Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Located in the heart of Banff National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the world-famous Fairmont Banff Springs resort stands as a landmark in the picturesque alpine town of Banff. This year-round luxury resort is styled after a Scottish baronial castle and offers guests spectacular mountain and valley views, a championship golf course during the summer, unparalleled skiing in the winter, and an award-winning Fairmont Spa.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Accor Hotels.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Nestled amidst breathtaking scenery, the Fairmont Banff Springs garners acclaim for its exceptional service and world-class amenities, including diverse dining options and a spa. While the hotel's elegant ambiance and picturesque location are celebrated by guests, some areas have been noted as less inviting or dated.
Although the cleanliness is consistently praised, opinions on the rooms are mixed, with some finding them cozy yet others commenting on their size and decor. The hotel's value is contested due to high prices and additional fees, leaving some guests feeling the experience doesn't justify the cost.
Location
Picturesque
Atmosphere
Elegant
Rooms
Cramped
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Immaculate
Service
Attentive
Amenities
World-class
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We enjoyed our spring break stay at the Fairmont very much. We stayed in a Terrace 2br Suite with two of our boys over spring break and they have already joked about wanting to go back to the “Hogwarts Castle.” The Fairmont is pricey, but you get what you pay for: a grand hotel with a rich history, stunning grounds and amenities and an extremely attentive staff. From the moment we booked our room, we were contacted via both text and email by concierge services and their multiple attendants who were all very eager to make us happy and ensure we had everything we could possibly need. (We are a very low maintenance family, so there were a few times we found the communication a bit overwhelming, and I do wish they would ask guests about their communication preferences before sending so many texts and emails. Some people like the extra attention, but our family really doesn’t).
While the Fairmont is showing some wear and tear, the staff maintains it very well. The rooms are clean, the beds are comfortable, and the bathrooms are modern. We were greeted with a delicious cheese plate and some moose-shaped cake pops. Rooms have the usual amenities: shampoo, soaps, toiletries, coffees, teas, television/ video game services. The rooms have several extra amenities as well: umbrellas, extra robes to use to walk to the spa/ heated outdoor pool, even a yoga mat rolled up conveniently in the bathroom closet. Our room also had a cozy breakfast table surrounded by windows overlooking the mountains, and a large balcony and fire pit.
The location of the Fairmont is about an hour and a half drive from the Calgary airport, which is scenic and quite simple. Once you are there be prepared to be overwhelmed by the one list of activities to participate in. The Fairmont makes booking activities extremely easy, with both the concierge staff I mentioned above, but also a well-designed website which makes it easy to peruse offerings. Our family enjoyed the spa, a day trip to Lake Louise, a trip up the Banff Gondola, hiking in Johnston Canyon, tubing, dog sledding (booked separately outside of the hotel), and the multiple restaurants the Fairmont had to offer. The Fairmont is also a nice easy walk into town and is connected to several scenic trails as well.
Our only complaint is that the coffee shop off the main entrance near the concierge desks could have more efficient service, but that being said, the drink and food options are all delicious.
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Date of stay: March 2024Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Fairmont Western Mountain Resorts, Other at Fairmont Banff Springs
Responded Apr 8, 2024
Thank you so much for your honest feedback and observations. We are always looking for ways to improve and we value the details tremendously. We will share your review with our team and put thoughtful consideration into the constructive suggestions. Have a wonderful day and we do hope to see you again at the Castle. ~ Fairmont Banff Springs
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As this was a last minute decision we ended up in one of the the two bedroom terrace suites (1051/1054) on the lobby floor. This room is intended for people desiring the Spa experience and provides free Spa access, valet parking and breakfast, unfortunately not being spa people the four pools, dedicated elevator outside the suite, hot tub, sauna, etc. were wasted on us. The rooms, were cheerful, well maintained and the living room even had a 7 foot Christmas tree next to the electric fireplace. We had contracted snowboard equipment and lessons from Skibig3 which was delivered and picked up from the Hotel, in retrospect we could have made the arrangements through the hotel concierge. The free busses to the three ski areas were direct and conveniently scheduled. The breakast buffet was huge and also offered ala carte egg dishes. We were always seated at a window offering a view of the skating rink. The amount of effort, coordination and staff necessary to keep operations working is nothing short of amazing. The entire hotel staff from valets, waiters, chambremaids, to the reception/concierge staff all seemed genuinely interested in our welfare and knew our name. Everybody had a snow sports anecdote or suggestion on what to do and were willing to share. Having the entire commonwealth as a labor resource contributes to the international flavor of the experience. There were some television and plumbing fixture issues that were annoyances but nothing that greatly inconvenienced us. The Chromecast feature on the television did not work in either of the two Spa suites leaving us with default hockey, curling channels and inexplicably, a channel seemingly devoted to the Friends television show. We kept ourselves entertained at the terrace firepit and played charades. Of special note, there was a nightly production of A Christmas Carol in the conference center that was professional, well staged and a delight for all of us. We also attended a follow-up production of an ABBA review that was highly entertaining and occupied our evening time when not watching hockey or playing charades. Yes, staying here can be considered an extravagance, but unlike other properties it is easy to see where the money is going - training, staff, upkeep and the overall experience.
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Date of stay: December 2024
Value
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Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:There is an elevator direct to the pools right outside the suite door.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Fairmont Western Mountain Resorts, Other at Fairmont Banff Springs
Responded Jan 2, 2025
Thank you very much for taking the time out of your day to leave such a lovely review. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed Christmas at the Castle and truly appreciate your compliments on our resort and kind words for our team. It certainly was a pleasure to pass them on. We would however like to sincerely apologize for the issues you experienced with your room. We appreciate you letting us know and would like to assure you that our team is addressing them immediately. Thank you for choosing to stay with us. We hope that we will have the opportunity to welcome you back to the Castle in the Rockies for a future stay. Sincerely, ~ Fairmont Banff Springs
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I’m not sure where to start. This hotel is AMAZING!
We stayed two nights, Christmas Eve and Christmas night and it was beyond expectations.
We self parked which is undercover so car is out of the elements. It’s a bit of a walk from the checkin area and the parking garage so we dropped bags off before parking car.
Checkin was easy and unexpectedly we were upgraded from a deluxe room to a one bedroom suite.
Our bags actually beat us to the room and we didn’t explore between check in and going to the room.
The suite was beautiful. It had a separate lounge room to the bedroom, two bathrooms where one had a tub, multiple closets, the lounge converted into a sofa bed, fridge and separate air conditioning controllers in each room.
As it was the holiday season, we had a full Christmas tree in the lounge room which was spectacular.
On Christmas morning, we discovered a Christmas stocking on our door. A lovely touch and it was full of Fairmont goodies. It made Christmas morning even more special!
We had pre-booked buffet dinner on Christmas Eve in the vermillion restaurant and buffet lunch at the Riverview lounge. Both were amazing - the food was excellent. Mr & Mrs Claus came for a visit during lunch on Christmas Day.
Breakfast is also in the Vermillion restaurant. Buffet style or you could order from the menu. Lots of hot options, fruit, fresh pastries and you could order omelettes.
We went for a swim one evening in the outdoor heated pool which was relaxing and an experience as it was -3 outside.
The hotel is located slightly out of town but buses run regularly into town.
The service was excellent everywhere, in all our interactions with anyone from the hotel - it felt like the team there wanted to be there rather than just doing a job. They were friendly, efficient and just lovely people!
The hotel is a destination in itself. There are shops to wonder thru, outdoor ice skating, bars, restaurants, everything is there at your fingertips.
Our stay was absolutely amazing - if you are thinking of staying, do it!
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Date of stay: December 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Fairmont Western Mountain Resorts, Other at Fairmont Banff Springs
Responded Jan 2, 2025
Thank you very much for such a lovely review. We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed Christmas at the Castle! It is always so nice to receive such positive comments on our service, cuisine and facilities. It was a pleasure to share your compliments with the entire team. Thank you for choosing to stay at our resort. We hope that we will have the pleasure of welcoming you back for a future stay. Sincerely, ~ Fairmont Banff Springs
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We had the absolute best time here for our Christmas party. From the moment we pulled up the staff was attentive and directed us where to go, we did valet parking which was soooo easy and worth the extra cost. The front desk staff was so courteous, explained everything very well, a hotel where you actually do need the map they provide, we stayed in room 913, we had to take the elevator to the 9th floor and then get on another elevator to get to our room, and the view from the window in that elevator was spectacular, the same could be said about the view from our room, literally breathtaking. We were treated to a bottle of wine and charcuterie board upon our arrival as well. It was starting to snow the Saturday and it just felt so magical. Turn down service was exceptional, they left some chocolates and some neat wood bookmarks (assuming that's what they were lol), the rooms have Nespresso machines. The regular pools in the fitness center are free to guests and there's lockers with locks to use, we loved the heated outdoor pool. We wanted to do the spa ($) pools but they were booked. Our room was spacious, decent sized bathroom. My only complaint was our room was very hot and would not cool off, we opened some windows and got the fan from the closet but it didn't help much, wasn't the end of the world though. We had a dinner at the vermilion with the group we were with and the food was incredible along with the staff. You can get a bus ticket from the concierge and the bus stop is right outside the hotel and goes downtown and back, this came in handy so you aren't trying to find parking down there, and it was very easy to figure out how to get back. I could go on about how wonderful it was to stay at the "castle" and how every single staff member we encountered was kind and caring. We will definitely be back.
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Date of stay: November 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Fairmont Western Mountain Resorts, Other at Fairmont Banff Springs
Responded Dec 5, 2024
Thank you so much for attending a holiday event at the Fairmont Banff Springs! We are so pleased that you enjoyed it so much, as well as all of the amenities and venues we offer. It will be a pleasure to share your review with our team today and we do hope to see you again in the future. ~ Fairmont Banff Springs
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A hotel that aimed for Disney castle and actually achieved Colditz Castle, this hotel purports to ooze five star class but dig under the veneer and all you get is a one star gaff!
We came from a Rocky Mountaineer Gold Leaf trip (which was amazing by the way) and wish we had stayed at the station for some peace and relaxation.
Its location is so isolated that you are a captive audience and my word do they rinse you for it.
Breakfast is extortionate for very average fair and all other dining options are five star cost and at best two star class.
Our room is by far the smallest that we have stayed at whilst doing a coast to coast tour of Canada and the bathroom is a cupboard - I can literally touch all four walls at the same time. The drinks cupboard dominates the remainder of the bedroom and there is literally no where to store any clothes other than a small hanging space.
And then to cap it all at 22:00 just settling down for sleep on a “quiet floor” (please respect guests quiet time between 22:00 and 06:00) and the crashing mother of all raves breaks out in the function room below us.
Two edifying discussions with reception later (the first seemed as though the staff member was utterly unaware of Glastonbury occurring inside the hotel and the second was some platitude dispensing “supervisor” apologising for the function occurring directly below our cell - but capable of offering to move us at this late hour to a “sleeping” room - clearly demonstrating that they know this sort of function is going to cause maximum disruption to the extent that they have planned empty room contingencies!). Is this sounding like a relaxing five star luxury experience yet?
Having been asked for what would compensate for the disturbance and me responding that a refund for this destroyed nights stay would go some way, I was told that as the room had been booked as part of a package (are you listening Rocky Mountaineer and Freedom Destinations?) I was told that the best they could do was a gift card! Unbelievable. Yet to see the value of the gift card and looking forward to converting this with our tour operator into cash!
Remember that all that glitters is not gold and take any hotel in Banff other than this excuse for a poor downtown 2 star Delta.
Rocky Mountaineer, you are pure class, if you had anything to do with this choice of hotel, please do better.
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Date of stay: June 2024
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Stay anywhere else.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Fairmont Western Mountain Resorts, Other at Fairmont Banff Springs
Responded Jun 17, 2024
We are truly sorry for your experience and please know we take it, and this review, very seriously and to heart. If you feel inclined to share personal contact details with us for further communication, please do feel free to do so at angela.jacobson@fairmont.com.
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Room was good roomy enough we had a bit of a view at the back was able to sit and watch it snowing a bit of a treat as my wife had never seen snow falling.
Variety of restaurants a bit up there in price, there have been some comments about the isolation my wife and I who are on the wrong side of 60 and moderate fitness had no trouble walking into town for lunch and back. There was also a shuttle bus stops outside the Fairmont runs regularly which we also used.
Spent a bit of time at the bar, bar staff were excellent never stopped working.
If you can afford it a destination by itself.
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Date of stay: April 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Fairmont Western Mountain Resorts, Other at Fairmont Banff Springs
Responded Jun 18, 2024
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and for visiting from New Zealand! We will share your observations with our team. If you are still travelling, we wish you safe journeys and thank you again for your patronage. ~ Fairmont Banff Springs
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My husband and I recently returned from a stay on the Gold Floor in celebration of our 41st Anniversary. The moment you arrive at the Fairmont Gold private entrance you are treated like royalty. The wonderful staff who valet parked our vehicle, and the attendants who brought our bags to our room ensured that this was the beginning of an extraordinaire holiday. The mountain view in our room on the Gold Floor was amazing. Our room was spacious, very clean, quiet, and we enjoyed a wonderful sleep. There were even handcrafted chocolates in our room when we arrived. The food on Gold Floor was delicious, and beautifully prepared. The staff were very efficient and always seeking ways to make our stay enjoyable. Quentin was especially helpful, and always ensured we were well taken care of. We so appreciated the champagne and chocolate covered strawberries and a card from Angela and Tanya that were waiting in our room in celebration of our anniversary. They even remembered it had been my husband’s birthday as well! These are the extra lovely touches that made our stay above and beyond what we ever expected. We enjoyed two day trips to the Spa. The Spa staff are kind, knowledgeable and ensure that your visit will be relaxing. The mineral pool was wonderful! Exactly what was needed! We felt very relaxed and rejuvenated! We are grateful for the wonderful memories and fantastic experience we enjoyed! We are grateful to the entire Gold Floor staff for a wonderful, relaxing stay! Can’t wait to come again!
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Date of stay: August 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Fairmont Western Mountain Resorts, Other at Fairmont Banff Springs
Responded Sep 9, 2024
We are happy to see that you had a memorable anniversary and birthday celebrations. Our team will really appreciate the positive review. Thank you for visiting from Medicine Hat and we hope to see you again! ~ Fairmont Banff Springs
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Stayed here as part of a tour group in May and room/location reflected this. Understand ‘groups’ don’t get the top notch rooms, however, we still were paying big money to stay here. Overlooking a car park was disappointing but more so, we had issues with power cutting out and a squeaking annoying noise that maintenance said was due to water pipes being old. Not our problem. power cutting out when we have a laptop plugged in then use the coffee machine at same time…..really? Breakfast buffet was cramped and trying to get table service to order coffee and/or order from the menu was a nightmare due to so many guests all doing same. Had stayed here in 1981 and was excited to return this year and recall how fantastic it was. Like all big hotel chains, the personal touch has gone and now it’s all about the $$$. Pity.
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Date of stay: May 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Fairmont Western Mountain Resorts, Other at Fairmont Banff Springs
Responded Jul 31, 2024
We are so sorry to hear this and please know it has our full attention. A hotel representative has sent a private message to you to determine your full identity and dates of stay so we can investigate further. ~ Fairmont Banff Springs
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Spectacular, wildly expensive, with surprisingly tiny bathrooms in some of the most costly rooms. That's how I'd describe this place. It is huge, and we splurged on a room that faced the river. The view is incredible. The bathroom was tiny. It was one of the smallest bathrooms I've seen in a hotel anywhere in the world. There was a sitting area that really was wasted space. We stayed here 5 nights - 2 in a room that was more tnan $1800 per night, 3 in a room with a tour group that was less expensive and faced toward mountains, but not the mountains and river. The most expensive room's "Fairmont Gold" also include access to a room where you can get some "free food. " So you can factor in the cost of breakfast in the "Fairmont Gold Rooms. There is a free daily tour of the hotel, which is quite interesting - including the fact that the hotel was built backwards from the architect's plan. When I complained about the tiny bathroom, the manager "comped" us on a lunch that we had at the patio restaurant (reviewed separately - which is wonderful) Bottom line - I might go here for 1-2 nights on the less expensive side of the hotel.
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Date of stay: July 2024
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Suggest coming in for a meal on the patio restaurant overlooking the river & mountains.
Probably...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Fairmont Western Mountain Resorts, Other at Fairmont Banff Springs
Responded Sep 6, 2024
Thank you for your candid reflection on your experience and for visiting from Minnesota. Rest assured that it will reach our management team. We do hope that you were warmly welcomed by engaged employees here and that you did have some lasting memories. We appreciate your taking the time to post a review. ~ Fairmont Banff Springs
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Too many people to name or thank but here goes... Great welcome reception from Fairmont Gold team on lobby level reception. James was excellent in welcoming us and providing an escort to the 5th floor lounge, he was able to answer many of our questions and remembered us the next day. The Bell staff were prompt and efficient, one gentleman helped us load our car in the morning as we headed to Lake Louise and remembered us upon our return and asked how the lake was - bravo. Despite the outdoor pool being closed, this was communicated well in advance both prior to our arrival and in our room. It did not detract from our Spa experience and the team there was excellent. They provided personalized services for my wife who is expecting and she felt pampered - I was a hero for booking the appointment! Thanks for making me look good! I had a haircut in the morning at the spa and my stylist was great - we finished ahead of schedule and she took the extra 5 minutes to comb and style my 3 year old sons hair which he thought was so much fun. This level of care and attention is hard to find as most places would simply take that time back for themselves, selfless service is rare these days. All dining outlets catered to both adults and our toddler seamlessly. Shout out to Jack in Rundle Bar who was attentive, funny and is a great brand ambassador. Housekeeping hit all touch points and took extra time in the room for the finer details - placement of our toiletries and personal items etc. The only negative was we couldn't stay longer.
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Date of stay: October 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Fairmont Western Mountain Resorts, Other at Fairmont Banff Springs
Responded Oct 24, 2024
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience in detail. All of our teams and employees mentioned will be delighted to receive it today! We are so pleased to learn that your stay was memorable in many ways and we do hope to see you again. ~ Fairmont Banff Springs
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There are more places to choose from in the Banff area.
PRICE RANGE
$460 - $733 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
the fairmont banff springs hotel banff, fairmont banff springs hotel, fairmont banff hotel, the fairmont banff springs banff, fairmont hotel banff, banff fairmont
LOCATION
CanadaAlbertaCanadian RockiesBanff National ParkBanff
NUMBER OF ROOMS
757
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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