BANFF NATIONAL PARK - Canadian Rockies: Including Banff and Jasper National Parks - page 92

The spacious rooms come with niceties such as pillow-top mattresses, TV/DVD combos,
heated bathroom floors, and bathrobes. Buffaloberry is also the only Banff bed-and-break-
fast with heated underground parking.
The 770-room Fairmont Banff Springs (405 Spray Ave., 403/762-2211 or 800/
257-7544, www.fairmont.com , $469 s or d) is Banff's best-known accommodation. Earlier
this century, the hotel came under the ownership of Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, losing
its century-old tag as a Canadian Pacific hotel and in the process its ties to the historic
railway company that constructed the original hotel back in 1888. Even though the rooms
have been modernized, many date to the 1920s, and as is common in older establishments,
these accommodations are small (Fairmont rooms are 14.4 square meters/155 square feet).
But room size is only a minor consideration when staying in this historic gem. With 12
eateries, four lounges, a luxurious spa facility, a huge indoor pool, elegant public spaces,
a 27-hole golf course, tennis courts, horseback riding, and enough twisting, turning hall-
ways, towers, and shops to warrant a detailed map, you'll not be wanting to spend much
time in your room. Unless, of course, you are in the eight-room presidential suite. During
summer, rack rates for a regular Fairmont room are $469 (s or d), discounted to around
$280 the rest of the year. Many summer visitors stay as part of a package—the place to
find these is on the website www.fairmont.com . Packages may simply include breakfast,
while others will have you golfing, horseback riding, or relaxing in the spa.
On Mountain Avenue, a short walk from the Upper Hot Springs, is Rimrock Resort
Hotel (403/762-3356 or 888/746-7625, www.rimrockresort.com , $355-455 s or d). The
original hotel was constructed in 1903 but was fully rebuilt and opened as a full-service
luxury resort in the mid-1990s. Guest amenities include two restaurants, two lounges, a
health club, an outdoor patio, and a multistory parking garage. Each of 345 well-appointed
rooms is decorated with earthy tones offset by brightly colored fabrics. They also feature
picture windows, a king-size bed, a comfortable armchair, a writing desk, two phones, a
minibar, and a hair dryer. Since it's set high above the Bow Valley, views for the most part
are excellent.
Along the Bow Valley Parkway and Vicinity
The Bow Valley Parkway is the original route between Banff and Lake Louise. It is a beau-
tiful drive in all seasons, and along its length are several accommodations, each a viable
alternative to staying in Banff.