The Fairmont hotel chain is synonymous with luxury and upscale accommodations, and offers locations in many of Canada's major cities, including Calgary and Montreal. This hotel chain also provides sites in several of Canada's prime tourist destination, such as Banff National Park and Whistler Mountain. Each Fairmont Hotel varies on the services it offers, but common amenities include on-site fine dining, health clubs and luxurious suites.
The Fairmont Winnipeg is in the city's downtown area, within walking distance of the Winnipeg River's west bank. According to Frommer's, the hotel is adjacent to an underground plaza with shopping opportunities, and the hotel itself features an indoor swimming pool, fitness center and on-site dining at the Velvet Glove Restaurant. This fine dining establishment serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in a room with portrait paintings and wood-paneled walls. The hotel's Gold Rooms are on the top two levels, and they feature living room areas with sweeping views of the nearby river. Gold Room guests also have access to the Gold Room Lounge on the 19th floor, where you can enjoy a continental breakfast every morning.
The hotel is less than five minutes from upscale shopping and dining opportunities at the Winnipeg Square mall, an underground shopping plaza. Parking for the mall is available in an adjacent, underground parking garage, and entrances to the mall are on Portage Avenue, Main Street and Fort Street. Hockey fans staying at the hotel are within 10 minutes of the MTS Centre, home to the Manitoba Moose hockey team. This arena is also used for big-act rock concerts throughout the year.
The Banff Springs Fairmont hotel is in the heart of Alberta's Banff National Park, and all the guest rooms provide scenic views of the surrounding Canadian Rockies and Bow River. The hotel resembles a medieval manor lodged in the mountains, and each of the common rooms, such as the lobby and meeting room, have distinct, European-style décor. According to Travel+Leisure magazine's website, this hotel provides ski packages that include the room rate, ski equipment, lift tickets and lessons at nearby ski resorts.
The hotel features an array of on-site dining, including Asian cuisine at the Samurai Sushi Bar, local game entrees at the Bow River Grill and German food at Waldhaus Restaurant, which is housed in a Swiss-style cottage. The 18-hole Stanley Thompson Golf Course, located on the hotel's property, features a clubhouse with a restaurant that serves lunch and dinner. Massage therapies, and indoor pool and body treatments are available at the hotel's Willow Stream Spa.
Situated in downtown Montreal, the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth is adjacent to the Montreal train station. Due to its location, sometimes the lobby can be hectic. However, the hotel is conveniently located to downtown Montreal attractions, such as the Underground City and the Basilique Notre Dame de Montreal. The Underground City features upscale shopping and dining, and is one of the largest underground complexes in the world.
If it is in the budget, a possible guest room option is the John Lennon and Yoko Ono Suite, a one-bedroom unit with memorabilia dedicated to the late performer, such as photos, press articles and gold records. Reportedly, this is the room where Lennon and Ono recorded the hit song "Give Peace a Chance." The hotel's on-site restaurant, Le Montrealais Bistrot, is a fine dining establishment, and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner every day of the week.
The Fairmont Palliser is in downtown Calgary, Alberta, and is only a short walk from the iconic Calgary Tower. This luxurious Fairmont hotel is a member of the Five Star Alliance hotel group. According to the Five Star Alliance website, the hotel is shaped like an E, so the best rooms are the units at the end of the hallways, which offer views of the nearby Calgary Tower. Other hotel features include an indoor saltwater swimming pool, massage therapies at the on-site spa and a skywalk that connects the Fairmont with the Telus Convention Center. The skywalk also connects the hotel to the Calgary Tower and the Glenbow Museum, which features art and photo galleries.
The hotel has 405 guest units, which includes The Royal Suite. This suite was used by Queen Elizabeth II of England during her trip to Calgary in 1990. Suite amenities include lavish furniture, dining room, living area and two bathrooms. Fine dining is provided at the hotel's Rimrock Restaurant, which features a large-hearth fireplace in the dining room. Breakfast, lunch and dinner is served at the restaurant.
