Family-friendly Hotels in Banff

An amazing hotel. Fairmont gold dining room / lounge is impressive. Great 33m indoor pool and fantastic views of the surrounding mountains and Bow river. from the hotel. This is a beautiful, classically styled, expensive and impressive resort. Self Parking is a 3 min walk to the hotel. Take a 10 min bus ride into Banff Ave. Bus tickets for guests are complimentary. Banff is a very picturesque town and well worth a visit. Banff avenue points directly at Cascade mountain for an amazing view every time you walk out to the street.

We returned last week from a 6 night stay at this hotel. We requested a large room with balcony and easy access to parking, since we are in our 80s. We also requested air conditioning, which not all of their rooms have. Kudos to Lily for helping us choose the perfect room for us. Our room was modern and spatious, with a kitchenette with microwave, stovetop, coffeemaker, and refrigerator. The large bathroom had loads of counter space and an extra large stall shower. There was a small table with two chairs for enjoying breakfasts in our room. Location of the hotel was also ideal for us. We were surrounded by mountains and beautiful scenery - away from the noise and traffic in the heart of the city, although only a few minutes away from the fantastic restaurants in Banff. As others have mentioned, this hotel provides bus passes for travel to the downtown area, with bus stops virtually at the hotel doorstep, which we used daily. It only took a few minutes on the bus to get into the heart of the city, which is so much easier than driving through Banff and trying to find convenient parking. Highly recommended!!

This review is long overdue and refers to stays in March 2016 & March 2017. For 3-night stays it suited us perfectly. If the hotel advertised itself as a ski lodge with old world charm and great staff – like, really great staff, we’d give it 5/5 because that’s exactly what it is and sets the expectations appropriately. However, we’re reviewing this hotel based on the way it is advertised: as a “luxury lodge” with “elegant rooms” for a “romantic escape” and as a 4-star “boutique hotel”. Each one of these words translates to something it’s just not quite. Given the descriptors (and the cost - at about $215 per night for a king bed) we expect a little more as far as rooms go. In reality the rooms were somewhat dated, but clean and served the purpose. The ventilation (heater) was noisy and the in room safe did not work properly. Hotel’s best offerings: 1. Staff (they were great – friendly and helpful); 2. Location & the shuttle pick up to Lake Louise and Sunshine (paid for as part of a ski package through the hotel and in addition to the room cost - was super convenient as it is right outside the front door); and 3. Breakfast (it was fantastic, though pricey). Tip regarding the shuttle: it’s about 20-30 minutes to Sunshine and about 45-60 minutes to Lake Louise. It’s one of the first few pick-ups, so not an issue getting a seat in the morning. But … when leaving the ski resorts and returning to the hotel, line up early as they can be crowded and might not be able to accommodate everyone, which means a long wait for the next bus. Overnight storage of skis is in the basement and works well. Equipment was not permitted in the rooms. Underground valet parking was nice. Hot tub is just ok (it’s in a basement and quite dark; alcohol is prohibited - though we managed to have a beverage or two). When we were there both the lounge and the dining room were pretty low-key (empty), so we went down the street for something a little more lively. It’s only a 15 minute walk to the main strip in Banff. Relatively short, but feels like a long walk if you hit a cold snap like we did. Bring a toque! Highly recommend The Block Kitchen and Bar for dinner (small sharing plates) and Tooloulous for breakfast. Arrive early or expect to wait in line at both. Overall a great time was had and we would consider it again if we return to Banff.

1. Location, at the end of Banff Street, parking is very convenient, but if you want to go to the pedestrian street, it takes 20 minutes to walk there. You need to pay for parking before 8 pm (it seems okay if you don't get caught) 2. Environment, clean and sanitary, the cleaning products are very good! There is a kettle and a coffee machine, don't expect too much, the more beautiful attractions are in Banff 3. I still think it is more convenient to live in Banff, overall recommended. I won't comment without experiencing other swimming pools.