The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

The hotel does not market itself transparently, as it doubles as the Canadian school of magic. It was quickly obvious that staff could apparate as necessary to make your experience seamless and perfect. We met the wonderful concierge Rory, who generously offered us a marauders map. We also met the prefect of floor 8. She appeared at just the right moment in her plaid schoolgirl skirt to explain the staff housing across the street.
The staff was halting to explain the absence of room 873 where the door is missing and the baseboard was clearly cut. They say it was eliminated to make the rooms next to it larger but we knew it was a wand shop accessible only to magical people. The top floor was clearly an owlery.
Initially we thought the seven hundred dollar (Canadian) room rate was high but for the magic Castle of the Rockies, it was nothing, especially when taking into account the gorgeous location. Happy to pay it. Hope to return in the Fall to enroll in the school. Believe I make a strong recruit!

Really enjoyed our stay here. On arrival you can experience the high level of service offered to guests. Valet, front desk and housekeeping are very good. We stayed on the Gold floor and very much enjoyed the benefits of the lounge: appetizers, an amazing breakfast and coffee all day in a beautiful setting. The outdoor heated swimming pool is amazing, It overlooks the snow capped mountains that surround. Only negative is the size of the rooms, very small for the very expensive room rates. Location and quality of staff will make your stay very enjoyable.

The building itself and the general amenities are gorgeous. Location is superb and almost magical, but for over $ 400 a night; the rooms are just way below any level of expectations. We had three rooms booked, luckily two of them were corner rooms, but for a «5» star hotel level: our bathtub was chipped through out, missing drain stopper (a plastic one was put instead), the shower head was splashing water all over the bathroom. Room wall papers were pealing off and more. The third room was booked as a «suite» and we got a room on first floor, with no views and street noise. We were offered other room types after complaining. All of which were just horrible, and unacceptable for the price we paid. After three attempts we finally had a decent room on a higher floor (not a suite) and received additional bedroom .
Overall, the hotel is outstanding, the rooms are NOT.

The view of this hotel cannot be beat. I love how it’s surrounded by greens and waterfalls. Their tennis court is on grass. We had a suite with spectacular view of the bow falls and the tunnel mountain. There is a 15 cad resort fee each night which is not too bad. The rooms can be quite diff from one another so a basic room might only have a window of no view. Food is expensive as expected.

Superb property in a special setting. Just wanted to say that our stay over the Easter break was special. Great staff that was professional, very friendly and courteous. My two children loved the concierge’s recommendations for skiing, snow mobiling and dog sledding. I recommend highly.

This hotel is nicely set in the middle of the Rocky Mountains a few miles outside of Banff. It’s like a castle in the middle of the mountains which is pretty cool.
The downside to this is that it was actually a castle, so the rooms are all unique and different. Which is sorta cool, but sorta not when you’re paying a premium to stay a fancy hotel and you get stuck in some sloping roof, 100 sq ft room, which used to be the maids chambers.
The hotel is situated a bit out of the main center, but they have frequent shuttle service, and isn’t that far of a walk (especially if it’s not cold out).
The hotel is huge. You could literally walk around the inside of the hotel for an hour, and there are a lot of interesting nooks and cranny’s. The staff is super friendly and helpful as well.

Amazing! This property is simply outstanding. We may be eating mac-​n-​cheese for months making up for the price tag… but it was worth it. They had us in a ‘not so great room’ when we checked in… but were accommodating when we requested a move. The wing we were in is not equipped with air-​conditioning — thus the need for a move during a hot April stay.
I would suggest eating at The Pantry if you’re looking for a quick/​value based breakfast. The Bow Falls restaurant will set you back about $ 25.00 for yogurt and juice. Plus, wait staff wasn’t happy when we ordered from the menu (silly us) vs. the buffet (which looked fabulous… just way more food than we wanted at the time)
Enjoy your stay. Hike! Bike! And have fun!

We stayed for a week during our wedding/​honeymoon. There was a convention at the same time and they treated us like we were in the way. Horrible experience. I would not recommend staying at this hotel. Spend your hard earned money at a place that shows you a little respect, especially on you wedding day. We ended our Honeymoon early due the ridiculously service and outrageous room service charges.
After hearing our complaints the hotel took them very serious and has made up for any difficulties we had. I have to change my opinion of the service.

Wow, what a wonderful hotel experience. I was a little hesitant to spring for such a fancy place, but with a last minute check of availability, this was one of the few places left for a busy weekend.
First, I’d like to commend the staff — everyone was very friendly and went out of there way to offer up assistance and chat with us when presented with the opportunity. These little chats often led to suggestions on things to do and places to go that fit with what we were looking to do on each day of our trip.
Next up is the food… oh, the food! While we tried to dine out in Banff, the few times we just crashed at the hotel, we ate like royalty, and the food was outstanding. From brunch to dinner, we enjoyed many great meals. The Waldhaus was one of the highlights of the trip.
With it’s location (close to a variety of natural destinations), spectacular scenery (hey, you’re right in the mountains!), and classic style and history, the Fairmont is well worth checking out if you are heading to Banff for a vacation.

Beautiful and serene, this resort provides guests with world class service, stunning views, and a feeling of deep relaxation and inner peace.
Exceptional food, exquisite libations, and deeply rooted history that seems to seep from the walls.
There’s simply no other place like it in Canada.

Gold floor generally recommended but not at this hotel, though they were very receptive to feedback.
This review is primarily for the Gold Floor experience at the Banff Springs hotel, not the hotel in general. I’ve stayed at a few Fairmonts over the years, and they’ve all been lovely. Over the summer, my wife and I did our first Gold Floor stay at the Fairmont in Whistler, and it was absolutely exquisite, we loved it, we felt pampered and it was worth every penny. We thought we’d do it again in Banff for our babymoon, but what we received was not a gold floor experience.
First, we pre-​checked in and told them we were arriving at 1pm, we ended up arriving at 1:30 due to roads but our room was not ready until 4. We were told that we were prioritized and that they were understaffed and at full capacity and were very consoling. This, herein, is my consternation, the staff itself was great, but that’s what you’d expect from any Fairmont staff, there simply weren’t enough of them. When we got to our room, the view was incredible, top notch, but the room itself quite small, the bathroom indeed a squeeze. It was easily less than half the size of our room in Whistler, and didn’t have a bath (ok I knew that coming in) or even a dvd player, although they were able to provide one (the rent complementary movies in their lounge).
This spilled into the lounge experience that the Gold Floor offers, when we were in Whistler, they had incredible appetizers like shortrib stuffed yorkshires, here, they just had things like deep fried spring rolls and potato chips. Breakfast here by comparison was also disappointing, it was a very standard fare of scrambled eggs and bacon, while in Whistler, it was more exquisite with eggs benny and other kicked up dishes. Also in Whistler, they would make drinks for you, and refill your coffee while you ate, there was none of that here. Sitting in the lounge on our second day, it became very obvious to us that we weren’t the only people in this situation, feeling like our experience was subpar.
So ultimately, it felt like a waste of money, and I sincerely wish I just paid for a regular room. I thought with the recent renovations that it would be a more promising sign of things, but it wasn’t. Yes, it’s the Christmas season, but being understaffed is not my fault, nor should I have to be punished for it. This was an entirely predictable scenario and they should have been prepared; once again, the staff was wonderful and always busy and working, there just weren’t enough of them. When we arrived, they were bragging about how the gold floor is expanding to the floor below now, but it all seems really preemptive to me, and unless they can really improve the quality of the experience, this will backfire on them.
EDIT: I did talk to the manager about our experience at the end to offer feedback, to which they were very receptive and offered us a discount since we did not feel like we had a comparable Gold Floor experience, so that was very nice of them, and I will bump them up a star.

I recently booked a romantic getaway with my sweetheart, and Riley was not only helpful but very pleasant! I would book a getaway here just because of how sweet he was!
Thank you Riley! (management! he was working 14/​12/​2015 (8:00pm))!!!

Great service from top to bottom. You’ll definitely pay for it, but it was nice for a special occasion. Check in and check out was smooth. They seem to be accommodating to special requests. The rooms are impressive with historical and modern touches, and ours had a gorgeous view of the valley. We enjoyed the outdoor hot pool, wine tasting and the onsite dining. This place is a village on its own!

Like every time before this stay was 5 star. The service from check in to check our was unparalleled. Every staff member is polite and courteous calling you by name and anticipating your needs. We truly were treated like royalty and could not have asked for a better experience.

I attended an industry conference at this hotel and it is at the top of my list as to the best levels of amenities and service I have ever seen from any hotel. From check in, through my stay, to the check out process, the staff here was constantly on their game and went above and beyond to make sure all of my needs were met with the utmost courtesy.
First off, the location itself is absolutely breathtaking if you are a sucker for scenery. It is in my top 3 of the most beautiful locations I have ever been to. I am a pretty decent writer, but even I lack colorful enough adjectives to do it justice. It is, in a word, inspiring. I felt as though I should of called back to work and requested a couple of weeks of PTO to work on a novel or something. It is more of a castle than merely a hotel, and I am kicking myself now for not inquiring about some of the history as I am sure it is an interesting narrative. They do offer a tour that goes into the history if you are so inclined. Unfortunately I was too busy with business related matters to partake in it.
The interior of the hotel is just as quaint and picturesque as the exterior, combining old world charm with exquisite luxury. This is not a corporate Ritz Carlton type of place at all. The service from staff here is much more friendly and conversational, as opposed to the scripted and robotic dialogue you receive from many of the high end chains. I am not saying I expect to be doing shots with staff members in the evenings, but I enjoy it when people talk to me like a human being and not another drone with a corporate Amex card.
The rooms here were quite lovely and well furnished and decorated. I visited several other rooms from other conference attendees and all were unique. The biggest win for me personally was how comfortable the beds were. OMG, it was like sleeping on a cloud. Previously my personal top honors for the most comfortable beds of any hotel went to the Aria Hotel in Las Vegas, but the Fairmont has it beat, hands down! If you are a fan of a more firm bed, this might not be to your liking, but if you are a pillow top warrior like myself, this is absolute heaven! After laying down in it after a long day, I did not want to get up.
If you happen to be a foodie (and I most assuredly am), you are in for a real treat dining in the various locations around the hotel. Their chop house, 1888, has steaks that are out of this world. If you think the Capital Grille has good steaks, this place is on another plane of existence. I was starving from traveling all day and only having airport grab and goes, so I opted for the porterhouse. Absolutely delicious! I can recommend the pork bellies appetizer too. So many restaurants overdo it with this appetizer, but not here. Simple, great flavor contrasts, and melt in your mouth! As you might expect, the wine and champagne list here is both extensive and impressive. Even the most ardent wine snob in your group will be more than satisfied with the offerings. I opted for room service on one night while here as I was exhausted from being on my feet all day. They had me my food in under 30 min, and it was delicious and served with the same signature courtesy I received from all other staff members.
Since I was pampering myself a bit on this trip aside from just visiting for business, I decided to make an appointment at the spa to indulge in what is called the «Ultimate Ascent“package. Many of us guys out there are often hesitant about partaking in spa services as it seems there is this ingrained stigma that it is a black mark on masculinity. As for me? No shame in my game, I enjoyed every second of it. I have been the recipient of numerous spa and massage treatments in my life, but god damn, that woman could start wars with skills like that. I was so lost in «la la land» during the proceedings that I came close to passing out cold.
I can’t say enough good things about how courteous and helpful the staff was here, and not with that annoying underpinning veneer of pretentiousness either. They really do go out of their way to be courteous and helpful, which always wins big points with me. Some places I visit act like they are putting themselves out just to take my money. Customer service in general is becoming a lost art in the contemporary age.
I could really go on forever about how exquisite and world class this place is, but I think you get the idea at this point. The only really legitimate, and no doubt expected, «con» of coming here is price. Yep, it’s crazy expensive, so for most normal people this is a place that is likely reserved for special occasions or vacations. That said, if you want to forge some great memories from a trip to Alberta, I can’t think of anywhere else that could possibly top it.

Hotel was cool looking from the outside, but the experience did not match up with the first impression.
It is a big hotel, you walk in and you are expecting a castle feel, but end up getting a Las Vegas casino feel. The temp, airiness, and smell all resembled it. We checked in and it was quite the line, however it moved pretty quickly. Once we made it to our room I looked around an noticed a few things out of place. First the tub was peeling and nasty. They glazed the tub and it is chipping all over the place. Secondly, there was a missing light. For $ 500 a night, put a coat of glaze on your tub. That is what I call maximizing profit and keeping your customers hostage to your cheap choices. This is a huge miss for a high price hotel who positions themselves as a luxury hotel.
We wanted to go to on a climbing activity. The concierge set us up and gave us our tickets. He told us where we needed to catch the bus to make the activity in the morning. One problem, he told us the wrong spot and we ended up missing the bus due to this. We then had to pay $ 30-​$ 40 for a taxi to get us to the location we needed to go. This is huge miss number two for this «luxury» hotel. We then ordered room service for breakfast. I wanted to surprise my wife with French toast. The French toast was one of the worst meals I have ever eaten in my life. We called to have them take it and replace it with eggs (who messes up eggs, right?). they dropped off the eggs and they were also disgusting. I couldn’t believe it. This hotel was suppose to be a good hotel but fell short consistently during our trip.
I would not recommend this hotel to anyone looking to stay in Banff Springs. Try a different place.

Beautiful Castle hotel that had my wife telling me «this is my dream come true»
Fairmont properties always do things right and this is no exception.
From the greeting at the valet, the bell man, and the front desk, I was pleasantly reminded what good service was all about. Friendly and helpful.
We had to upgrade our room (as we brought the kids along afterall) Instead of making us wait in the lobby (the upgraded room wasn’t quite ready), they let us wait in the room we were upgrading from. This was so nice as the kids were ready for a melt down any minute.
The rooms are smaller but beautiful. You are really staying in a castle. Room service food was excellent (and speedy at under 30 minutes). Every need was satisfied.
I met a group here for some business meetings. Exceptional meeting rooms with floor to ceiling inlaid wood panels. Excellent food and service for all our meeting. Everyone commented on the exceptional treatment.
This is really a lifetime memory kind of place. Antiques adorn every alcove and hallway. The grounds are perfectly maintained. The mountain views are incredible.
Make sure you visit their wine bar! All premium Canadian fine cheeses, meats and bread are served (wine too !) The presentation is memorable and fun.
Walking distance to downtown Banff.
Worthy of praise and the price. Well done Fairmont.

The Fairmont knows how to do customer service. Sign up for their free loyalty program, the Presidents Club, and you get free wifi, a saved profile and expedited check in.
We checked in prior to our arrival, so when we drove up to the hotel, they had a package with all our room information ready upon our arrival.
The hotel is beautiful and something that everyone should experience at least once. I would recommend having some time to relax and walk around the facilities.
This most recent visit was for a conference. The conference set up was excellent. The meals in the Alhambra room were great. There was one less than stellar buffet meal in a different room, but overall impressed.

So many photographs and words try to explain this beautiful castle, and fall short.
Add this breathtaking hotel your bucket list. Is it even a hotel? It’s a huge castle complex with Tudor touches amidst the mountains, does that make it a resort? A haven? A heaven? Again, just take a moment and add this to any future travel documents you might be keeping.
It’s old-​school luxury, so the hallways and rooms are smaller, but oh-​so-​rich with beauty and classical touches. If you can’t afford to stay here (rumor has it prices are pretty high in the summer and at Christmastime), you should treat yourself to their afternoon tea service. At about $ 50 dollars per person, you feel like you’re living Downton Abbey with Rocky Mountain views. Just think about that sentence.
Still aren’t excited at the prospect of visiting The Banff Springs? We probably can’t be friends then…

We were lucky enough to get to stay here for 2 nights last month! The place is ridiculously expensive, but we used our free nights from getting the Fairmount credit card (whoo!) The rooms themselves are pretty small and actually quite ordinary. This makes sense when you think about it as the hotel was built more than 100 years ago. But man, the view was A-​MAZING! Seriously. The outdoor heated pool was also quite fun. It closes at 10 so we strategically went down at 9 when all the kids had left and we nearly had the place to ourselves. Their hot tub was actually hot (none of that 102 BS) so that was just another added bonus.
Note that the hotel is maybe a mile or so from the town center, so if you don’t want to eat at one of the hotel restaurants, you’ll need to walk (or drive, or bicycle) into town. The walk is pretty nice and wasn’t an issue for us. Oh, and parking in the hotel parking garage was something like $ 30/day…so again, not cheap.
All in all, if you can afford to stay here, then I totally recommend it.