Fairmont Banff Springs

This is a very large and very grand hotel which lies on the periphery of Banff. It has 500 rooms and numerous restaurants and bars in it plus ballrooms, meeting rooms, a pool, a fitness room and a room where various classes are held. It has shops and a heated outdoor pool as well. There is also a golf course nearby although I don’t know if that is owned by the hotel or is a separate entity. We had a standard room which was not huge but perfectly adequate. The bathroom was very small however, which seems to be a feature of this particular Fairmont hotel. We arrived late and hoped to eat in the hotel. We were very disappointed that the Italian restaurant we wanted to go to was fully booked for over a month. We didn’t check any other restaurants but my guess is they would all have been full. However the server at Castella advised us to try the Ramsay bar which served the same food which we did and they managed to give us a table after a short wait. I have to say the food was excellent and served by a real Italian. The wine list was superb too and we enjoyed our wine very much. Its only drawback was that it was very expensive, but this is the Fairmont! Breakfast is served in the Vermillion Room and it gets very busy between 8 and 9. The choice and quality of the food is excellent though and you get cappuccino or latte coffee made for you at no extra expense. I thought it was good value for 45 CAD (£25 at current exchange rates). As I said it is a bit out of town but you can walk into town in about 25-30 minutes. Another option is to take a service bus using your complimentary bus ticket into town. The buses there and back are frequent and reliable so it is a good option. I enjoyed our 2 nights in the hotel and loved Banff. I am very happy to recommend the hotel.

The iconic castle in the Rockies. Our room was quite small although it was well appointed and comfortable. We thought the concierge and bell services were particularly good. Wonderful indoor pool facilities.

Very large, classic hotel. Very well maintained - but catering in July/August to large multi national tour groups that seem to take over the facility. Rooms are in excellent condition but the hotel has apparently chosen not to invest in bringing room sizes up to contemporary standards.

If you are looking for the top-end hotel, you will definitely like this place. This hotel is exceptional in quality and service. From our check-in experience to spa service, everything is top-notch! Now this is our hotel whenever we go to Banff! Nice job, Fairmont!

Comfortable stay at Banff Springs Hotel. Spacious mountain view room with quality amenities, a large in room safe and Nespresso coffee machine. Organized check in and checkout. Professional courteous staff throughout our stay.