The YWCA Banff Hotel
102 Spray Ave P.O. Box 520, Banff, Banff National Park, Alberta T1L 1A6 Canada
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3.0
#5 of 5 hostels in BanffLocation
4.5
Cleanliness
3.5
Service
3.5
Value
3.6
YWCA Banff Hotel is a perfect mountain hideaway for travellers looking for budget-friendly, cozy accommodation in downtown Banff. Gearing up for the ski season or planning a summer of hiking and biking? We have great options for you! Choose from a range of room types to suit your needs; private double & single rooms with ensuite or shared bathroom, family suites and 4-10 bed dorms- all at unbeatable rates! Our hotel offers you the unique opportunity to experience life in the heart of Banff National Park while directly contributing to the health and safety of our charming mountain town. We are proud to be a social enterprise, which means that by booking your stay with us your vacation dollars are reinvested into programs and services that protect local women, children & communities from violence. In return for your support, we provide a 24-hour Guest Services team, complimentary WiFi, clean & safe rooms, free guest parking, security lockers, & the lowest rates in Banff! Come settle in.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Wifi
Meeting rooms
Baggage storage
Non-smoking hotel
Self-serve laundry
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Centrally Located
Budget
Languages Spoken
English, French
Location
102 Spray Ave P.O. Box 520, Banff, Banff National Park, Alberta T1L 1A6 Canada
Getting there
Good for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Grade: 87 out of 100
87
Calgary Intl Airport
67.9 mi•
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26 Restaurants
within 0.3 miles
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Detailed Reviews
We stayed for a total of 5 nights. Our room was a private room with a double bed and a private shower. It was clean, tidy and toiletries were regularly topped up by the cleaner. The front desk staff were very helpful with giving information about the town of Banff and with responses to our questions about our booked tours with Brewster tours. It was quiet at night and close to some great tourist locations like the Buffalo nations museum and food joints like The Silver Dragon. All in all, I would definitely recommend this hotel and we'll be returning here in the future. There was laundry facilities that you could use and a kitchen with ovens, cooktops, microwaves and fridges for guests to use as they needed. The heating was also great in our room, not once did we feel cold during our February stay.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip: Private room with a private shower had great views.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed in a third floor room with two double beds and a washroom, which included a shower.
Pros: Friendly staff, nice clean, quiet building, reasonably priced (two nights for the price of one at any other Banff hotel).
Cons: The building is quite old, & has radiators on the walls that are only controlled by a central boiler. Our room was well over 30 degrees at check in. With both windows wide open and a fan the front desk gave us, it was still too warm to sleep comfortably, even though it was -15 degrees Celsius outside. Also, beds are only doubles, not queens, so sharing is a bit tight.
Pros: Friendly staff, nice clean, quiet building, reasonably priced (two nights for the price of one at any other Banff hotel).
Cons: The building is quite old, & has radiators on the walls that are only controlled by a central boiler. Our room was well over 30 degrees at check in. With both windows wide open and a fan the front desk gave us, it was still too warm to sleep comfortably, even though it was -15 degrees Celsius outside. Also, beds are only doubles, not queens, so sharing is a bit tight.
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Date of stay: March 2024Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip: Ask for a fan at check in.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Banff is expensive in the summer. After searching many places, prices were $400 to $500 or more per night. I found YWCA and Reading many reviews I was a bit worried. Some rooms you have to share a hallway bathroom with others ( which was not for me) but they did have rooms with private bathrooms in your room. Some pictures I seen showed very plain, nothing fancy, minimal accommodations. We knew what we signed up for but were still a bit worried.
Check in seemed normal, friendly service, quick and easy. Parking can be limited at certain times of the day and we had to park around back. . We were in a one bedroom on the 3rd floor facing the back of the property. Room was basic with a double bed, a nightstand with lamp, a desk/table with 2 chairs and a fan. Bathroom was very small. With toilet sink and small shower. Everything was clean. The room had newer flooring. There is no a/c, but many hotels don’t. But while we were there it cooled off at night and we had the windows open and did use the fan one night. Hôtel is close to town, you can walk over the bridge and you’re in downtown Banff. You can walk along the river to Bow Falls. I was happy with the stay. It saved us money. It was clean and close to town. Wifi worked well. We were barely there, only to sleep and shower. Other reviews said something about strange people roaming around, but we barely seen anyone at all. Front desk had extra bear spray for us to use. I would recommend this hotel to anyone trying to save some money, that just wants a clean no frills place to stay close to everything.
Check in seemed normal, friendly service, quick and easy. Parking can be limited at certain times of the day and we had to park around back. . We were in a one bedroom on the 3rd floor facing the back of the property. Room was basic with a double bed, a nightstand with lamp, a desk/table with 2 chairs and a fan. Bathroom was very small. With toilet sink and small shower. Everything was clean. The room had newer flooring. There is no a/c, but many hotels don’t. But while we were there it cooled off at night and we had the windows open and did use the fan one night. Hôtel is close to town, you can walk over the bridge and you’re in downtown Banff. You can walk along the river to Bow Falls. I was happy with the stay. It saved us money. It was clean and close to town. Wifi worked well. We were barely there, only to sleep and shower. Other reviews said something about strange people roaming around, but we barely seen anyone at all. Front desk had extra bear spray for us to use. I would recommend this hotel to anyone trying to save some money, that just wants a clean no frills place to stay close to everything.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The YWCA Hotel was perfect for what we needed. It is difficult to find a place to stay in or around Banff that does not cost the Earth. The YWCA is a budget accommodation which many other that have left reviews seemed to have forgotten! I would not pay attention to a number of the reviews that have been left. I would also recommend reading the website, as you will see where the profits are spent...to benefit those who are in need.
We never had any issues with parking, there was always room at the property in the mornings and evenings.
Yes, the rooms are basic but you are staying in one of the most amazing areas in Canada so you really do not spend much time at the hotel anyway. The property is located a short walk from the center of the town, just over the Bow River. The Bow Falls are are short walk from the hotel, which is a must visit.
We never had any issues with parking, there was always room at the property in the mornings and evenings.
Yes, the rooms are basic but you are staying in one of the most amazing areas in Canada so you really do not spend much time at the hotel anyway. The property is located a short walk from the center of the town, just over the Bow River. The Bow Falls are are short walk from the hotel, which is a must visit.
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Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed here for four nights during our stay in Banff. It is in a great location and we always managed to find parking on the premises (although we always left and came back early!). Following booking the accommodation we saw the negative reviews that people had written about the place, which made us slightly apprehensive. Following our experience, there really was no cause for concern - we never experienced anything or anybody unpleasant. It is important to remember this is budget accommodation. We stayed in a private room with private bathroom. The room remained cool throughout the day and evening and the bed was fine. The shower was a little temperamental, but perfectly usable. Staff were always very friendly and approachable and we had no problems during our stay. Would recommend for a budget option in Banff.
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip: Arrive before dinner time to guarantee a parking space
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Well located for the price. The rooms and bathrooms are clean but the kitchen is a real nightmare :/ We ended up eating in the hallway. There are also many rooms/living space, employees rooms but the guests can not use them and they are pretty much empty ....
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Date of stay: January 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from ywcabanffhotel, Marketing Coordinator at The YWCA Banff Hotel
Responded Feb 12, 2020
Bonjour Valerie, Merci d’avoir pris le temps de nous laisser vos commentaires et suggestions sur de multiples plateformes. Nous apprécions grandement votre choix d’avoir passer une nuit dans notre établissement lors de votre séjour à Banff. Nous somme toutefois désolé de ne pas avoir été en mesure de vous offrir un séjour gratuit, tel que demandé, en tant qu’influenceuse, et qu’en consequence, nos installations n’est pas comblés tous vos standards, aussi élevé soient-ils. Nous travaillons d’arrache-pied afin de maintenir nos aires communes irréprochable, mais il semblerait que, lors de votre séjour, nous ayons eu quelque lacune. Malgré tout, dans l’éventualité où vous séjourneriez à nouveau dans l’ouest, nous espérions avoir droit à une seconde chance. Enfin, laissé nous souligner que votre séjour au YWCA, qui est une entreprise à but non lucratif, a profité à des programmes qui viennent en aide aux femmes, aux enfants et aux familles de notre communauté. Nous espérons que vous profitez du reste de votre voyage. Sarah Hello Valerie, Thank you for taking the time to leave us reviews across multiple platforms. We do greatly appreciate that you chose to stay with us for a night during your trip to Banff! We are sorry we were unable to provide the free stay you requested as influencers and that subsequently, you found our accommodations didn’t meet your high standards’. We work hard to maintain our communal facilities and it sounds like on this occasion we may have fallen short, despite this we hope you will consider giving us another chance if you end up back out west. As a social enterprise, your stay has gone directly to supporting programs and services that empower women, children and families in our community. We hope you enjoy the rest of your road trip! Sarah
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
After much research on-line of just about every motel, hotel or lodge in Banff - Lake Louise area (formerly we would camp at Tunnel Mtn. Campground in Banff) we found the Banff Y Mountain Lodge to have the cheapest rooms to be had in the area. I checked out the other reviews some good, some bad and decided to take a chance. Me and my husband booked a one double bed room without a bathroom for 75.00 CA (about 69.00 US) for 7 nights (Sept. 9-16)at the Y Mountain Lodge on line. Because this lodge is run by the YWCA, a non-profit organization, there is no lodging tax on the rooms. The Lodge is in the town of Banff near the bridge over the Bow River. The back of the building backs up against the Bow River trail along the river. The best thing about this place is the LOCATION and PRICE. If you are a budget traveler or just don't want to pay the 150.00 - well over 200.00 price tag for just regular nothing special motel-hotel rooms (the latter applied to us), and don't require pampering and special attention then this place is for you. The building is a former hospital building with three floors, therefore the whole place looks institutional in appearance inside and out but the furniture in the place softens it up. There is a large common room that is in a more lodge looking building attached to the hotel that has comfy couches, chairs, and a large rock fireplace. There is a small restaurant on the second floor (2nd floor is street, entry level) along with the check-in desk and small lobby. Dorm rooms are available downstairs on the basement level along with laundry room, small kitchen for cooking (avoid this area as it is heavily used by young student travelers staying in the dorm rooms on that same floor and was constantly in use therefore not clean). The second and third floors have the rooms with and without bathrooms. Our room was on the third floor and it was quiet up there. A full bathroom, with shower only , was located right across the hall from our room with two more down the hall so we never had a problem of not having a bathroom for our use when we wanted one. There are alot of one double bed and two double bed rooms with bathrooms available if you want your own bathroom that went for 95.00 - 110.00 CA, high season rates. These rooms tended to be a little nicer in appearance and cozier looking than the type of room we had but all were clean and supplied with towels. There is no daily maid service other than bringing clean towels everyday and emptying your trash. If you want sheets changed on the bed we had to tell the maid. If you choose a room without a bathroom bring shower flipflops or slippers and a robe or easy on/off garment for going down the hall to take a shower. I found the shared bathrooms to be generally clean although sometimes you will find a little hair in the shower or a glob of toothpaste in the sink from previous users but I would just wipe it out with paper and was not bothered by it. The shared bathrooms were cleaned daily by the maids. The bed was comfortable and we had a nice huge window facing the mountains in back of the lodge. You can open the window but on a warm day it might get a little warm in the room as there is no a/c. Previous experience in un-a/c lodges has us bringing a small box fan which we pack in our luggage and made sleeping comfortable at night. It did turn very cold in the middle of the week and snowed about 4 inches and the heat was on in the room and throughout the building. The restaurant in the lodge is just okay with cheaper prices than other Banff restaurants. I found breakfast to be better. The flavored coffees and hot chocolate are great and the best thing about the restaurant. The location is excellent. You can walk about five minutes over the bridge with a sidewalk into the town of Banff for shopping, restaurants, hiking, a nice town park right on the beautiful Bow River. Also the famous Banff Springs Hotel via the Bow River trail is within walking distance about 15 minutes or so. We are hikers so we spent very little time in our room and spent most days in the Banff-Lake Louise area hiking and walked to town quite a bit for meals. There is a Subway in town for a cheap satisfying meal and a diner we liked called Melissa's that had great breakfast food and dinners. During the day we packed a small cooler we brought with us with sandwich stuff to save on not having to eat out three meals a day as restaurants are expensive in Banff compared to where we live in the U.S. There is a Safeway in town and a smaller market called Keller's for groceries. I noticed paper plates, papertowels and ice are really expensive in any grocery store in Banff area, next time I will pack a package of plates and towels in our cooler and just bring them with us. Despite the high price of vacationing here, (especially June-Sept. the high season) this is one of the most beautiful areas you will ever see in your life with dramatic, rugged mountain scenery, lush green fir and spruce forests and turquoise colored lakes in the Banff National Park. Hiking especially at Lake Louise is highly reccommended. The town of Banff is a lovely little mountain town. We come here about every 2-3 years as this is one of the few areas we come to over and over and never get tired of. Also come prepared for any quick weather change. We enjoyed mid-70's temps for four days then a cold front came through with 4 inches of snow and twenties temps during the day. The snow was beautiful in the trees and mountains too. It did not keep us from hiking and getting outdoors. We will stay here again when we come back next time.
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Date of stay: September 2006Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Value
Rooms
Cleanliness
Check in / front desk
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I had previously stayed at the Y.W.C.A. in Banff
two years in a row. I really enjoyed it. Staff were very friendly, fun, and outgoing. This year, though was a different story.
We stayed there from July 31-August 3, 2002. I was extremely upset when I first checked in because they informed us that we were booked in one room for three nights, and then another room upstairs for our last night. I had booked our hostel room the first week in March. They told us that a busload of tourists had precedence over us, even though we had booked earlier, and before the tourist group, had.
Then they had the gall to tell us that because of this situation, we had to check out after our third night, and then come back at 3:00 p.m.,to check into the dorm room upstairs for one night.
What an inconvenience and hassle to both my mother and myself.
The staff at the front desk were rude, ignorant, and should take a course on exactly how to treat the public because half of them had no idea what they were either doing, or just did not want to be there.
I have never ever been treated with such disrespect in my years of travelling.
As far as the accomodations were, their rooms are filthy, especially the bathrooms. Does anybody actually clean this place?
There are only two good things about this place! The location of it, and the excellent restaurant and serving staff that operate it. The front desk staff should take a few lessons from these good people.
I will never stay here again, and I will also tell other people who I know of that are holidaying there, not to also. Save themselves from a lot of headaches and disappointment.
two years in a row. I really enjoyed it. Staff were very friendly, fun, and outgoing. This year, though was a different story.
We stayed there from July 31-August 3, 2002. I was extremely upset when I first checked in because they informed us that we were booked in one room for three nights, and then another room upstairs for our last night. I had booked our hostel room the first week in March. They told us that a busload of tourists had precedence over us, even though we had booked earlier, and before the tourist group, had.
Then they had the gall to tell us that because of this situation, we had to check out after our third night, and then come back at 3:00 p.m.,to check into the dorm room upstairs for one night.
What an inconvenience and hassle to both my mother and myself.
The staff at the front desk were rude, ignorant, and should take a course on exactly how to treat the public because half of them had no idea what they were either doing, or just did not want to be there.
I have never ever been treated with such disrespect in my years of travelling.
As far as the accomodations were, their rooms are filthy, especially the bathrooms. Does anybody actually clean this place?
There are only two good things about this place! The location of it, and the excellent restaurant and serving staff that operate it. The front desk staff should take a few lessons from these good people.
I will never stay here again, and I will also tell other people who I know of that are holidaying there, not to also. Save themselves from a lot of headaches and disappointment.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My fiancee and I stayed at the Y for the Canada Day long weekend. We got a private room with 2 beds, no bath, and it was the most affordable room in town by at least half. The location is hard to beat, as you can walk to anywhere in town from here (which is a plus compared to the HI up on Tunnel Mtn). The rooms are basic, but they're clean, quiet and spacious. And really, that's all we needed, since you don't come to Banff to hide out in your hotel room. This is a solid choice for budget travelling.
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Date of stay: July 2006
Value
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My family and I spent 2 great weeks at the Y in Banff. Positioned in the heart of Banff along side a sometimes flowing river with a river walkway outside the door and 5 minutes to all the shops and yet easy distance to other hotels. . The Y was well managed welcoming and fun to stay at. The Bistro was a good place to eat and all the ski buses picked up from the door. We would all love to visit in summer sometime.
Meanwhile we are spreading the word among all the travellers we know to visit the Y aat Banff.
Also there were various discounts at shops in Banff to Y residents very important if you are hiring skis.
Meanwhile we are spreading the word among all the travellers we know to visit the Y aat Banff.
Also there were various discounts at shops in Banff to Y residents very important if you are hiring skis.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
If you booked a room ensuite bathroom then it will have a private bathroom
But,
If you booked a room with share facility then you won't get a private bathroom
"Not value for money. YWCA claim to be a 2 Star hotel but it not. All you get is 4 walls, a bed, bed bugs & table. No comfort whatsoever. "Read full review
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PRICE RANGE
$79 - $173 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
banff y mountain hotel banff
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Banff Y Mountain Lodge
LOCATION
CanadaAlbertaCanadian RockiesBanff National ParkBanff
NUMBER OF ROOMS
42
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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Frequently Asked Questions about The YWCA Banff Hotel
Which popular attractions are close to The YWCA Banff Hotel?
Nearby attractions include Lake Minnewanka (0.1 miles), Cascade Gardens (0.1 miles), and Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies (0.3 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at The YWCA Banff Hotel?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free parking, and meeting rooms.
What are some restaurants close to The YWCA Banff Hotel?
Conveniently located restaurants include BeaverTails, Chuck's Steakhouse & Patio, and The Balkan Greek Restaurant.
Is The YWCA Banff Hotel located near the city center?
Yes, it is 0.3 miles away from the center of Banff.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at The YWCA Banff Hotel?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and French.
Are there any historical sites close to The YWCA Banff Hotel?
Many travelers enjoy visiting Cave and Basin National Historic Site (1.0 miles), The Historic Luxton Home Museum (0.4 miles), and Old Crag Cabin (0.4 miles).