Bursts of colour from its window boxes mark this out from other standard motels along this stretch of Hwy-93. They inject a bit of the Alps into a motel that’s otherwise pretty standard. Spotlessly clean and with friendly management, nonetheless. Like most other local motels, rates include free passes to Radium Hot Springs pools.

Despite a grand lobby dotted with the disembodied heads of wild animals, the Athabasca’s rooms (some without private bathroom) are fairly plain, functional and some a bit cramped. But the downtown location is fantastic. Try to get a room higher up in the building, if the din of the hotel bar – the Atha-B is likely to disturb. This large,...

Fairly average motel, but with a location – downtown and an easy walk from the restaurants and bars – that sets it apart from the rest. Some units have full kitchens, all have free wifi. Offers good-value ski packages to Norquay, Sunshine and Louise.

Upscale lodge and catskiing operation with a huge amount of astounding terrain, including an abundance of steep chutes and natural half pipes, a favorite with boarders. Three-day packages here start at $2,189. In summer the lodge offers Bed and Breakfast accommodation from $159 and has an expensive restaurant (daily 11am–10pm) with a lovely outdoor deck and top-quality regional food –...

This collection of luxury log cabins on the attractive shores of Lac Beauvert might remind of a summer camp, but at least it blends in well with its surroundings, unlike the region’s other flagship hotels: Chateau Lake Louise and the Banff Springs Hotel. Inside, the cabins are flamboyantly furnished and include grandiose stone fireplaces. Room rates often drop by a...

Step out of the Golden Eagle Gondola – the resort’s main lift – and it’s hard not to stop and gape at the remarkable pristine slopes that stretch ahead in a lofty wonderland of clouds and peaks. But what’s below just as seductive to skiiers and boarders looking for backcountry-style adventure, since the ski area encompasses many untamed open bowls,...

Like Panorama, Kimberley lies in the Purcell Mountains, though the squat foothills that surround the relatively small latter resort are a far cry from their hulking cousins further north. Despite this difference, the resorts compare in many ways, with Kimberley also best-known for intermediate skiing. It’s also particularly great for learning, with ideal wide green runs. And with its collection...

Probably the pick of the east end motels, with large, simply furnished and clean rooms – though the dingy basement ones are worth avoiding. Some rooms have kitchens but there’s a restaurant and bar too. Leisure facilities also include an indoor pool and hot tub as well as outdoor hot tubs.

Comfortable, though pretty nondescript hotel with large, clean rooms all gathered around an indoor atrium, the location of the pool and hot tub. Also here is a restaurant, liquor store, and the Pub Bar and Grill, which is one of Fernie’s busiest nightlife spots – despite its isolated location away from both the resort and downtown. Good pub food: try...

Spick-and-span motel with pretty standard rooms and some suites with boutique-style furnishings. Some units have mountain views, some kitchenettes, and there’s a hot tub for all.

Reasonable enough motel, with an unusual number of communal facilities that include Fernie’s only outdoor pool, a hot tub and a guest kitchen and lounge. Free wifi.

The small town of Radium Hot Springs has few attractions in its own right, but as gateway town for Kootenay National Park it’s a place that throbs with motels (rooms mostly $70–100/night), garages and eateries. None of this is exactly pretty, yet the town’s comanding perch on the edge of the Columbia Valley does mean it has some pretty fantastic...

Upper-end motel mid-way between downtown Fernie and the ski hill, whose facilities include a pool with water-slide. But the real draw here is the surprising presence of an Indian restaurant – the Mountain Tandor, which serves Fernie’s best ethnic cuisine. Mains lie around the $15 mark – but include rice or nan bread. Free wifi; continental breakfast included.

Field might be an odd spot to find a hip gourmet Bistro, but that’s just what Truffle Pigs is, with its emphasis on fresh local ingredients to create treats for your tastebuds. It’s a great spot, with funky decor (flying pigs!), great valley views and a good range of snacks, home-baked breads and cakes. But the bistro’s probably most renowned...