PRICE:
Frommer's Exceptional

At all of two stories high and half a block from the city's vibrant -- and eminently walkable -- Kensington District, the riverside comes across more as an urbane country inn than a business-class hotel. Make no mistake, though: a chic redo in recent years erased its country charm, replacing it with a sleek, sophisticated aesthetic. The large salon features a fireplace and couchside cocktail and appetizer service from its award-winning restaurant, the Chef's Table. Rooms are ample and have all the comforts, including plush down pillows and duvets. A short walk across the footbridge lands you on Prince's Island Park, perhaps the city's most appealing urban oasis, which sits in the shadow of the downtown office towers. With its just-close-enough-to-downtown location, the Riverside is a bit of country in the city -- if your idea of "country" is Malibu. Probably the most stylish place in town.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Alberta, 1st Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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