Choosing A Hotel in Edmonton
Quick Summary of Most Popular Areas
Downtown Edmonton: really and truly the area you want to be when visiting Edmonton
Edmonton Airport: Under 5km from the downtown core, the airport is very easy to get to from the city
What Edmonton is all about
Edmonton is perhaps most famously known for West Edmonton Mall, which is said to be the largest mall in North America. So, if you are one to avoid large crowds and commercialization on a grand scale then you'll hate it there. However, it is a spectacle that really should be seen for first-time visitors. Finding a hotel in downtown Edmonton is a wise choice as it is the hub of activity for many world-class festivals. In fact, Edmonton has been given the nickname of 'Festival City' due to all of the activity.
Geography of Edmonton
Edmonton is located right in the centre of the province of Alberta. Many different districts make up the city, however the most popular area to be and stay is definitely downtown. Interestingly enough, even though Edmonton is only 300km away from the Canadian Rockies, you cannot see any of the mountains in the skyline when looking west (even from the top of the tallest building).
Surrounding Area
In terms of the surrounding area, Edmonton is not overly close to many other big cities or tourist hot spots. To give you an idea Red Deer is roughly 150km south, Calgary nearly 300km south and beautiful Banff is over 400km southwest of Edmonton.