Bear Hill Lodge

My wife & I were staying in Banff and decided to drive the Icefields Parkway to Jasper - and we stayed overnight at the Bear Hill Lodge (Premium Cottage). The gal at check-in was super friendly and helpful; the Cottage was cute, clean, and well-equipped; check-out gal was similarly friendly; and the location was close to the town and restaurants/shops. For our purposes, the Bear Hill Lodge was exactly what we wanted & needed.

loved our winter stay at Bear Hill Lodge (family of 4 incl 2 adult children). the cabin was warm and cosy and welcoming. the staff were very helpful. everything was clean and the kitchenette well equipped. We rented a car and drove to Marmott Basin for skiing plus had other snowy adventures in the surrounding area. Jasper is a wonderful welcoming town and I would recommend and encourage anyone to visit this special corner of the world. I would come again and again if I could (from OZ, so a bit tricky, unfortunately!)

This review is for the Summer Cottage We arrived here on what was almost the hottest day recorded for Jasper at 30°C. After checking in, we drove the car to the front of our Summer Cottage number 12 and opened the front door to be greeted by the most intense heat ever. We opened all the windows and turned the fan they provided on to try and cool the room down. We knew there was no a/c and this was not a problem. Our second day was even hotter at 33°C but by keeping the curtains closed when we were out, this helped a little. If you are considering booking this accommodation, here are some points to note: • The Summer Cottages are small. And when I say small, I mean very small. • There is no storage for clothes - no drawers and a couple of pegs on the wall to hand a couple of items. We were here for 3 nights and I do not recommend this lodge type for any more than one night, 2 at a push. • There is no fridge in this cottage and in the height of the summer, this is not ideal. We found a way round this by filling the recycling bin (from outside the cottage) with ice and putting our bottles of water in it to keep them cool. • The quilt on the bed was the UK equivalent of either a 9 tog or 10.5 tog and is far too heavy. In the summer months, a top sheet and a light(ish) blanket or 2 for the cooler nights would be more than sufficient. We took the quilt out of its cover and used that. Temperatures overnight for us were around mid-teens. • The kettle and cups etc are located on a table near the bathroom door, however, there is no power socket there to use it. The nearest socket is either on the floor where the TV is plugged in, or by the sofa bed (not sure why this is in a room so small) at the end of the room. • There are no power sockets located either side of the bed. Actually, there are very few accessible power sockets located in this cottage. • You need long arms to be able to get the toilet paper. The cottage could be improved by removing the sofa bed and replacing this with a countertop with possibly a small fridge underneath and perhaps some drawers. The kettle would then be more accessible and safer to use. Location wise, the town is a 15-20 minute flat walk. It is also free to park your car on site and on the nearby local roads. There are parking charges the nearer you get to town. All accommodation in Jasper is expensive, as is most of Canada, but I think you get poor value for this cottage against what is provided. However, I would recommend Bear Hill Lodge as a place to stay, but from a value for money point of view, if you are staying more than one night and can afford to, book a different style lodge.

We loved the location and grounds. Elk with calves were near our cottage and we enjoyed watching them. The Adirondack chairs outside were perfect for enjoying the outdoors. The cottage we chose was very small. There are larger ones available. We had difficulty finding room to put our clothes. There were hooks on one wall with hangers and bedside shelves that helped. The bathroom was small but roomy enough for us. The fireplace was a charming touch however the weather was too warm for its use. There was no a/c. That is true of many of Jasper's accommodations. There were lots of windows with screens so opening the them at night kept us comfortable. I would stay here again in one of the larger cottages.

We were in Signal Cabin 6 and it was wonderful. I need to disclose that we were there Monday July 22nd when Jasper had an emergency evacuation due to wildfire. We had to scramble and pack up at 10pm. The young woman working at the office was outside - calm and composed - collecting keys and told us where to head (Hwy 16 to Valemount) which was critical as we had no idea what to do. I am so happy the cabins were spared from the fire. We loved our two nights prior to the fire. The location was walkable. The cabin was well-appointed and comfortable. We were very happy and I hope when reconstruction of the town begins and visitors return to this beautiful area, that you will consider Bear Hill lodge cabins.

We stayed in cabin #22. Cozy bed, very very clean, great location, loved the kitchenette. Gas fireplace and AC available. Had to ask for more towels and hangers but they were delivered immediately. Didn’t like the coffee maker but I’m a coffee enthusiast ; perhaps a nespresso machine, stove top espresso pot or a French press would have been great. Would definitely return as our stay was very comfortable. Loved returning at the end of the day after exploring Jasper.