The Explorer Hotel Yellowknife

Location: 4825 49 Avenue, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, X1A2R3, Yellowknife, CA

Star Rating: 3 Stars

Property Type: Hotels

About this Property

Important Information

Policies

Check-in: 04:00 PM - 11:00 AM

Check-out: 11:00 AM

Amenities & Facilities

• Fitness facilities
• Free WiFi
• 24-hour front desk
• Luggage storage
• Concierge service
• Elevator
• Fitness facilities
• Free airport transportation
• ATM/banking
• Conference space
• Cross-country skiing nearby
• Hiking/biking trails nearby
• Breakfast available (surcharge)
• Safe-deposit box at front desk
• Multilingual staff
• Smoke-free property
• Snowboarding nearby
• Wedding services
• Wheelchair accessible parking
• 24-hour business center
• Conference center
• Free self parking
• Computer station
• 24-hour fitness facilities
• Water dispenser
• Ballroom
• Banquet hall
• Reception hall
• Wheelchair-accessible van parking

Rooms Available

• Standard Room, 1 King Bed

  1 King Bed

  420-sq-foot room with lake views

  
  

  Internet - Free WiFi

  Entertainment - 46-inch flat-screen TV with premium channels

  Food & Drink - Refrigerator, microwave, coffee/tea maker, and electric kettle

  Sleep - Pillowtop bed, premium bedding, blackout drapes/curtains, and bed sheets

  Bathroom - Private bathroom, shower/tub combination, slippers, and free toiletries

  Practical - Safe, iron/ironing board, and laptop workspace; rollaway beds (surcharge) and cribs (free) available on request

  Comfort - Air conditioning, daily housekeeping, and heating

  Accessibility - Wheelchair accessible

  Non-Smoking

  Connecting/adjoining rooms can be requested, subject to availability

  Max Occupancy: 3 (2 Adults)

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Safety deposit box
  • TV
  • Air conditioning
  • Hair dryer
  • Refrigerator
  • Desk
  • Microwave
  • Private bathroom
  • Heating
  • Slippers
  • Interconnected room(s) available
  • Electric kettle
  • Wardrobe or closet
  • Toilet paper
  • Shampoo
  • Room service (limited hours)
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Daily housekeeping
  • Premium bedding
  • Blackout drapes/curtains
  • Free WiFi
  • Pillowtop mattress
  • Free cribs/infant beds
  • Bedsheets provided
  • Soap
  • Local maps
  • Guidebooks or recommendations
  • Laptop-friendly workspace

• Deluxe Room, 1 King Bed

  1 King Bed

  323-sq-foot room with lake views

  
  

  Internet - Free WiFi

  Entertainment - 46-inch flat-screen TV with premium channels

  Food & Drink - Refrigerator, microwave, coffee/tea maker, and electric kettle

  Sleep - Pillowtop bed, premium bedding, blackout drapes/curtains, and bed sheets

  Bathroom - Private bathroom, shower/tub combination, slippers, and free toiletries

  Practical - Safe, iron/ironing board, and laptop workspace; cribs (free) available on request

  Comfort - Air conditioning, daily housekeeping, and heating

  Accessibility - Wheelchair accessible

  Need to Know - No rollaway/extra beds available

  Non-Smoking

  Connecting/adjoining rooms can be requested, subject to availability

  Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Safety deposit box
  • TV
  • Air conditioning
  • Hair dryer
  • Refrigerator
  • Desk
  • Microwave
  • Private bathroom
  • Heating
  • Slippers
  • Interconnected room(s) available
  • Electric kettle
  • Wardrobe or closet
  • Toilet paper
  • Shampoo
  • Room service (limited hours)
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Daily housekeeping
  • Premium bedding
  • Blackout drapes/curtains
  • Free WiFi
  • Pillowtop mattress
  • No rollaway/extra beds
  • Free cribs/infant beds
  • Bedsheets provided
  • Soap
  • Local maps
  • Guidebooks or recommendations
  • Laptop-friendly workspace

Guest Reviews

• Daisuke (10/5): - best location. so nice stuff.
• Dave (10/5): - They need more staff at the check in.
• Scott (8/5): - Nice property, wasn’t happy that we couldn’t get into the restaurant!
• David (10/5): - Great hotel.
• Lola (10/5): - Good property /hotel for a stay in Yellowknife
• Helga (8/5): - The public spaces were lovely and very well maintained but the guest rooms were dated and in need of an upgrade.
• Geoffrey (10/5): - Nice hotel in Yellowknife with easy access to key points of interest. Traders Grill restaurant serves good food especially the Sunday Brunch!
• Souhail (2/5): - There is a monopoly of hotels in Yellowknife. The properties do not need to maintain high standards of service or be amainable to guests needs. They care very little about providing a positive experience. If you're dissatisfied, oh well...there are plenty of other customers looking for a room. Unfortunate and shameful.
• Dennis (6/5): - Toilet and hallway condition needs attention.
• jason (8/5): - No bath robes. No mini bar , no little perks in the room that should be there for the nicest hotel in Yellowknife
• Amanda (8/5): Clean, comfortable, safe - The location was convenient to town while still feeling safe. The room was clean and comfortable, and the hotel staff were friendly and helpful. Glad we picked this hotel over some of the others in town!
• Gregory (10/5): - Excellent experience
• Daniel (10/5): - Very comfortable
• Darryl (10/5): - Great stay comfy
• victoria (6/5): - Check in was quick. The staff were average. Not very friendly. The room was clean but lots of dust built up on the ceiling from the vents. The view was beautiful and the hotel was safer than Nova as it requires a key to use the elevator. The restaurant was nice but staff were lacking customer service skills. We requested room service our first night which arrived promptly. The next night we ordered again but they said they were Too busy. Our last night my daughter had spilled milk on our sheets. I requested for them to be changed but the concierge informed me that after 6pm there was no housekeeping staff. The hotel was in walking distance of restaurants, parks and waterfront. Overall okay stay.
• Brendan (10/5): - Nice hotel
• kevin (10/5): - King size bed was very nice
• Jesse (10/5): - It’s in the heart of Yellowknife easy access to everything
• Morris (10/5): - Good experience. Very good breakfast this morning.
• Gregory (10/5): - The hotel, by Toronto standards, would be just average, but for Yellowknife it's one of the best hotels around. Super friendly staff. Room was clean and bed comfortable.conveniently located within walking distance of anything you might want to see in the city. Frame Lake trail is a short walk from the hotel entrance. Great 5.5 km hike around the lake.
• Annette (8/5): - Good location. Rooms are a good size. Need a key in elevator which is good for security
• Lisa (8/5): - This is a great hotel to stay at for easy access to Yellowknife downtown. Easy walking to restaurants, shops, and the Prince of Wales Centre. Perfect proximity to Frame Lake and Niven Lake walking trails as well.
• Kelsey (2/5): - Already described my issues
• Karén (10/5): - The hotel is very good located. The staff is very friendly. The fact of having an airport shuttle is another plus.
• Kelsey (2/5): - The A/C wasn’t working, I expressed this to the front desk, the next night, same issue, room was almost 25 degrees. Then as I was checking out I told them no one fixed it, no one offered to switch the room, and they said I would recieve a call, no call. The bathrooms were not cleaned well. I usually have no issues at this hotel but this stay was not good. I also ate at the restaurant, the customer service was good but the food was not cooked well and I was a little surprised when I wasn’t offered a discount after having to send it back.
• Brent (10/5): - Easy check in. Clean room.
• Robert (8/5): - Expedia had failed to reserve 2 rooms, but at the check in we were above to book another room at about $400 less for the 3 nights than Expedia would have charged.
• Gary (10/5): - Great spot in Yellowknife. Rooms are clean with good beds. Both the restaurant and bar serve good food and friendly staff.
• Lisa (8/5): Cheaper rates booking directly with hotel!! - Stay was satisfactory. Restaurant closes at 1:30-5pm daily and Lounge doesn’t open until 4. Bed was older and pillows very small and firm for a kingsize bed. However, will book directly with hotel in the future as they are cheaper than Hotels.com
• Tracy (10/5): - We really enjoyed our stay. Would stay again. Close to everything and great eating options on site. We particularly enjoyed the Trapper Lounge.
• Anuroop (10/5): - We loved our stay at The Explorer Hotel. We had an early checkout and had activities planned after checkout and the team graciously accepted our request to help us store luggage. They also offer free to and from airport shuttle which was super helpful considering this was our first time at Yellowknife.
• Glen (10/5): - Best hotel in town. Good restaurant, tasty bison.
• cyrus (8/5): - It was clean and comfertable.
• Errol (8/5): - Excellent property that is within close proximity (10 mins drive) of the airport with a free airport shuttle. The hotel caters to several of the northern lights tour operators. The hotel rooms are spacious which is great for storing all your extra winter gear. The breakfast options are great and so is the staff service throughout the hotel. There is also a gym with fairly new equipment, meeting rooms and conference rooms. The hotel also offers luggage storage, which can be quite convenient depending on your arrival/departure time. Guests can easily walk from the hotel to nearby stores if you need any groceries/pharmacy supplies. Similarly the Northern Heritage Centre (a museum) is within walking distance to the hotel. Our bathroom was a little dated, but comfortable enough for short trips. All in all, this is a good, reliable hotel with excellent service and I would stay here again.
• Deborah (10/5): - Excellent service and facilities.
• TOMAS (10/5): - It’s acceptable
• Mark (6/5): - Very nice rooms, kind staff, and great location, within walking distance of downtown and Old Town. On one day the shower stopped fully functioning with almost no pressure. The food was also mediocre but very expensive. All in all, a nice hotel to stay, but very pricy for the quality of services.
• Ian (10/5): - Comfy beds, great employees and clean room
• Annette (8/5): - Clean and safe. The price is not worth the value
• Jess (10/5): - Beautiful location. Great view from my room. Accomodated to my room requests. The only downside was parking (could get a little tough at times). And had someone sitting outside twice either asking for money or asking me to buy something off of them. I get times are tough, and I feel for those being hit the hardest, but it just wasn't something I was expecting to happen when I was checking in and out of the hotel.
• Caroline (10/5): - Restaurant on site has Lovely view. Food is great.
• Annette (8/5): - The property is close to all amenities downtown
• Brenda (10/5): - Very clean and very friendly
• Richard (8/5): - I liked how fast i got to my room. Disliked how my $74 bottle of wine and $34 cheese platter was presented when i got to the room. A bucket of ice with the bottle in it would had been nice and not having the glasses and bottle in the fridge. Didn't even know the glasses were in the fridge until we were done the wine. Pastic covering for the cheese and fruit plate. Just made it look cheap which it wasn't
• Jose (8/5): - We liked the hotel
• Marc-Andre (10/5): - Great staff (convivial and attentive as well as very professional). Well-equipped gym. Clean and comfortable room. Convenient location. Good restaurant.
• Donghuan (10/5): - Everything is good, best hotel in yellowknife .
• Donna (10/5): - We had a nice Christmas vacation
• Gary (10/5): - A good property for Yellowknife
• Hubert H. (10/5): - We enjoyed the whole experience. Bed very comfortable. Ambience in the hotel restaurants along with the food being very good. Staff very pleasant and helpful.
• Richard (10/5): - Beautiful view of yellowknife on the 6th floor and in sure it gets better the higher you go. Safe and quiet compared to other hotels in the area.
• shadreck (10/5): Good place to rest - I had an excellent experience, and all staff members went above and beyond
• Amanda (8/5): - .
• Dwayne (8/5): - I had a great view from my room on the top and dealt with William (aka Daniel..he'll get the joke) who's great at the front desk. Lots of things within walking distance, like The Black Knight (pub).
• Mathieu (10/5): - Central, everything is at a walking distance once you're at the Hotel.
• Lynn (10/5): - Always clean and comfortable!
• David (10/5): Great place to stay from repeat customer - The Explorer is my "go to" hotel in Yellowknife. Updated, clean, and the staff is super friendly and efficient. Rooms are spacious, big beds with nice comforters. Highly recommended.
• Zach (10/5): - There is limited dining near the hotel, there is an onsite restaurant, which is quite expensive, and an on site lounge which is a little on the expensive site for a lounge but pulled lamb quesadillas were really good, all other dining options require you drive or take a taxi. Lastly no TEA! in the room just coffees. YUCK!
• Lauren (6/5): - Mediocre at best
• Donna (10/5): - My favorite place to stay in Yellowknife. The beds a very very comfortable. Staff very friendly. Food very good.
• Karl (10/5): - Loved the view outside and atmosphere of the dining area. The food was delicious. Nice lobby area great shuttle service. The lounge was cozy. The beds were very comfortable. The only thing it lacked, was a little store to get toothpaste or other essentials and snacks. Or at least I never saw one.
• Nadine (10/5): - Excellent.
• Shannon (10/5): - Comfy bed and room service was excellent!
• David (8/5): - We found the the bar staff efficient and friendly and ate in there on our second night. We stood for 10 minutes at the restaurant for dinner and noboby approached us, my husband had to walk in to get attention. When somebody eventually came there was no apology and the other couple waiting walked away.
• Peter (8/5): - Conveniently located, well maintained, wonderful staff, a center for all activities related to the northern lights, walking distance to everything in Yellowknife.
• Brendan (4/5): - I was up early in the morning due to a party next room. People were fighting keep me up all night
• richard (10/5): - Great food
• Donna (10/5): - Great service but no ice machines
• James (4/5): - Service here needs to be worked on, staff seem uptight. The location is alright. 3/5 stars.
• Nicole (10/5): - The polar bear in the lobby is a great attraction
• KRISTI (8/5): - The staff are always very friendly and helpful. The rooms need an upgrade and the grout in the bathroom was quite in need of redoing. However those rooms are always so clean and housekeeping does a great job.
• marlon (10/5): - Well maintained and cleanliness is exemplary. Elevator-have to use card inside the elevator and it takes time for the card reader to clear from the previous card before one can swipe his card and the elevator is moving and so it may be a little late to press which floor this guy is going.
• John (10/5): - Very clean modern facility. Great restaurant.
• Gary (10/5): - Good hotel overall. Good location in Yellowknife. Good views of the city from all sides. Food at Trader’s Grill and Pub are decent
• WEN (6/5): - The room is clean and the bed is comfortable. The staff at the front desk is not very friendly. Expedia gold members didn't benefit from staying in this VIP hotel. No upgrade or late check out kind of thing in this hotel. The restaurant service is very slow. We had been waiting for an hour to get the breakfast. Expedia provided only one person's breakfast buffee, so the other person has to pay $22 for the buffee which has very limited choises of food. Very disapointing.
• NANCY (10/5): - The room was wonderful, comfortable bed, great view. Enjoyed my stay
• kevin (6/5): - Nice place, good food and room service. Tv package is not the greatest, no guide channel
• Jeff (8/5): - This is a good property, not a great property. It's by most accounts one of the top-2 properties in YK. So, if you stay at the Explorer you will be happy. The Trader's Grill restaurant just off the lobby is lovely, with huge copper fire place and a panoramic view of some northern boreal woods. The menus is solid, and the food is quite tasty at decent prices. That's the strength. It's an older building, so the rooms are smaller which is fine. But they are in mediocre condition. For example, there were stains on the bench, and carpet that were very large (1 square foot or so), and numerous parts of the room that were in poor repair like a dropping window sill, a bedside lamp that was well off it's base... I don't want to make it sound like a dump. It's not. It's just not up to the condition you might expect. While the Explorer is a fine choice and one you won't be disappointed in, particularly due to the airport shuttle, it is simply worse in almost every conceivable way by a large margin to the Chateau Nova, which is the main competition and priced even slightly lower with all of the same amenities and being legitimately right next door. In no world should you consider the Explorer over Chateau Nova, unless you value the superior dining experience. That said, if you're eating in your hotel and not in Old Town regularly, then you are already doing YK completely wrong. It's a decent place, it's just a distant second in its class, that's all.
• Tracey (4/5): - It was dirty. The bathroom counters were disgusting when I wiped them with disinfectant wipes and the floors had dirt and garbage here and there. For the amount we pay for hotels it’s not worth that price if it’s going to be filthy.
• Sandra (8/5): - I had a most pleasant experience in this hotel.
• Carol (8/5): - The restaurant was great. Had breakfast there both days. Table view, service and food was great. Comfortable stay. Good location and shuttle service from airport.
• Peter (10/5): On the way south - Quick overnight stop.
• Margaret Rhoda (10/5): - The polar bear was awesome! Nice breakfast buffet too.
• Mary (8/5): - Convenient for our pre and post wilderness trip. Room was generous size for repacking for camping then for travel home.
• Vasilios (8/5): - Room was booked only one night for our son... overall very happy with close proximity to airport and his transfer point to yellow dog lodge next day.
• David George (8/5): - Easy walking distance to downtown.
• KRISTI (10/5): - Staff are always friendly. We stay here often and other than the room servixe menu needing some essy options (sandwiches, burgers, appies), it is a great place to stsy
• Delphine (8/5): - Good service and staff was fast
• Danielle (4/5): - The room was clean but my bed was made with only one pillow and blanket. There was no top sheet either, which I found very strange. By the time I crawled into bed I was too tired to complain, but I expected much more for the upscale hotel the Explorer makes itself out to be.
• Valerie Elaine (6/5): - The property is dated but kept very clean. Quality of food in the restaurant is fair. Service is good as long as it's not a holidayTV service is horrible.
• audie (10/5): - Nice hotel, great Sunday brunch
• Ashley (8/5): - Friendly staff
• Baoying (6/5): - There is no house keeping at all during our 3 night stay. The TV doesn’t have a remote. One of the key card doesn’t work. The shower has very low water pressure. Water pipes are noisy.
• Laura (10/5): - Great staff and accommodations
• Angela (10/5): - The room was huge, dark, quiet.
• Keith (8/5): - Walking distance to downtown businesses.
• Mandy (6/5): - It was good
• James (10/5): - An extra early check in and a later check out was accepted without any problem.
• Alan (8/5): - A pleasant stay. Thank you.
• Shari (8/5): - Great customer service

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