The Banff Springs may be one of the world’s most famous hotels, but the truth is this “Castle in the Rockies” is so important to Canadian history it’s more like a national monument. Partly to thank for bringing tourists to Western Canada, the Banff Springs – simply ‘The Springs’ to locals – can simultaneously feel like both dungeon and palace. The hotel’s unique architecture and design, modeled after a Scottish Baroque castle, is nothing short of staggering. When the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was completed, company bosses had to deal with a huge debt. “If we can’t export the scenery, we’ll import the tourists,” declared CPR president William Cornelius Van Horne. The hotel opened in 1888 with 250 rooms starting at $3.50 a night. Additions, renovations and fires have completely changed the face of the hotel but the first-class standards have remained the same.
What’s important to know is that the doors are always open to the public and you can feel free to roam through the hallways even if you aren’t a guest. You can (and should) dine at the Bow Valley Grill or one of the property’s many restaurants. You can sit in King Arthur’s throne and imagine life in Camelot or read a newspaper on swanky cushions beside a grand piano. There’s also five-pin bowling, a movie theatre, tennis courts, a horse stable, a golf course and a great tobogganing hill.
