Banff has accommodations to meet every taste and every budget. Rooms can be found for as little as $50 (Cdn$) and even the premier locations are within most budgets. In addition to the 7 percent GST, Alberta also has a 5 percent lodging tax, tacking on 12 percent to your cost. Banff/Lake Louise Central Reservations (800-661-1676) books lodging in Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper. Ski Banff-Lake Louise-Sunshine Reservations (877-754-7076) books ski packages including the tri-area lift tickets and lodging at more than 30 Banff and Lake Louise properties. Packages are customized and can include Club Ski, Club Snowboard and Club Junior lessons, rentals, air and other activities. Also visit online at www.skibig3.com, www.BanffLakeLouise.com, www.DiscoverBanff.com.

AREA VACATION SPECIALS | AREA VACATION PLANNER | AREA LODGING

Decore Hotels purchased Norquay’s funky Timberline Inn, renamed it The Juniper (877-762-2281; 403-762-2281; $$-$$$$) and recently completed extensive renovations. It’s at the bottom of Norquay’s access road, so technically it’s Banff’s only ski-in hotel. You can ski in along a 1.5-kilometer trail, but you’ll need the hotel’s shuttle to take you to the lifts. Small dogs are allowed. The hotel includes a restaurant.

The Sunshine Inn (762-6500; 800-661-1676; $$$; right), at 7,200 feet in the center of Sunshine's base village, is the only slopeside lodging in Banff National Park. Surrounded completely by snow, with not a car in sight, the 84-room inn is reached by riding the gondola up from the parking lot. Rooms were recently renovated, with slate tile in the bathrooms, flatscreen TVs, and comfortable, if simple, furnishings. But the standard rooms are small. Suites are more spacious, with those on the north end having the best views. Rooms on the front side have slope-facing views; those on the backside overlook a peaceful snowy pine forest. There's a giant outdoor hot tub where you and 19 others can relax while watching skiers and riders on Lookout Mountain. You'll also have access to a dry sauna, massage and chiropractic services, a family and game room and an exercise room. All nightly rates include lift tickets; the inn also runs a Ski Week program.

Other lodging is in Banff.

We strongly recommend the experience of staying at The Fairmont Banff Springs (800-441-1414 in the U.S. and Canada; 762-2211; $$$–$$$$; left) the Scottish-influenced castle perched on a hill, a short walk from downtown. You've no doubt seen this classic, rundle-rock monolith in many photos with its pointed, green-copper roofs rising from the nine-story walls, framed by evergreens and craggy peaks. Its public areas are expansive, designed for turn-of-the-century mingling. The hotel has a magnificent spa called Willow Stream (available at an additional fee) with mineral and waterfall pools, saunas, steam rooms and hot tubs as well as a fitness room, salons and treatment areas. There are also indoor and outdoor pools plus shops, restaurants and activities. Schedule guided dogsledding and snowshoeing outings with the conccierge. Rates during the winter are a value compared to their busy summer season. Ask about the Ski with Breakfast package, including lodging, lift tickets, ski shuttles, valet parking and gratuities for two.

"An enclave of civility" is how the Rimrock Resort Hotel (800-661-1587; 762-3356; $$$$) accurately describes itself. It's posh, sophisticated, elegant and refined, with a full-service spa and fitness center, an excellent restaurant, comfortable lounge and views to match. It is one of only five Canadian members of the Leading Hotels of the World, a group of luxury hotels.

Families might want to stay at the Douglas Fir Resort & Chalets (800-661-9267; 762-5591; Calgary direct, 264-2563; $$–$$$$). These are condo-style units with wood-burning fireplaces and full kitchens, two- and three-bedroom chalets and a few suites. Enjoy the waterslide, indoor swimming pool, hot tub and saunas. There are also a coin laundry and a convenience store.

The Banff Caribou Lodge & Spa (800-563-8764; 762-5887; $$–$$$) is a classic and quiet alpine lodge located at the outskirts of the Banff Avenue strip.  It features the full service Red Earth spa, a modest bottom floor exercise room overlooking a very large hot tub and fourth floor suites with fireplaces.  One of two Banff locations of the Keg Steakhouse and Bar is on site.

AREA VACATION SPECIALS | AREA VACATION PLANNER | AREA LODGING

Brewster’s Mountain Lodge (888-762-2900; 403-762-2900; $$-$$$) in downtown Banff is a rustic, family-owned lodge with hand-crafted log furniture, the friendliest, most helpful staff on the planet, free wi-fi in rooms, a public internet terminal in the lounge above the lobby and a free continental breakfast in their funky basement area.There’s always a fire burning in the stone fireplace in the lobby which you can smell throughout most of the hotel. Amenities include shops, laundry, ski storage, sauna, whirlpool and a very upscale restaurant adjacent to the lobby. (See dining.) You may even run into Alison Brewster, descendant of the original Irish immigrants. The family still runs all the Brewster lodges.

Families might want to stay at the Douglas Fir Resort & Chalets (800-661-9267; 403-762-5591; Calgary direct, 403-264-2563; $$-$$$$). These are condo-style units with wood-burning fireplaces and full kitchens, two- and three-bedroom chalets and a few suites. Enjoy the waterslide, indoor swimming pool, hot tub and saunas. There are also a coin laundry and convenience store.

The Mount Royal Hotel (800-267-3035 Western Canada only; 762-3331; $$–$$$$; right) has a great location in downtown Banff—an excellent choice for those who enjoy nightlife—but it gets a fair amount of street noise from Banff Avenue. It has an exceptionally good restaurant.See dining.

The Inns of Banff (800-661-1272; 762-4581; $$–$$$$), a modern, multi-level lodge with balconies in most rooms, is a 15-minute walk from downtown. High Country Inn (800-661-1244; 762-2236; $$–$$$) on Banff Avenue, two blocks from downtown, is one of the least expensive and has a pool and an Italian/Swiss Restaurant.

Banff Alpine Centre–HI (866-762-4122; 762-4123; $) on Tunnel Mountain Road and part of Hostelling International, recently added a 66-bed wing with rooms that have two or four beds and private bathrooms. Showers are shared in the older rooms. Facilities include a laundry, kitchen and pub-style restaurant.

If you have an early morning flight, you can't beat the Delta Calgary Airport Hotel (291-2600 or 800-268-1133; $$$–$$$$). Roll out of bed, then walk out the front door of the hotel and into the terminal. It also has a pool and fitness center, lounge and two restaurants. The food is good and the service excellent.

Other accommodations are available in nearby Lake Louise.

The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise (800-441-1414; 403-522-3511; $$$-$$$$), on the shore of Lake Louise, has spectacular views of Victoria Glacier across the lake. Stay in a piece of the Canadian Pacific railroad history. This elegant old world hotel dates back to a log chalet built in 1890. It has many restaurants, shops, a Nordic ski center, masseuse, nearly 500 guestrooms, impeccable service and free ski shuttles. The Inns of Banff (800-661-1272; 403-762-4581; $$-$$$$), a modern, multi-level lodge with balconies in most rooms, is a 15-minute walk from downtown. High Country Inn (800-661-1244; 403-762-2236; $$-$$$) on Banff Avenue, two blocks from downtown, is one of the least expensive and has a pool and an Italian/Swiss Restaurant.

The Post Hotel (800-661-1586; 403-522-3989; $$$-$$$$; above) is a cozy, beautifully furnished, 93-room log lodge with great views on all sides and fireplaces in 38 of the rooms which include two lovely riverside cabins with heated slate floors. The atmosphere has a warmth and elegance enhanced by its savvy Swiss innkeepers. The buffet breakfast is a board of tasty delights and dinners are exquisite.You’ll want to dress for your devine evening meal.There is also a free ski shuttle. Stay here if you like lodging of a quieter, gentler era.

Deer Lodge (800-661-1595; 403-522-3747; $$$) just a few minutes walk down the hill from the Fairmont Lake Louise Chateau, will drop your blood pressure. Rooms have no television, and many have no phones. Instead, read by a roaring fireplace in the enormous common room. There’s also no elevator, but friendly bellhops will carry your luggage. It’s old and rustic, and rooms are small but nicely decorated with antiques. It has a great rooftop hot tub, but mind your step as the stairs and surfaces can get quite icy.

Lake Louise Inn (800-661-9237; 403-522-3791; $$-$$$$) is a simply decorated hotel good for families. Rooms range in size from economy double (two double beds) to superior lofts that sleep six. Amenities include heated indoor pool, hot tub, steam room and arcade room.

The Canadian Alpine Centre & International Hostel (403-522-2200; $), on Village Road, is everything you never expect in a hostel. It’s bright, spotless, modern and convenient, with two-, four- and five-bed rooms with private toilets and shared showers. There are also a laundry and two spacious, well-equipped self-service kitchens. The lounge, with stone fireplace, comfy chairs and Internet kiosks, provides an elegant atmosphere matched by many hotels. The upscale cafe (see Dining) is open 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Best of all, nightly bed rates start at $23; three-day ski packages, including tickets at Lake Louise, shuttles and breakfast, begin at $185.

If you’ve got a car and want a rustic lodge experience in a spectacular wilderness setting, check into the Num-Ti-Jah Lodge (403-522-2167; $$-$$$). It’s in the middle of prime territory for backcountry skiing, about a half-hour’s drive from Lake Louise. This funky stone-and-log hotel has 25 simple rooms, most with private baths and the restaurant is quite good (see Dining). It sits on the shores of Bow Lake, and on clear days you can see the glaciers.

AREA VACATION SPECIALS | AREA VACATION PLANNER | AREA LODGING

Accommodations Legend (Cdn$): (double room) $$$$–$200+; $$$–$141–$200; $$–$81–$140; $–$80 and less

Photo of The Fairmont Banff Springs courtesy of The Fairmont Hotel & Resorts