The Fairmont Banff Springs

“When does a moment become a memory?”

That unforgettable line is actually one of the mottoes of the Fairmont Hotel chain. Why am I mentioning a hotel chain? Well it’s because of the location and the ‘presence’ (of course, I refer to something more than geography) of one of their hotels.

You see my friend, I am going to suggest to you that there are very few places on this rich planet where there are more moments becoming cherished memories than at a little spot in front of Sulphur Moutain, nestled in the arms of the towering Rocky Mountains, sitting near a thermal spring.

The Fairmont Banff Springs hotel. I try and steer away from talking of hotels in this column as travel is not always so much about the hotel; and the hotel can be a personal choice. We all have our personal preferences for our retreat at the end of a tiring traveller’s day. I’m going to make an exception for this hotel however, because in this hotel, moments suffuse the air, and delightful rich memories are so thick you could not cut them with a knife (or the genuine sabre hanging on the wall!).

Many of our clients have traveled to Canada. For a great deal of them, Lake Louise and its Chateau are the highlight. But not for me.

For me, it’s the Banff Springs. Many historians believe that the magnus opus of the railway executive, W.C. Van Horne was the railroad, but, for me, it’s the Banff Springs Hotel. Few monuments to a life are greater than one where all of the people who visit it, lay down their heads to dream, daily. This work of the man behind Canadian Pacific Railways, breathes and hums and evokes dreams, leaving cherished memories in its wake.

One of the curious and endearing features of the hotel (well there are many, and certainly too many to count here!) is its collection of gentle ghost stories!

Staff will tell of a beloved porter, Sam, who passed away soon after retiring from a life-time commitment to the Fairmont Banff Springs and its guests. On a particularly busy day, a couple of years later, with an above ordinary influx of incoming guests, a couple rang late in the day to thank the Front Office Manager. They had arrived in the midst of the rush, and soon became aware that the staff were at capacity. When, quite rapidly, their bellman attended to them, his kind manner, and efficient transfer of the bags to their rooms was completely unexpected - and further evidence that the Fairmont brand really did stand for excellence. Given that their attendant refused a tip, they thought that the least they could do was ring the desk and give the old man a good report with the boss.

The Manager thanked them, but confessed to being puzzled, as none of their staff porters were over the age of thirty-five. There was no ‘old man’ engaged in such duties at the hotel - surely they were mistaken. “No, he would have easily been of retirement age, the poor fellow. I asked his name, and he said, ‘Sam’”.

As if the hotel itself was not enchanting enough, the township of Banff is only a short stroll away. Please, keep an eye out for bears, and if you’re stopping by our office, remind me to tell you about the bear that took a detour into Starbucks!

One of the features of all the Canadian Pacific Railroad hotels, is that they were all built in the perfect spot; with the ultimate combination of landscape and vista, convenience and locality, luxury and facility. At the risk of sounding like a press agent, it’s reassuring that the Fairmont group have stewardship of this magnificent hotel. No other hotel group in the world can match them for service and attention to detail. I can vouch to you that they genuinely do turn ‘moments into memories.’

Oh, and if you decide to visit this magnificent spot, say hi to Sam for me.

©KM Francis May 2008

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