Staying In North America’s Famous Mountain Hotel - Fairmont Banff Springs

Fairmount is an interesting brand, and one you don't really hear much about. Despite them being a Canadian company, they have hotels all around the world, with the majority of them being historic structures. One of them is the Fairmount Banff Springs, located within the stunning Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. It's a well-respected property with a ton of history, and a pretty iconic structure in the Canadian Rockies. So today, I'm flying out to see what it's like. We're checking in for one night in Fairmount's prestigious gold category, getting the highest level of service, with some of the highest prices to accompany it. So, does this experience justify the high price? Well, let's find out. This video has been made possible by NordVPN. Go to nordvpn.com slash brightsuntravels to get huge savings on a two-year plan, plus an additional gift. So, I've had a pretty rocky relationship with Fairmount in the past. My most recent stay at one was in 2018 at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa. I paid somewhere in the high $300 range for a standard room that charged you extra to use the in-room refrigerator, made me miss my flight from their valet service taking much longer than expected, and charged an offensive $9 for an Esca bottle of water. So, you can say that Fairmount hasn't exactly been my top choice for stays since. With that said, I've always known about the Fairmount Banff Springs and the Lake Louise Hotels. They're stunning properties with over a hundred years of rich history. They're also located in Banff, one of the most breathtaking national parks in North America. My good friend and producer, John, has been harassing me over the past three years to go check it out. So, I finally caved and booked a flight to do just that. The Fairmount Banff Springs is about an hour and a half away from Calgary's International Airport. Although, it doesn't feel like it as once you reach the mountains, the drive gets a lot more pretty. It continues to do so once you enter the actual town of Banff, and ultimately arrive at the Fairmount, which is a stunning and massive Scottish-inspired castle. It was built in 1888 and is essentially built upon the confluence of two rivers. It was originally built by Canadian Pacific Railway as a structure looking rather different than how it does today. That's because in 1926, the majority of the original structure had burned down, and the present tower was built in the years following. The Banff Springs Hotel, as it was originally called, hosted many dignitaries from King George VI to Queen Elizabeth, and a few Canadian Prime Ministers. It was ultimately designated as a National Historic Site, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Canadian Pacific Railway's hotel division was actually still acting as the owner up until 1999, when they had purchased the controlling shares in the Fairmount brand, to which they had decided to rebrand this property as a Fairmount. Today, we booked a standard one-king bed, Fairmount Gold Room. I'll talk more about the pricing at the end of the video, but from what I've seen online prior to our visit, I really wasn't expecting much, and certainly not an ultra-luxurious room. However, to my genuine surprise, Fairmount has really stepped up their product. This is due to a $30 million renovation to the main tower in 2021, which has spruced up all of the guest accommodations, as well as a few public spaces. This was desperately needed, as the former rooms were simply nowhere near what Fairmount was charging for. But things have changed for the better, and our standard Gold Room was exceptional. While it's on the small side, likely due to the age of the structure, this room was exactly what should be expected for an accommodation at this price point. It has beautiful and tasteful touches of luxury, tons of ports, including USB-C, as well as a stocked coffee bar, and a free-to-use fridge. Oh my god, they did it. The bathroom is also pretty small, but aesthetically is very modern with good finishes. Not the best I've ever seen in a luxury hotel, but totally acceptable. The only annoyance was the bathroom door, which is a sliding door that doesn't exactly close all the way. Now, the other rooms at the hotel range from similarly sized standard rooms, with slightly downgraded decor, to one-bedroom corner suites, to the massive tower suites, located at the very top of the structure, inside the peaks. But honestly, our small room was near perfect for one reason alone, and that's the astonishing view. Looking south, down the mountain range, was absolutely incredible to wake up to. Now, the gold accommodations at this hotel occupy the entire 4th and 5th floor of the main tower. But what do you get with gold other than just a nicer room? Well, on the 5th floor, there's a private concierge, just for you, to answer all of your questions and fulfill any bookings. Further on are two lounges, the first being a quiet one to read, and the other where you'll find the buffet, open during the day and into the night, serving breakfast and evening hors d'oeuvres. You can also find some premium drink offerings, from teas, coffee, a build-your-own hot chocolate, fresh juices, and even smoothies. This was already a really solid and luxurious offering, but the spreads they put out for breakfast and dinner were genuinely fantastic. Breakfast featured a ton of options, from delicious smoked salmon, to a huge selection of hot items. I'm pretty sure the evening hors d'oeuvres were not meant to be eaten as a full dinner, but the amount of genuinely delicious selections they had literally turned into one for us. They had great options, from pasta and meatballs, to a full charcuterie spread, to polenta fries and spinach dip. It was all by far the best lounge food I have ever had. Honestly, it was some of the best buffet food I've ever had, and it really made this something to remember. Unfortunately though, alcoholic drinks were an extra charge, which I would have expected to be complimentary given the price point. But, if you are willing to pay for drinks and looking for a wider selection, the newly renovated Rundle Bar provides a very luxurious space to enjoy a wide selection of pricey drinks. But, the views are great, and it even has a secret speakeasy-style entrance to a quiet seating area. Elsewhere is the Ramsey House, with a nice lounge below as well as the Walthouse Pub, both featuring pool tables. As for dining, well, the Fairmount has a few selections. Other than the pub food at Walthouse, there's Castello Italiana, the Vermilion Room, and 1888 Chop House, all of which are very expensive. Like, an 8-ounce filet mignon at the Chop House is $70. And while some of these restaurants are very beautifully designed like the Vermilion Room, I'm not sure if a $70 steak in here is all that worth it. Even the quick service option down at the lobby, while nice and looks like it has tasty food, was very expensive. Like, these very simple sandwiches were $16, $17, and like $20, which is absolutely insane. Now, with that said, the reviews for all of the dining have, for the most part, been overwhelmingly positive. But, when you're not at the bars and the restaurants, there's plenty to do elsewhere. The resort offers basically every experience you can think of in-band, from helicopter rides to private group tours, and so much more. The summer activities list is even more extensive, with horseback riding, fishing, whitewater rafting, ATV tours, and a ton of other stuff. But pretty much all of those are at an extra charge, and with some like the helicopter ride and private tours costing hundreds of dollars just for the experience. That's really neat and all, but what I care about is what's free. Or, well, included with your daily resort fee. Surprisingly, there's a decent amount. Regardless of what type of room you get at the hotel, your resort fee covers some equipment rentals, access to the indoor and outdoor pool, along with fitness center, as well as a free pass for local transportation. Giving you free transportation to the local highlights, including the White Museum, which you also get a complimentary pass to. The hotel also hosted a few daily activities, like guided nature and history tours, and wine tastings. Some require registration, and others do require payment, such as the campfire rentals, which is a shame. But I was surprised to hear that the wine and cheese tasting is in fact complimentary, which is a nice perk. But when you do leave the property, there is still so much to do. The Fairmount is in very close proximity to Bow Falls, which is a short hike down the hill. For a much longer 1.5 kilometer hike, you can walk to the Sulphur Mountain, where you can either bathe in the hot spring at the base, or climb the mountain by foot or gondola. For a short drive away, you can five the Cave and Basin Historical Site, or the close by Mount Norquay for skiing. So obviously there's a lot to do on property. But even more, especially off property. And I guess that's where the value proposition comes into play. As I'm sure you've guessed, staying at the Fairmount Bamp Springs isn't cheap. Our standard gold room for one night was $835 Canadian, which is about $620 USD. While that does include all taxes and resort fees, if you bring a vehicle like we did, it will also be an extra $32 for self-parking or $46 for valet. Now, the resort doesn't really have a base rate, as they go off of variable pricing structure, which is constantly fluctuating. But from what I understand, the cheapest time to visit is when we did, over the winter. It's when the property tries to fill vacancy with the convention craft, while the summer is more primarily focused towards tours, and is also much more expensive. For just a standard regular room, the cheapest rate I could find is in April, at around $450 Canadian, which is a fairly reasonable $330 USD. But that is rock bottom, literally the cheapest day for the entire year. And over the summer, you're not spending anything less than $1200 a night, just for a standard room. If you want to upgrade to gold, then you're pushing $1600 a night. Even with the updated decor, rich history, and excellent service, I really don't know if you could ever justify that price. But I guess it all comes down to what you care about most. If you want to experience the actual location of Banff, and see all of the sights, or if you're into skiing and don't care all that much about the most luxurious place to rest your head, then there are a lot of other choices in the area. Some, like the Moose Hotel and the Mount Royal Hotel, are arguably in better locations, and at their highest rates over the summer, are pretty much the lowest rates at the Fairmount over the winter. It's also worth noting that the hotel does run several discounted rates throughout the year, and is also a part of the Accor Hotel Alliance. Now, Accor Hotel Alliance is kind of useless to North Americans, since the majority of their hotels are overseas. But that does mean there are a few ways to book this on points, and just generally find other ways to save. But that's a whole nother rabbit hole, so look into it if it interests you. But really, even if you don't stay here, just drop by for a visit to see the castle and walk the grounds. You can still experience the property without spending a night. In the end, I was really pleasantly surprised by the Fairmount Band. I went into it not with the greatest perception, but was absolutely blown away by the quality of service and how astonishingly beautiful it all was. From what I've seen, too, the summer looks even more stunning and vibrant. And really, that's what you're paying for. This is a Canadian icon. It's one of the most famous hotels in Canada and even North America. It's also one of the most breathtaking. From the incredible architecture to the endless mountain vistas that make you feel like you're in a matte painting. It's incredible everywhere you look. And you know what, I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt that maintaining a property like this is a costly endeavor and as a result, requires the high rates. Fairmount Gold is a step above it all. It was exactly what it needed to be. And while I never think Club Level is fully worth the premium, I do see a lot of value in it. If you can snag it at a decent price and maybe make it a special occasion or something, I think you'll be totally satisfied. And I think it's genuinely hilarious that this was $465 cheaper than Disney's Contemporary's Club Level Room. Go watch that video if you haven't already. So let's give this an actual rated review. I'll rate the Fairmount out of 5 categories for a potential perfect score of 50 out of 50. Starting with the location, you are situated in an insanely beautiful valley with some very close by attractions. With a free bus fare, you're pretty much connected to everything you need to be in the area and that gives it a perfect score of 10 out of 10. Amenities are also really solid. You have a few options of ultra fine dining along with a spa, pool facilities, a bowling alley, tons of shops, and even a convenience store, business center, adventure desk, and winter gear facility. There's certainly a lot, but I do wish a few more experiences were complementary, so I'll give it a 9 out of 10. Luxury and quality is also pretty good. Our room, while small, was very well appointed. There were some areas of the property that didn't necessarily live up to other luxury brands like the Four Seasons, and there are some parts that feel a bit dated and not at the caliber of what you're paying. I'll give it a 7 out of 10. Service was phenomenal though. Everyone was super kind and happy, no one made me feel like I was out of place, and all the staff genuinely went above and beyond. I have never had this type of service at any other luxury hotel I've stayed at, and I mean it when I say the staff at the Fairmount were some of the most warm and friendly people I have ever met. I wouldn't ask any more from them, so it's a 10 out of 10. Value, however, is really the most subjective category here. Prices are a bit steep, and even after the renovation, I don't think the rates past $900 a night are worth it. Fairmount Gold was a fun experience, and I maybe would do it again for a special occasion sometime over the winter, but I'm not sure if I could ever justify paying over $1,000 a night for a standard room. It's a 5 out of 10, giving the Fairmount Bamsprings a very respectable score of 41 out of 50. Remember, you can also view all of my scores in the Google Docs sheet, which a link for it can be found in the description below. You can also check out this video's sponsor, NordVPN. 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