The irony hits me midway through my dreamy
soak in a Hungarian Mineral Pool: the Fairmont Banff
Springs is located in the midst of some of the most
beautiful outdoor scenery in the world, yet
the resort is doing it's level best to keep me inside. And it's
working. The most irresistible tool in the hotel's arsenal is the
Willow Stream Spa. After a 2.3 million
dollar facelift in the Fall of 2003, the spa was named
2004 "Best Spa in Canada" by the readers of
Luxury SpaFinder Magazine. Today the
38,000 square foot, completely refurbished
facility is a watery wonderland complete with that addictive
Hungarian Mineral Pool, which is kept at 98.6 degrees and is full
of minerals that are said to naturally rejuvenate everything from
skin to joints.
The water rooms also offer a
series of three waterfall-fed plunge treatment pools that range
from cool to warm to hot. Jacuzzis, steam rooms and saunas are
also available including one Jacuzzi on a spacious patio
just beyond the Hungarian Mineral Pool for those of us craving a
mountain view that doesn't mean interrupting
our indulgence. Add on a
full menu of body, skin, hair and nail treatments as well as a
well-stocked gym and range of instructor-lead fitness classes and
you've got days of indoor bliss.
The
dramatic architecture of the resort itself, which was modelled on
an actual Scottish castle (as you drive up you almost expect to
hear bag pipers herald your arrival), is also stiff competition
for the natural scenery. Opened in 1888 as a 250 room property,
the hotel has undergone numerous additions over the years and,
today, it rambles eclectically. Even the hotel staff refers to
the hotel as “labyrinth-like” and those of you not equipped with
an internal GPS may have trouble finding your room for the few
first days.
With a current total of 770
rooms, the Fairmont Banff Springs offers a mind-boggling array of
accommodation types. Some standard rooms can be on the small
side””as little at 160 square feet. But the hotel also offers
two-bedroom suites that deliver over 600 square feet of space and
some of those suites (including the Nicholas de Grandmaison
Suite) even come equipped with Bushnell telescopes for the
ultimate in indoor nature watching.
My room in the
Tudor Wing was larger than many, but offered only a partial view
and came with a fireplace that consisted of a light bulb
positioned behind a jumble of translucent
plastic logs. The thing contributed neither heat nor charm, but I
have been assured that this feature will likely be removed as
part of a planned renovation of rooms in this wing. If you have
your heart set on a room that has all the architectural beauty
and comfort the Fairmont Banff Springs has to offer and
postcard perfect views, call the hotel to make your reservation
and be sure you have been booked into a room in the Original
Building with a River View.
When you do finally manage to venture out of
the hotel, nearby Banff National
Park, which is actually a UNESCO World Heritage site, offers
access to the dramatic and seemingly endless Canadian Rockies
where the views, animals and hiking options never disappoint.
Even closer to the hotel are the Banff Upper Hot
Springs, but if you've already had your share of soaking in
the hotel spa head for the Banff Gondola which will whisk
you up a vertiginous incline in your own glass bubble for
panoramic views of the peaks and valleys below””and amazing aerial
view of the Fairmont Banff Springs.
Winter rates start at $219 CDN
(approximately $187 USD)
Fairmont Banff Springs
405 Spray Avenue
Banff, Alberta, Canada T1L 1J4
Phone: (403) 762-2211
www.fairmont.com/banffsprings
In April, 2006 peripatetic
journalist Karen Catchpole left her job as deputy editor of
SHOP Etc. magazine in New York City, jumped into a Chevy
Silverado and embarked on the Trans-Americas Journey, a
three year, 70,000+ mile road trip through North, Central and
South America. When she's not reviewing luxury hotels, resorts,
ranches and B&Bs, she can be found enjoying the nearest camp
ground.
