Best Places to Stay in Canmore with Kids for Spring Break
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All photos in this post were taken by me during our trip. I love capturing real experiences to give you an authentic look at what to expect.
We’ve had the privilege of visiting Banff twice now, and opted to stay in condos over hotels both times. We were traveling with other families and loved having the common areas to hang out in together! We originally booked a family room at a hotel, but changed our minds when others joined our trip.
We did quite a bit of research before the trip to find a place that met all our criteria for a family-friendly place in Canmore: great views, hot tub, close to town, laundry, kitchen, and a bed for everyone!
Here’s what we booked, why we booked it, and a few other family-friendly places we’d recommend if a large condo isn’t what you need.
Our Favorite Rentals in Canmore for Families
When we’re traveling somewhere snowy or sandy, we love to book a condo or apartment! The extra space, kitchen, and laundry really takes stress off a family trip! Both of the condos we rented had excellent mountain views, 3 bedrooms, a kitchen, and private laundry.
#1 Pick: 3 Bedroom Condo with Private Hot Tub
This was one of our favorite rentals to date! It had plenty of space for all of us, QUEEN bunks for the kids, and incredible views of the Three Sisters Mountains! We’d say this is one of the best places to stay in Canmore with a private hot tub!
This property was a duplex style with parking out front. It had 3 bedrooms – two with queen beds, and one with a queen bed plus queen bunks! Our kids couldn’t get over how big the beds were.
- 3 Bedrooms, 2 Full Bathrooms
- Sleeps 10
- Queen Bunks
- Full-size Kitchen
- Private Laundry
- Private Hot Tub
- Reserved Parking
- Mountain Views
The only downside to this property was that it was not easily walkable to the main Canmore area.
Check the rates on Expedia for this 3-bedroom condo with mountain views and a private hot tub – It’s perfect for big families or multi-family trips like ours!
Walkable 3 Bedroom Condo
This condo had more of an apartment style and was in a large apartment building close to downtown. It has 3 bedrooms with queen beds, plus a pull out couch.
There were restaurants, a Starbucks, and a grocery store in the same parking lot, which made for easy meals and lovely morning coffee runs! It was a quick 5-10 minute walk to the main downtown area as well, which made dinners out so convenient.
- 3 Bedrooms, 2 Full Bathrooms
- Sleeps 8
- Full-size Kitchen
- Private Laundry
- Shared Hot Tub
- Reserved Parking
- Mountain Views
- Walkable to Downtown Canmore
The only downside to this property is that one of the bathrooms is part of a bedroom, with no door of its own to close. We made it work by just closing the bedroom door, but it’s something to note! It also doesn’t have central A/C so if that’s important for your family I’d book somewhere else.
Check rates for this 3 Bedroom Condo on VRBO!
The Hotel We Booked (Then Switched) and Why We’d Still Recommend It
When I first started planning this 7 day trip to Banff, we were traveling alone with just our kids. There’s only 4 of us, so it’s relatively easy to fit in one hotel room. I researched several hotels and found 3 that I really liked.
We even booked a family room at Northwinds Canmore before two other families joined our trip. The amenities were really great, and it seemed like a really nice atmosphere for kids.
We walked by the property when we were in Canmore and the location was fantastic! If we were traveling with just our kids and didn’t need the perks of a rental, we’d likely stay here.
Northwinds Canmore: A Great Hotel for Smaller Families
This is a great budget-friendly hotel for families staying in the Canmore area. They have family rooms with a king bed and queen bunks in one large room, with a sitting area and a fireplace! Some even have mountain views and a large shared balcony.
Hotel Highlights:
- Sleeps 6
- Queen Bunks
- Mini fridge
- Microwave
- Mountain Views
- Shared Balcony
- Fireplace
There is also a restaurant on site, and they have partnerships with local experiences and offer discounts on these adventures when you book a stay. The hotel staff was kind to us and understanding when our plans changed!
Book the hotel we almost stayed at on Expedia – it has bunk beds and a fireplace!
Family-Friendly Hotels in Canmore
We haven’t stayed at these hotels (yet!), but they were on our shortlist or came highly recommended by other family travelers.
Pocaterra Inn and Waterslide
This was a property that looked really fun to us! It has an indoor pool with a waterslide that’s open year round. We ultimately didn’t book this property because they allowed pets in most of their rooms, so it wasn’t a good option for our allergies!
Hotel Highlights:
- Indoor Pool and Waterslide
- Complimentary Breakfast
- Convenient Location
- Pet-friendly
Check Prices for the Waterslide Hotel on Expedia!
Basecamp Resorts
This was another property we were interested in. It is a budget-friendly, apartment style hotel. They have suites with multiple rooms, kitchens, and a shared hot tub on the property!
Hotel Highlights:
- Balconies
- Mountain Views
- Multiple-room Suites
- Ensuite Kitchen and Laundry
- Walkable to Downtown
- Shared Hot tub
This would have been an excellent, affordable option for our spring break trip, but the 3 bedroom suites were sold out for our dates!
See availability for Basecamp Resorts on Expedia
Why We Prefer Rentals When Traveling with Other Families
Personally, I feel like rentals work better for bigger family trips, especially when traveling with other families. We love having a common area outside of the bedrooms for the adults to hang out together after the kids go to bed.
Having a full kitchen helps us to save on food costs, enables us to easily pack picnics and store leftovers, and gives us an easy place to make late night snacks for the teens. Holy moly do teenagers eat a lot.
We love warming up in a hot tub after spending all day in the snow, and having one all to ourselves is even better! Our kids loved trying to catch the northern lights from the hot tub.
Drying the wet snow clothes and having the ability to wash our muddy things was such a perk of our rental. After the public laundry lipstick incident of 2019, I have sworn off sharing laundry machines. Red lipstick left behind in washers ruins white cardigans, in case you didn’t know.
Where to Find Affordable Family Stays in Canmore
When I’m booking accommodations for our family adventures, I typically look in three places – Expedia, Bank Travel Portals, and Hotel Partners if I have points (like Hyatt).
Booking with Expedia
Expedia is my favorite place to find hotel deals if I’m paying cash. They often have discounted rates, and One Key members can save a significant amount. We also love taking advantage of the VIP properties where you get bonus perks depending on the hotel.
You earn One Key cash on eligible bookings, and it functions like cash back that can be used on a future booking! We booked our rental car and our condo through Expedia for our Banff spring break trip!
Expedia also lets you add travel insurance to your booking, which has saved us so many times.
Booking with Travel Portals
If you hold a travel credit card with a bank, you then get access to their travel booking portal. These often have deals on specific hotels and are worth checking for a good deal on your destination.
Transfer Points to Hotel Partners
You can transfer bank travel points earned through welcome offers and everyday spending to the major hotel chains for nearly free stays. There were not any available transfers in Canmore when we visited, but this is often a strategy I use to save significantly on our trips (like our $0 hotel stay in Boston!).
It is definitely worth checking the major hotels like Hyatt, Hilton, and Marriott for properties in the cities you visit!
Compare family-friendly rates on Expedia
What to Look for When Booking a Place in Canmore
Finding the right stay for your family’s needs can be tricky, especially if you are new to family travel! Here are questions I ask myself when I’m narrowing down places for my family to stay.
- How many beds do we need?
- Is there a specific part of town we want to be in?
- What amenities or perks do the properties offer?
- Do we need breakfast included?
- What food options are nearby?
- Do the rooms have a kitchen or laundry available?
- How far are we from the excursions we have planned?
- How far are we from the airport?
- Is it a good environment for kids?
- Do we feel safe in the town?
- Would a hotel or rental better fit the vibe of our trip?
Answering these questions or questions like this help me narrow down the properties until I only have options that are a great fit for our family.
Ready to Book Your Family Stay in Canmore?
We loved our rentals, especially the one with the private hot tub, but would absolutely consider a hotel next time if we weren’t traveling in a group.
✅ Book the VRBO with the private hot tub we stayed in → Check availability here!
✅ Want the hotel we originally booked? → Book Northwinds on Expedia
✅ Still deciding? → Browse all family-friendly Canmore stays on Expedia