Hotel Arts Kensington in Calgary, Canada

SD › Calgary Hotels › Hotel Arts Kensington Review
Updated: May 6, 2021
By Santorini Dave

Essentials
• Location: Memorial Drive NW, facing the Bow River and half a block from Louise bridge.
• Hotel website: hotelartskensington.com
• Hotel phone: 403-228-4442
• Check prices on Booking.com

Review of Hotel Arts Kensington in Calgary, Canada.

Small boutique hotel facing the river with elegant accommodations that feature fireplaces or patios and an open-plan restaurant and lounge.

Hotel Arts Kensington – Small boutique hotel with exceptional personalized service.

Contemporary and stylish boutique hotel located in the trendy neighborhood of Kensington, just a short walk over the 10th Street Bridge from Calgary’s downtown core. The hotel is a lovely two-story building with only nineteen guest rooms and overlooks the beautiful Bow River. Rooms and suites are modern and attractive, with most offering gas fireplaces and either small garden patios or private balconies through lovely French doors. The in-house restaurant-bar-lounge is small and charming with its open kitchen and wood fireplace and is very popular for its excellent food and service.

See Also

Hotel Arts Kensington – Location

  • Area: On beautiful Memorial Drive which parallels the Bow River. Across the 10th Street Bridge from downtown in the neighborhood of Kensington (similar to 17th Avenue known for its trendy shopping, but on a smaller scale). Close to a CTrain station.
  • Address: 1126 Memorial Drive NW.
  • Nearest CTrain: Sunnyside (700m) and Downtown West Kerby (800m).
  • How to Get There: Take the CTrain to Sunnyside (700m) or Downtown West Kerby (downtown, 7th Avenue, 800m). Note: The downtown CTrain corridor along 7th Avenue is free (no fare required 24/7).
  • Handy to: RiverWalk, Prince’s Island Park, Peace Bridge.

Hotel Arts Kensington – The Basics

  • Ages: Guests of all ages are welcome and cribs are available on request.
  • Pet Policy: No pets allowed.
  • View: Upper floor rooms (south side) offer views of the Bow River and downtown skyline.
  • Private Pools/Jacuzzis: No private pools or jacuzzis. All rooms have bathtub-shower combos. Several suites have separate bathtubs.
  • Parking: Underground parking for CA$20 per day.
  • Laundry: Laundry, dry-cleaning, and ironing services available.
  • Extras: Complimentary bicycles available along with bike baskets and helmets. Exclusive access to an outdoor pool at their sister hotel, Hotel Arts downtown. Poolside reservations are required and there’s complimentary parking. In-room safes, windows that open, blackout blinds, and free bottled water in every room.
  • When to Book: Book 2-3 months in advance, especially for the Calgary Stampede (10 days in early July). Bookings during this period are 30-day, non-refundable, and have 100% cancellation charge.
  • How to Book: Booking.com will have the best rates.
  • Phone: 403-228-4442
  • Email: kensington@hotelarts.ca
  • Website: hotelartskensington.com

Hotel Arts Kensington – Amenities

  • Pool: No pool. Exclusive access to an outdoor pool at their sister hotel, Hotel Arts downtown. Poolside reservations are required and complimentary parking is provided.
  • Spa: No spa. In-room spa treatments are available from their partner provider, The In-Room Spa.
  • Fitness Center: No fitness room. Guests receive complimentary passes for any classes at Oranj Fitness (250m).
  • For Disabled Guests: Accessible rooms available.

Hotel Arts Kensington – Food and Drink

  • Restaurants: Oxbow – Quaint and charming atmosphere with an open kitchen and a seasonal outdoor patio. Serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.
  • Bar/Lounge: Oxbow Lounge shares space with the restaurant and serves select appetizers from the main menu. Contemporary décor, full bar service, designated bar seating, and outdoor patio seating. Excellent service.
  • Breakfast: Not complimentary.
  • Room Service: No room service.

Hotel Arts Kensington – Rooms

  • Room Types: Luxury Rooms • Executive Rooms • Junior Suites • Luxury Suites • List of all Rooms
  • Smoking Rooms: The hotel is 100% smoke-free.
  • Best Room: The Luxury Suites are the most spacious and come with large sitting areas, fireplaces, private balconies, and bathrooms with separate bathtubs and shower areas. Very popular for honeymooners and couples on a romantic break.
  • For Families: All rooms can sleep 2 adults and a child. Adjoining rooms are available.

Hotel Arts Kensington – What’s Nearby

Recommended Nearby Tours

  • Xploring Calgary Bus Tour – Very interesting and informative bus tour (passenger van, 12 guests) of Canada Olympic Park, Lougheed House, Stampede Park, Fort Calgary, and downtown Calgary. Starting point: Calgary Tower (2.5 km).
  • Calgary Downtown Intro Walking Tour – Excellent walking tour of Calgary’s downtown and its history, public art, sculptures, +15 skywalk system, and Chinatown. Starting point: Calgary Municipal Plaza (2.5 km).
  • Stampede Art and Wild West Walking Tour – This excellent walking tour highlights Calgary Stampede’s history, the wall murals and sculptures on the Stampede grounds, chuckwagon races, and the rodeo. Starting point: Stampede Gate inside Stampede Grounds (4 km).

Best Nearby Restaurants

  • Modern Steak Kensington – Adjacent to the hotel. Upscale steakhouse. Sophisticated cocktails. Reservations recommended on weekends. (50m).
  • Niko’s Bistro – Serves a large and diverse Italian menu. Intimate venue, great for get-togethers, personalized service, and excellent food. Reservations recommended. (400m).

Best Nearby Bars and Breweries

  • Last Best Brewing & Distilling – This contemporary brew pub offers its own brand of in-house beer and delicious pub-fare. Happy hour every day 2-6pm. (2 km).
  • Trolley 5 – Two-level brewery where you can watch the brewing process from any seat. Outdoor patio spills onto the sidewalk and the hustle and bustle of 17th Avenue. (2 km).

Nearby Attractions

  • Prince’s Island Park – Beautiful and popular island park with picnic spots and several gardens, and also where several festivals are held, including Canada Day celebrations and Calgary Folk Festival. The only way to get to the island is via one of the many pedestrian bridges. The bike and pedestrian Peace Bridge nearby is an architectural marvel. (1.5 km).
  • Devonian Gardens – The top level of CORE shopping center is home to Devonian Gardens, a large and popular indoor botanical garden with a children’s play area. (1.5 km).
  • Studio Bell, National Music Centre – Museum of instruments and memorabilia with interactive exhibits for all ages. Test how good your singing really is in the sound booth, play various instruments, and tour the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. Tons of cool artifacts. Some fun exhibits for the kids in the Bodyphonic gallery, especially where the room is the instrument and you see sound move as you use your hands and feet to control the tone. The kids love this one. (3 km).

Nearby Markets or Grocery Stores

  • Safeway – Large supermarket with deli, bakery, and on-site Starbucks. (600m).

Hotel Arts Kensington – The Hotel

The hotel is very elegant.

Hotel Arts Kensington is charming, elegant, and stately.

The lobby is small and colorful.

The colorful lobby is small with limited seating.

Luxury King Rooms are classy.

The Luxury King Rooms are modern and classy.

They have fireplaces and desks.

They feature large writing desks and fireplaces.

French doors open onto a garden patio.

Lovely French doors open out to the garden patio.

Bathrooms have bathtubs.

The bathrooms come with bathtubs and rain showers.

Oxbow Dining Room has an open kitchen.

Oxbow Dining Room has a quaint and charming atmosphere with an open kitchen and a seasonal outdoor patio.

Oxbow Lounge has a lit stairway.

Oxbow Lounge is a wonderful inviting space and the lit stairway to the 2nd floor rooms is a nice touch.

Oxbow has different hours of operation.

Oxbow has different hours of operation every day.

There are a lot of public art installations in the city.

Public art installations such as this can be found across downtown.

Studio Bell is the home of the National Music Centre.

Studio Bell, National Music Centre showcases musical instruments and has several fun interactive exhibits.

It has several interactive musical exhibits for children.

Some rooms act as musical instruments and kids, especially, have lots of fun using their hands and legs to play music.

Last Best Brewing & Distilling serves its own craft beer.

Last Best Brewing & Distilling serves excellent in-house craft beer and pub-fare.

Trolley 5 is another great craft brewery.

The 2-level Trolley 5 brewery serves its own craft beer and has an outdoor patio as well.

Safeway supermarket has a deli, bakery, and Starbucks.

Safeway supermarket is popular because it also has an on-site deli, bakery, and Starbucks.

All Calgary Hotel Reviews

Read More

About Santorini Dave

Santorini Dave Author Bio. Santorini Dave was started in 2011 by a guy who loved Greece, travel, and great hotels. We're now a small team of writers and researchers on a mission to deliver the most helpful travel content on the internet. We specialize in Santorini, Mykonos, Athens, and Greece and recommend the best hotels, best neighborhoods, and best family hotels in top destinations around the world. We also make hotel maps and travel videos. I can be contacted at dave@santorinidave.com.