Mermaid Lodge & Motel

P.O. Box 1333 / #3622 North Street
Ainsworth Hot Springs, B.C. CANADA. V0G 1A0
Phone or Fax (Worldwide): 1 (250) 229-4969
Toll Free (Canada & US only): 1 (888) 229-4963
themermaid@uniserve.com

Home

Reserve Online

Please be aware that all online reservations are subject to a non-refundable 15% booking fee (charged to the credit card provided).

We are happy to accept:

MasterCard

Pets Welcome at the Mermaid!
There are many walking trails to enjoy only minutes away from the motel, not to mention the lake and beach area across the road from the motel.

Pets are subject to additional pet charges of $8.00/night and pet owners are responsible for cleaning up after their pets, inside and outside.

Noisy pets must not be left in the units unattended and should be kept on a leash while on motel grounds.

You can travel here by auto, airline, or busline. We are located in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. Only 30 miles north of Nelson, B.C. and only 4 hours drive to Spokane, Washington. (30 meters from the famous Ainsworth Hot Springs pools and cave).

By Airplane:
Airlines fly into Castlegar Airport (2 hr. drive from Ainsworth). You can either rent a car at the airport or arrange for busline or airport shuttle service when making your reservations.

Shuttle Fees:
Nelson to Ainsworth, return - $42.00/person
Castlegar Airport to Ainsworth, return - $55.00/person.

Ferries:
The Kootenay Lake Ferries are located approximately 9 miles south of Ainsworth Hot Springs and approximately 1½ hour drive from Creston, BC. It takes 40 minutes to cross the Kootenay Lake. Both boats, the M.V. Balfour and the M.V. Osprey have a Coffee Shop on board and observation decks for scenic viewing.

Map of Canada & US
(click to enlarge)

Osprey 2000 -
Longest Free Ferry in Canada

Ferry Times:

Driving From Creston or Cranbrook:
You will need to take the Kootenay Lake Ferry @ Kootenay Bay (longest FREE ferry in Canada taking approx. 40 minutes to cross). In summer months, there are 2 ferries running (50 min. apart). Only one ferry running September through May (1 hr. 40 minutes apart).

Driving From Nelson:
Visitors travelling to Ainsworth from Nelson must follow signage directing them to the Kootenay Lake Ferry, (Highway #3A), however, you only drive by the ferry landing, you do not take the ferry. You must cross the Orange Bridge in Nelson to reach #3A, (so you can use that as a good landmark as soon as you arrive in Nelson). Once you arrive at Balfour/ferry landing, you will see directional signs for Ainsworth Hot Springs instructing you to drive 14 km (9 miles) north on Highway #31.

Once you arrive in Ainsworth Hot Springs, look for directional sings for "The Mermaid Lodge & Motel".

Approximate Driving Times:

Vancouver...........	8 hrs
Calgary...............	7 hrs
Spokane.............	4 hrs
Seattle...............	8 hrs
Cranbrook..........	4 hrs

Speed Limits:
Posted in Metric, ranging from 30km to 100km (Kilometers). To convert km's to miles, multiply the km's x 0.6.
Eg. 50km x 0.6 = 30 miles.

Touring the Kootenay Rockies
(click to enlarge)

Enlargement of West Kootenay Region (click to enlarge)

Distance Chart
(click to enlarge)