Blackstone B&B

Our stay was very pleasant, and the price seemed fair outside peak season. The location is great, just a few minutes’ drive from Fernie town, with a small shared parking area behind the building. There’s construction around at the moment, so it can be noisy during the day, though the setting is otherwise calm and picturesque. The modern rooms are spacious and have a shared entrance at the front, but you’re unlikely to run into other guests. Ours had a back door opening onto a nicely decorated area. Inside, there’s a slightly creaky wood-frame bed, a nice TV, mini fridge, good air conditioning, and an attractive walk-in shower and large sink area. The window view was great too.

We enjoyed Fernie, which is a cool town, but wish we’d stayed somewhere else. We booked Blackstone because it was advertised as a Bed and Breakfast, but it isn’t one. I asked the host about breakfast and was told there was no option during the week, though in reality there’s no breakfast option at all. Blackstone is basically a large house in a suburban, mountain-lodge neighborhood. The room was okay, but apart from the bed it had only a couple of hard plastic chairs and a mini fridge. There’s no downstairs thermostat for the A/C, something that really should be disclosed in the listing. I tried adjusting it with no response, then called the host and learned he controls it from an upstairs thermostat. I’m surprised it passed building inspection, since that wouldn’t happen where I’m from. The whole stay felt self-serve, and I never saw the host.

We had all the information we needed to access the suite well before arrival, and the owner made sure we were looked after. It’s clean and spacious, with a terrific view. A local disc golf course, superb cafes and a great bagel shop are just minutes down the road. What a lovely place to rest and enjoy Fernie. We hope to come back soon.

There’s no breakfast, but self check-in and checkout were simple. This inn is close to food in town and outdoor activities, though it doesn’t quite feel like an alpine getaway. The room has a strong style, more stark chic than cozy, and the lack of hooks, shelves or drawers meant we had to stack our belongings on surfaces. Outside, planted shrubs and small trees soften the suburban development and connect it to the nature beyond Fernie. There’s also a still-water feature where you can sit and look past nearby backyards toward the mountain peaks.