The Best Hotels in Calgary, Alberta for Adventure-Loving Families

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Calgary has a reputation as the place you fly into on your way to Banff and the Rockies. After spending several days in the city, I realized that the idea sells Calgary short. This is a city where you can eat at chef-driven restaurants, fly in a helicopter over movie sets, and drift down a trout-filled river, then be back at your hotel in time for a swim and a steak dinner.

For families, Calgary works best as a base camp. You can spend the day exploring the National Music Centre or the zoo, fly fishing on the Bow River, or riding a motorcycle sidecar up to one of the city’s lookouts, then return to a hotel that has a pool, on-site restaurants, and enough space for everyone to spread out.

If your family loves a blend of urban exploration and easy access to wild spaces, these are the family-friendly hotels in Calgary, Alberta, that I would choose as a home base.

Things to Know About Staying in Calgary with Kids

Staying in Calgary with kids is surprisingly straightforward, especially if you plan things around how your family actually travels.

• Calgary is more than the Stampede. Even if you never set foot on the Stampede grounds, the city has plenty for kids who love music, food, and history. Studio Bell, the Calgary Tower, and the Sam Centre each add a different layer of storytelling to the city.
• Think about your bigger Alberta itinerary. If you are combining Calgary with Banff, Canmore, or Kananaskis, it can be smart to start downtown, then finish near the airport or on the southwest side of the city for an easier drive toward the mountains or your flight home.
• Pick hotels that double as “down days.” After helicopter flights, sidecar rides, or Bow River adventures, you will appreciate hotels with pools and on-site restaurants where you can give everyone a break from decision fatigue.

The Best Areas to Stay in and Around Calgary for Families

Before we dive into specific hotels in Calgary, Alberta, it helps to narrow down your neighborhood.

Downtown Calgary and Eau Claire

If it is your first visit, basing yourself in downtown Calgary or Eau Claire makes a lot of sense. You are close to the Calgary Tower, Stephen Avenue, the CORE shopping area, and a short walk or quick ride to Studio Bell and the National Music Centre. The Bow River pathway and Prince’s Island Park in Eau Claire give kids a place to run without loading into a car. Wandering Wagars+1

East Village and Stampede Park Corridor

East of downtown, you will find easy access to Stampede Park, the Scotiabank Saddledome, the Calgary Zoo, and the Sam Centre. For families coming to the Calgary Stampede or other major events, this area can reduce commuting time and keep evenings simple.

Near Calgary International Airport (YYC)

Airport area hotels are better than most people expect. A few of them are full-blown family waterpark hotels in disguise. These are excellent for the first or last night of your trip, or for families who want guaranteed pool time no matter what the weather is doing.

Southwest Calgary and Tsuut’ina Nation

On the southwest edge of the city, near the Tsuut’ina Nation, you will find Grey Eagle Resort. It is still within Calgary’s orbit, but feels closer to the open landscape that points toward the Rockies. It is a good choice if you want a quieter base with easy access to both the city and the mountains.

The Best Family-Friendly Hotels in Downtown Calgary

These five hotels in downtown Calgary and the inner core all offer pools, on-site dining, and room configurations that work for families.

Calgary Marriott Downtown Hotel

This is where I stayed during my three-day deep dive into Calgary. The Calgary Marriott Downtown sits right across from the Calgary Tower and steps from Stephen Avenue, which means your evenings can be as simple as walking out the front door and seeing where the night takes you. Inside, the rooms are modern and comfortable, and the hotel connects easily with the city’s food scene through its own restaurants, including ONE18EMPIRE.

Sheraton Suites Calgary Eau Claire

If your kids rate hotels purely on waterslides, Sheraton Suites Calgary Eau Claire will rank very high. This all-suite hotel overlooks the Bow River and Prince’s Island Park, which puts you within easy walking distance of playgrounds, pathways, and the Eau Claire plaza. Inside, you get separate sleeping and living spaces and an indoor pool with a two-story waterslide and hot tub

Hyatt Regency Calgary

Hyatt Regency Calgary sits on Stephen Avenue, a historic pedestrian street lined with shops and restaurants. Rooms here are some of the largest in the city, which matters when you are trying to spread out gear, backpacks, and whatever your kids have collected that day. The hotel has an indoor pool with city views, a full-service spa, and on-site dining that covers breakfast through late evening.

Homewood Suites by Hilton Calgary Downtown

Homewood Suites by Hilton sits close to the Bow River and the East Village, which makes it a nice compromise between downtown energy and riverside calm. Families will appreciate the indoor pool, the seasonal sun deck, and rooms that look toward either the river or the city skyline. It is a good fit if you want easy access to Studio Bell, the river pathways, and downtown without being right in the middle of the busiest streets.

Family Friendly Hotels Near Calgary for Waterparks and Easy Getaways

If your kids measure the success of a trip by how many times they go down a waterslide, these three hotels in Calgary, Alberta, will make them very happy. They are outside of the core, but still within easy driving distance of downtown.

Best Western Plus Port O’Call Hotel

Near Calgary International Airport, Best Western Plus Port O’Call Hotel is essentially a family waterpark hotel that also happens to be very convenient for flights. The Waves Water Park has over 8,000 square feet of aquatic space, including slides, a leisure pool, a wading pool, and hot tubs. You also get multiple on-site dining options and family rooms that can sleep larger groups. Be warned that this hotel books up very fast throughout the year.

Sheraton Cavalier Calgary Hotel

Sheraton Cavalier Calgary is famous locally for the Oasis Waterpark. Think two large waterslides, a main pool, a kiddie pool, and a two-tier hot tub. This is one of the most full-on hotel waterparks in the city, backed up by several on-site dining options. The hotel sits in northeast Calgary, which makes it practical if you have a car and want fast access to both downtown and the airport.

Grey Eagle Resort

Grey Eagle Resort sits on Tsuut’ina Nation land on the southwest side of Calgary. It feels more like a resort base than a standard city hotel, with an indoor pool, outdoor hot tub, several on-site restaurants, and views that hint at the nearby mountains. For families who want to balance time in Calgary with day trips to Kananaskis or Bragg Creek, this can be an appealing compromise.

Tips for Staying in Calgary with Kids

To get the most out of these family-friendly hotels in Calgary, Alberta, a few practical tips help:

• Anchor your days, not just your nights. Use your hotel’s location as a way to structure your days. Downtown properties pair well with Studio Bell, the Calgary Tower, and city food tours. Airport and northeast hotels work well with early flights and Stampede Park. Southwest bases pair nicely with day trips into Kananaskis or Bragg Creek.
• Build in pool time on purpose. Instead of treating the hotel pool as an afterthought, block out dedicated hours for the waterslides or waterparks. Kids will remember these moments as much as the big attractions, and it gives everyone a mental reset.
• Use food as a bridge. Calgary’s dining scene is one of the most surprising parts of the city. From burgers at Class Clown to Latin American tasting menus at Fortuna’s Row and steakhouse theater at Caesar’s, meals become part of the story of the trip. Pair hotel breakfasts and simple dinners with at least one “stretch” meal that nudges everyone slightly outside their comfort zone.
• Treat Calgary as a destination, not a layover. Give yourself at least two or three full days in the city before or after the mountains. Book experiences that connect your kids with local people, culture, and nature, whether that is a fly fishing float on the Bow River or a visit to the Sam Centre to unpack the story of the Stampede.

Closing Thoughts: Calgary as Your Family’s Urban Base Camp

Calgary surprised me. I arrived expecting to use it as a jumping-off point for the Rockies. I left already planning when I would bring Christina and the boys back for a proper family trip. The city has that rare mix of serious food, real culture, and easy-going outdoor access that makes it a natural fit for adventurous families.

Whether you choose a downtown skyscraper hotel with views of the Bow River or a waterpark hotel near the airport, the right base will shape how your days unfold. These family-friendly hotels in Calgary, Alberta, give you pools for the kids, good food for everyone, and fast access to both city adventures and mountain day trips.

If you are planning a wider Alberta itinerary, pair this guide with our stories on three days in Calgary and our other Alberta itineraries to build a trip that pushes your family just enough outside its comfort zone, then wraps the day up with a warm pool and a comfortable bed.

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