stampede city boutique

P1010273It is almost a straight line, the 2,3 kilometer 20 minutes and something walk from a traveller’s paradise to ‘The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth’ also known as The Calgary Stampede.

The stampede is a yearly event that takes place over the course of 10 days in July, one of the most pleasant months to hang around this city with average temperatures of 24 degrees and uncountable sunrays warming the skin.

These warm, enlightening presents of the sun can be enjoyed on numerous terraces along the ‘Retails and Entertainment District’ of Calgary, being 17th Avenue, the backyard of the previously mentioned travellers Garden of Eden – the Hotel Elan.

Hotel-Elan-BGP52743Print(1)The Hotel Elan is a pretty nice hub to start (and finish) discovering all the good things Calgary has to offer. For over a million people each year, this is the wicked combination of rodeos, parades, stage shows, concerts, agricultural competitions, ‘chuckwagon’ racing and First Nations exhibitions. First held in 1886, the Calgary Stampede has grown into an event of enormous proportions with its own grounds and stadium.

kensington

kensington

The Stampede grounds are a mere 15-20 minute walk from the Olympic Plaza (the other mega event contributing to the city’s fame) and the historical Stephen Avenue Walk, the place where it all started. From this shop en food Walhalla, you can stroll along the banks of the blue water Bow River until you get to one of the magical structures of architect Calatrava: the Peace Bridge. This red-coated piece of eye candy is a pleasure to watch both day and night and takes you over the Bow River to the hip and happening neighborhood of Kensington. Here you find loads of bars, restaurants and little boutiques that easily keep you busy for half a day or so.

peace bridge

peace bridge

Crossing the river once again and heading back to 1122 16th Avenue SW, you may want to stop for some prime rib or bison at the Charcut Roasthouse on 899 Centre Street SW or dive into some exquisite Korean food at Anju on 344 17 Ave SW. From Anju it is about 10 minutes back to the Hotel Elan, 10 minutes in which you risk being dragged into one of the many bars and shops along 17th Avenue.

Hotel-Elan-BGP1331166Web

When you eventually do make it ‘home’, you can start on another Calgary journey, being the discovery of the Hotel Elan. Almost everything you need (and more) as a tourist or on business in Calgary you find here at the Elan. From your pick of soft to firm pillows to toiletries of French l’Occitane en Provence to a kitchen, plenty of USB hubs, a balcony, an Italian bathroom with two separate showers and complementary cocktail hour drinks and breakfast. It’s all there and must have been designed by owners who have been around the world themselves and noted down all they liked and missed at the venues they stayed at. The result feels a bit like the Chinook, the warm winter wind Calgarians get all wild and wicked about.

Search Hotels

Destination
Check-in date
Check-out date

Cascade Queen One Bedroom SuiteHotel Elan
1122 16th Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta
Canada
T: +1 (855) 666-6612
W: www.hotelelan.ca

 

[mappress mapid=”122″]