The Banff Springs Hotel is a castle in the Rockies and is world renowned for its spa.  Solace Spa alone is reason enough to visit here but the rest of the hotel will charm you shortly after you arrive. 

Elegant shops and restaurants are abundant.  Wood and stone remind you of the hotels origin in another century as you wander through intimate meeting places designed to relax you in front of large fireplaces and tall windows with views reminiscent of old European forests.  Every window opens onto a different vista and presents new views of towering mountain peaks and old growth pines.

The spa offers elegance seldom found this side of the big pond and if being pampered is your idea of a perfect vacation, you won’t find a better place to be.  Separate dressing and shower areas also house private massage rooms, aromatherapy saunas and whirlpools.  The common areas include an indoor pool as well as an outdoor salt-water pool and the finest (and largest) hot tub I’ve ever seen.  It is bordered by three smaller pools with waterfalls flowing into them.  Each is a different temperature and it’s recommended you start in the cool water pool and work your way up through the warm pool into the hot one.  I tried this and found a much greater appreciation for the hot pool after starting out in the cold one.  The large pool in the center of the domed room is the perfect temperature for long relaxed floats without fear of bumping into someone or feeling like you are taking up too much room.  I was fascinated to discover while floating on my back that music is played through underwater speakers that can only be heard while your ears are submerged.

The town of Banff is one of the most picturesque spots in Canada.  You will be charmed by it's unique downtown shopping area.  Only one block from the main downtown area is the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies.  It houses a wonderful exhibit area for art and has heritage exhibits to give you a better understanding of the history of the Rockies.  Probably the best feature of the museum is the archives section.  A collection of thousands of black and white photographs neatly catalogued truly show the history and every day life of the people that made Banff what it is today.

There are lots of great places to eat in Banff but for fun as great as the food, go to Waldhaus.  During a fine meal of fondue or traditional Bavarian cuisine, you will be entertained by Happy Hans and Lauren.  Hans plays more instruments than most orchestras and sings just about any style of music you can imagine.  Each song required it's own costume and space to dance soon became scarce.  Just a tip, wear casual clothes if you want to join in the limbo contest.

Banff Springs Hotel
Canadian Pacific Hotels
PO Box 960
Banff, Alberta, Canada TOL OCO
(403) 762-2211
Fax (403) 762-5755
http://www.cphotels.com

Whyte Museum
111 Bear Street
Banff, Alberta, Canada TOL OCO
http://www.whyte.org

Getting There
Air Canada
800-776-3000
http://www.aircanada.ca

Photos By Dave Shultz

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-Updated 5-5-99-