Yellowknife is small, and where you sleep matters less for walking distances than for what is on site and how you get picked up for tours. The city has a compact downtown, a residential area around Range Lake and a strip of budget hotels on Old Airport Road near the airport. The five hotels below cover those three areas and a range of budgets.
Downtown Yellowknife
This is the best place for a first visit. The Northern Heritage Centre, the Legislative Assembly and the Frame Lake trails are in this part of town, and aurora operators usually pick up from central hotels. The Explorer Hotel Yellowknife is the full-service choice, with Trader's Grill, the Trapline Lounge, free parking and a free airport shuttle at set times. Chateau Nova Yellowknife is on 48 Street beside the Northern Heritage Centre, with a sauna and steam room for thawing out after an aurora night. Quality Inn and Suites Yellowknife sits across from Centre Square Mall with a bistro, a convenience store and a gift shop, which is handy in the cold.
Range Lake
Stanton Suites Hotel Yellowknife is on Range Lake Road in a residential area a few minutes from the airport. Its suites have kitchens, and rooms have refrigerators and microwaves, so it suits families and longer stays. You will need taxis or tour pickups for museums and Old Town, so ask your aurora operator whether it covers the hotel before you reserve.
Old Airport Road
Super 8 by Wyndham Yellowknife is the budget choice, with a free continental breakfast, free parking and a 24-hour gym. It is outside the downtown core, so it suits travellers who spend most of their time on tours and need a simple, warm bed. There is no on-site restaurant, so plan dinner out.
How to choose
For comfort and convenience, choose The Explorer. For walkable museums and a sauna, choose Chateau Nova. For shops at the door and a central address, choose Quality Inn and Suites. For kitchens and longer stays, choose Stanton Suites. For the lowest cost and free breakfast, choose the Super 8.
Booking tips
Book early for the busiest months, February and March, because the aurora season fills hotels and prices rise. In the cloudy gap between the fall and winter seasons availability may be easier, but some tours have not started winter departures. Ask about plug-in parking if you rent a car in deep winter, check which hotel includes breakfast and ask whether airport shuttles run for your flight times.
Which area suits which trip
A short aurora break of three or four nights works best downtown, where you can walk to the museums by day and be collected for the lights at night. A longer stay with a rental car works well at Range Lake or Old Airport Road, where free parking and kitchens save money and the Ingraham Trail is an easy drive. Whichever you pick, keep one evening free and ask each operator where it collects guests, because a hotel outside the pickup zone can add taxi costs.
