Need some assistance - looking to travel to Banff in the late summer as ive heard its awesome and would love to do some hiking and exploring but also not looking to pay 300 a night for hotels/inns that look pretty meh. Airbnb is pretty limited in the area as well & the place seems to keep prices high by limiting supply. What options exist for lodging - prefer not to camp would do a hostel if i had a private room (and have emailed a few already)
are you renting a car? i did this trip in early spring last year. happy to share hiking pointers.
for your immediate question, you should rent a car and drive from Canmore into Banff. (1hr). prices won’t be as high and there is a travelodge that I found to be okay. book earlier to save more. a few cool hikes and things to do in canmore as well. if you’re a golfer I would recommend Silver Tip (golf course on the side of a mountain, breathtaking). Other course would be Banff Springs which I have not had the pleasure but also heard good things about.
I assume he will be renting a car since he will most likely fly into Calgary or driving in if he’s living in a nearby state or province.
So, I agree with macca to stay in Canmore, especially if you are looking to hike and stuff. There are as many great trails and hikes near Canmore / Kananaskis area, as there are in Banff. In my opinion, Banff as a town itself is pretty over-rated and overpriced.
As for hiking trails, it really depends on your level of experience, physical shape and time you want to spend. I can recommend some if you can provide some color on the types of hikes you are looking for, but keep in mind that the elevation is higher in Alberta so it does get harder to breathe / go up the trail compared to hiking from sea level. Also, since you are going in late summer, I would check for bear warnings and invest in a bear spray. Golfing at Silver Tip is a great call if you are a golfer.
Full disclosure: I live in Calgary.
awesome thanks guys - would def be renting a car and had looked to canmore but was hoping for some luck in Banff but if its lame then idk. Not sure if this trip is going to happen this year but its certainly on my radar - might get some guys together a rent a larger house or something to make more cost efficient.
as for hikes i would likely be looking for medium difficulty i suppose - not into super intense hikes and looking for something with a bit of a challenge but not insane
In Canmore / Kananaskis:
Baldy / Galatea / Heart Mountain / Yamnuska / Lady MacDonald, Mount Kidd (this one is a bit more difficult) are all good.
I don’t know Banff as well but I would recommend Lake Moraine, Johnston Canyon / Tunnel Mountain.
I used to live in Banff back in the day. It is a beautiful area. Anything you need, just give shout out! 
Banff is sweet dawg
franky is that your hometown or were you just passing through?
On top of what kurtosis said
Canmore: Ha Ling
Banff:
Lake Louise up to Lake Agnes Teahouse, then up to the top Beehive (from June onwards - went in May and Beehive was cut off by snow still)
Johnston Canyon out to the Inkpots (beautiful on a sunny day)
Castle Junction… there’s a hike over there called Lake or Rock something apparently it’s epic. Wasn’t able to do this one last because of snow.