From British Columbia to Newfoundland, our national parks are well-known hotbeds of beauty and adventure. As a visitor, you are more than welcome to pitch a tent, rent a yurt, portage, and even take a drive through most, but if you’re looking for a more luxurious experience, there are some accommodations within our country’s national parks that are just as beautiful as their surroundings. So if you’re looking for your next domestic stay-cation, why not wake up to one of these views?
Moraine Lake Lodge
As one of more than 100 hotels in Banff National Park, Moraine Lake Lodge serves as more of a quaint, oversized cabin in the mountains in comparison to the large-scale chain hotels in the area. Furnished with hand-crafted log furniture and country decor, the lodge has always maintained a no television or phone policy (though they now offer WiFi). With surrounding mountains and unbelievable wildlife experiences at your fingertips, the Moraine Lake Lodge experience promotes laid back, outdoor enjoyment and being entertained by your surroundings.
Neddie's Harbour Inn
Housed in a typical yellow-and-red Maritime-style house, Neddie's Harbour Inn is in the centre of Newfoundland's beautiful Gros Morne National Park. Visitors can get an authentic National Park and Atlantic Canadian experience by staying in the main building on Bonne Bay, or renting a cottage. The main boutique building features a white-linen dining room with windows overlooking the Newfoundland waters and the Long Range Mountains.
Prince of Wales Hotel
Deep in the southwestern corner of Alberta, one of the most photographed hotels in North America sits in Waterton National Park, bordering British Columbia and Montana. On a bluff overlooking mountains and the emerald hues of Waterton Lake, The Prince of Wales Hotel has become a photographers dream, as well as popular honeymoon and special events destination. It has been said that the hotel sits where the mountains meet the prairies, and the peaked building, equipped with locally-crafted furniture, plays the hotel-meets-lodge criteria just right.
Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel
Located in the centre of Banff National Park, this large-scale hotel is probably the single image you think of as the poster boy for Fairmont Hotels or tourism in Alberta in general. The hotel is often referred to as the "Castle in the Rockies" and has been compared to fairytale hideaways. As one of Canada's most recognizable and coveted tourist destinations for more than 125 years, the regal Banff Springs Hotel takes reservations months in advance.
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge
It's no secret that Fairmont does Canadian luxury hotels well, but the chain's presence within National Parks provides a hotel experience that isn't available in a lot of National Parks in Ontario or Quebec, where Parks Canada mainly offers yurts, campsites, or tent-lodges. Jasper is known to be Banff's more relaxed, elk populated younger brother. For the more outdoorsy hotel-goers, the 700-acre Fairmont location in Jasper National Park offers 56 cedar cabins. The main building is a 300+ room hotel-meets-lodge-meets-raised-bungalow with a full outdoor pool and deck that overlook the lake and mountains.
Emerald Lake Lodge
Forget Canada, this lodge on Emerald Lake has been named one of the most beautiful in the world. Located in beautiful British Columbia's Yoho National Park, the lodge looks out onto greeny-blue waters and offers a variety of activities nearby including rowing, kayaking, skiing, and hiking. The interior is just as memorable, featuring a century-old fireplace and a full oak bar from an 1890s Yukon saloon. The antiquities don't just extend to decor, either—there is no cellphone service in Yoho National Park.
Dalvay by the Sea
In 1930, Dalvay by the Sea opened as a boutique hotel in Prince Edward Island National Park. Since then, the antique Queen-Anne style building has been named a National Historic Site and was included in the Royal Tour of Atlantic Canada when Prince William and Kate Middleton made their debut. With only 25 guest rooms and 8 cottages available, the hotel sits on Dalvay Beach, surrounded by both the ocean and Dalvay Lake. Just a half hour away from Charlottetown, the hotel features antique furniture throughout, a tennis court, a terrace, library and WiFi, but no television, phone, or radio.
Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
The Chateau Lake Louise is a world-class hotel nestled in the mountains next to Lake Louise. The upscale, classically-designed, 550-room resort has amazing panoramic views of snowcapped mountains and tall trees, but the real attraction is the reflective, emerald-green waters of Lake Louise. The Chateau has been host to many visitors, including members of The Rolling Stones and the British Royal Family, and is–not surprisingly—one of Canada's most expensive hotels. But with such promising views and Alberta's rugged wilderness at your fingertips, we think it's well worth saving your pennies.
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