Inn Grill take pride in providing fresh, local cuisine to satisfy all tastes – with favorite dishes including citrus mussels from the smallest province in Canada, Prince Edward Island. Come summer, the outdoor space at the hotel is the best-loved terrace in Jasper, surrounded by spectacular scenery. Family suites equipped with a kitchen and fireplace make this hotel the perfect pick for extended stays.
Glacier View Lodge, for spectacular glacier views
Lodge
Glacier View Lodge is an enticing Jasper hotel – and the first and only glacier-view resort in Canada. Experience the Columbia Icefield like a VIP, thanks to private evening tours of its spectacular Skywalk and expansive views of the Athabasca Glacier from the floor-to-ceiling windows in the hotel. Choose between room-only and all-inclusive experiences; the latter entitles you to a three-course dinner and hot breakfast, along with evening excursions like stargazing.
Pine Bungalows, for reconnecting with nature
Hotel
Stay at Pine Bungalows and you can wake up to the sound of the Athabasca River’s rushing water. In the heart of Jasper National Park, these self-contained rustic cabins occupy 11 acres (4.5ha) of mountainous land and sleep two, four or six people. Start the day watching wild elk munch on nearby plants, enjoy a roaring campfire in the Dark Sky Preserve come dusk. A perfect opportunity to reconnect with nature.
Whistler’s Inn, for a rooftop hot tub
Hotel
Whistler’s Inn features the only rooftop hot tub and sauna in Jasper, but the views are what make this hotel truly stand out. Its location, slap bang in the middle of Jasper National Park, pulls the mountains so close you could almost touch them. The on-site Whistle Stop pub — the most popular venue in town — also has some of the best live music around and satisfies beer lovers with 11 varieties on tap. For something more sophisticated, Cassios offers fine dining options and describes itself as the only authentic Italian restaurant in town.
Doug Murray contributed additional reporting to this article.