Fairmont Banff Springs

We stayed at Fairmont Banff Springs as a family in April 2026, taking advantage of the generous discounted 'destinations' offer made to families of staff. Our son works at Fairmont Whistler. All the reviews will mention the gorgeous setting, fabulous amenities, comfortable beds, and superb atmosphere, and this is all true. But the most memorable thing for us was the friendliness and welcome of staff. Lucy Mosely ran the wilderness walk and her warm personality and engaging leadership was a stand out experience. She was excellent. At breakfast, Max served us with care and attention. Alex served us with expertise in the excellent Italian restaurant. We were left with the feeling that the staff seem to be treated well. Thanks to all those who made our stay special.

Beautiful place and a great hotel. The whole place is beautiful and I would want to come back here again.

After a light breakfast, my sister, her daughter and I drove to the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. We wanted to explore this castle-like structure surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. The grandeur of the wooden staircases leading to the many treasures held within her walls was one of the first impressive sites that greeted us as we entered the lobby. We were taken with the design and use of wood that holds UNESCO World Heritage status. We read a wall plaque relating the story of the haunted room number 873, sealed off by the Hotel due to the tragic murder of a young bride and the presence of bloody handprints as well as ghosts. The Hotel is also known for being the setting of the movie “The River No Return”. It has been offering hospitality to travellers since 1888. High Tea is one of its many amenities. There is a wonderful Art Gallery where Hotel guests and visitors can browse its many fine collections.

This hotel has a lot to offer. There are so many top notch amenities that are included as part of your stay. We took advantage of both the Wilderness Walk which was a very nice hike along Spray River with a very knowledgeable guide, and also the hotel history tour. But there were so many other options that we did not have time for. We also used the ice cleats available through the Adventure Center for one of our offsite hikes which saved us from having to rent. The hotel offers free shuttle passes to downtown and the shuttle is very timely and reliable. Also, the ski shuttles to the mountains that pick you up right outside of the lobby are super convenient. And they have a room to store your ski equipment right off the lobby too, so you don't have to trek it back and forth from your room. We really enjoyed the Waldhaus Pub with great views of the mountains and one of the best fish and chips meals I have ever had. The outdoor heated pool with mountain views hit the spot after long ski/hiking days and there was a bar/food counter with very reasonable prices for convenience. The service throughout our stay was excellent as you would expect from a hotel of this caliber. One small complaint was that the phone in our room didn't work the entire stay and I read that others had phone issues as well - there were a few times that I wanted to call down to the front desk with a question or request and could not do so. Also, the hotel is huge so can be hard to navigate - even after staying a few days. The pool takes a lot of effort to get to, especially if staying over on the conference center side.

This hotel deserves a six out of five. It’s quite honestly the best hotel I’ve ever stayed in. I gave it a four however because of its administration which was poor. They charged our large family party twice for the room we were staying in AND then to compound the felony The Fairmont Lake Louise did exactly the same! Worse than that the stay at Lake Louise was in late February AND they have yet to reply to any of the three requests I sent for an explanation, an apology, an excuse or information on a refund. I’m still waiting folks. Just for reassurance, I’m told by a family member that they are in the process of refunding us, but that it will take another 5 to 7 days. That will mean they’ve had a considerable sum of our money for 43 days. Not best impressed!!