Fairmont Banff Springs, Banff, Canada

In 1886 William Cornelius Van Horne, General Manager of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) set out to build Banff Springs Hotel hoping to attract visitors to the area thus, increasing CPR’s profits. Architect Bruce Price was put in charge of the project. The hotel opened two years later and became very popular prompting additions and several renovations transforming it into a grand hotel reminiscent of the Chateaux of the Loire Valley. It soon became a destination for the elites welcoming King George VI and his wife, Marilyn Monroe, Robert Mitchum, Joe DiMaggio and other celebrities. The hotel was renamed to Fairmont Banff Springs hotel in 2001 following a reorganization.

We visited in September 2022. I walked the grounds imagining being one of its famous guests enjoying tea on the terrace while admiring the stunning scenery. I cannot afford to stay there, but I am free to imagine and be awed by its splendor and the picturesque views surrounding it. It was named a National Historic Site of Canada in 1988. It is grand and impressive, hard to believe it was built 136 years ago.

References Fairmont Banff Springs