For the Christmas holidays, we stayed in Canmore which is about 20 minutes from Banff. I just looked at the prices for some of the hotel listed at Trip Advisor.com, and the prices have dropped. Maybe it's a little slower right now. With you living around the area, maybe you would like a little weekend holiday. I am not sure how long the prices will keep, but it's worth a look. We stayed at the Ramada Inn and last nite it was listed at $79 (and don't forget about the usual taxes).