Nelson, British Columbia, has a funky, counterculture vibe. In this town of 10,000 people in western Canada’s Kootenay-Rockies region, yoga studios and vegetarian-friendly eateries share the downtown streets with book shops, art galleries, and outdoor gear stores.
Surrounded by mountains on the west arm of Kootenay Lake, Nelson, which is 400 miles east of Vancouver and 150 miles due north of Spokane, Washington, makes an offbeat getaway for anyone who enjoys hiking, cycling, kayaking, paddleboarding, and other active adventures.
And what better base for an adventure holiday than a lodging called The Adventure Hotel?
Here’s the scoop:
In a 1914 heritage building in downtown Nelson, converted into a good-value boutique-style inn, the Adventure Hotel has 44 guest rooms in three different categories.
The least expensive are the budget rooms with a set of steel-framed bunk beds, either twin/twin bunks or a double bed below with a twin above. These rooms have a half-bath with a toilet and a sink, but no in-room shower. Guests in these units use the key-accessed individual shower room down the hall.
Both the mid-priced “economy” rooms and the more spacious deluxe rooms, available in various bed configurations, have small but contemporary private baths.
In all the rooms, heritage features like exposed brick walls mix with modern amenities, including air-conditioning, cable TV, and complimentary Wi-Fi.
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On the second floor, there’s a guest lounge with a communal table and a kitchen. Individual rooms don’t have coffee and tea making facilities or refrigerators, but complimentary coffee and tea is available daily in the kitchen, and guests can use the common fridge.
One of the hotel’s best features is the outdoor roof deck, which has a sauna, as well as views of the nearby mountains.
The Adventure Hotel has three restaurants: Louie’s Steakhouse, Uptown Sports Bar, and Empire Coffee, which gets your day started with your choice of caffeine and fresh muffins and pastries. The hotel is one block from Nelson’s main street, where you have many more dining choices.
And when you’re ready to get outdoors, Nelson has lots of options for adventures, without going far from the Adventure Hotel.
Rates
Budget rooms at the Adventure Hotel start at CAD$95/night, double occupancy. Double rates for rooms with private bath start at CAD$125-155. Reserve your room directly with the hotel, or go through an OTA such as Hotels.com or Expedia after comparing rates.
Hotel feature by Vancouver-based travel, food, and feature writer Carolyn B. Heller. Photos © Carolyn B. Heller. Nelson Kootenay Lake Tourism, in partnership with The Adventure Hotel, arranged my stay for review purposes.
