Stay & Play

The Castle in the Rockies

by Steve Gillick

The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel is an experience like no other. Located in Banff National Park (Canada’s first National Park, created in 1885), the hotel, built in the classic turn-of-the-century Chateau Style, sits at the convergence of the Bow and Spray Rivers at the foot of Sulphur Mountain, with ‘just-outside-your-window’ views of Tunnel Mountain, Mount Rundle and the Fairholme Range of the iconic Rocky Mountains.

Outside the Banff Springs Hotel, near the Conference Centre, stands a statue of Cornelius Van Horne who envisioned the grand hotel in the Rockies that opened in 1888, the same year he became President of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The hotel would suffer hard times, including the great fire of 1926 that resulted in a larger structure being rebuilt on the site, but since the re-opening in 1928 and despite a 3 year closure during the 2nd World War, the hotel adapted to the needs of domestic and international travelers through expansion, renovation and it’s first Winter opening in the 1970’s, making it a year-round destination.

The exterior of ‘the castle’ is impressive enough but the interior, from the main entry lobby to the shopping arcade, to the accommodation floors, oozes a sense of luxury and care that responds to all generations of travellers looking for a more upscale experience, without it being haughty. For instance, as an alternative to the many fine dining choices in the hotel, there is the Stock Food and Drink restaurant in the lobby that offers delicious, freshly made sandwiches, salads, soups, quiche, coffee, pastries and more, to either eat casually in an adjoining room or take-out and enjoy, along with the views. And I will say that the hotel staff are smiling, friendly, helpful, and make one feel at home from the moment you arrive.

I was in a Fairmont room, with a plush queen-size bed and an amazing view of the mountains. Fairmont rooms, Deluxe rooms and Suites are available with a variety of bed types (King, Queen, Double, Twins) and views ranging from the hotel and grounds to the spectacular mountains surrounding the property. The hotel offers seasonal and regularly scheduled activities including a fitness centre, tennis, bowling, skating, wilderness hikes and campfire/marshmallow roasts. Winter downhill skiing is available at nearby Norquay, Sunshine Village and Lake Louise. For many, the hotel’s award-winning Willow Stream Spa is an attraction on its own with over 50 signature experiences plus saunas, whirlpools and a mineral pool.

From the nearby Banff Gondola Observation Deck near the summit of Sulphur Mountain, you can see the Castle in the Rockies and appreciate its location and natural setting but you can also easily see that the hotel is within walking distance (1.9 km) to the town of Banff. Along the way you are accompanied by fantastic river and mountain views and then in the town itself there are number of restaurants, bars, shops and the visitor information centre. Clear signage points the way to everything in the area.

The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, the Castle in the Rockies, is a truly unique accommodation experience. William Van Horne noted “Since we can’t export the scenery, we’ll have to import the tourists” and the result for over 130 years has been, in a word, “Wow”!

www.fairmont.com