Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel — Graham Custance Photography

To celebrate meeting my wife, Sue forty years ago, we decided to make our first trip to the beautiful country of Canada. We spent January deciding on our itinary and from initially looking to ride on the Rocky Mountaineer train, once we discovered the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel our minds were made up.

Located in the heart of Banff National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the world-famous Fairmont Banff Springs resort stands as a landmark in the picturesque alpine town of Banff. Styled after a Scottish baronial castle, the ‘Castle in the Rockies’ has 739 rooms. William Cornelius Van Horne, the General Manager of the Canadian Pacific Railway, first considered constructing a grand hotel in the Canadian Rockies when several employees of his railroad stumbled across several mineral springs in 1883.

We upgraded our Air Canada flight to Premium Economy and the extra leg room and the larger seat, extra leg room and priority airport services were well worth it on this eight hour forty five minute flight from London Heathrow to Calgary. The flight route on AC 851 takes you over Iceland and Greenland before crossing the Hudson Bay covering a total of over 4,300 miles.

After arriving in Calgary, we took the Banff Airporter shuttle bus, taking two hours from the airport to Banff, an excellent service which comes highly recommended. With high backed seats, large tour windows, charging points and air conditioning it was a comfortable transit to the hotel.

The view from our room (577) was quite stunning, with a sweeping vista down to the Bow River with Tunnel Mountain and Mount Rundle framing the distant mountain range like a picture frame. We had also upgraded our accommodation to the Fairmont Gold package, which offered separate courtyard, private check-in reception area, dedicated concierge and private lounges. We used the fifth floor Gold lounge all of the time, allowing us to pop in, have a coffee and cake and chill out in comfort and admire the panoramic scenery. As well as taking your breakfast here, evening canapés are also offered as part of the package. There was a roaring fire centre piece in the lounge which made it a cosy environment.

The Gold staff were so hospitable and advised us on all of our requirements, including information regarding the Roam bus shuttle - this is free from outside the hotel taking you into Banff and Sulphur Mountain where the Gondola is located to booking up walks and tours during the stay. The hotel also sends you a link to a dedicated web portal before you leave home, so that you can also book up these tours and any additional requirements, such as spa treatments and restaurant bookings.

On our second day at the hotel, we awoke to a snow shower which added to the already picturesque setting, including the 360 degree glass dome where you can experience breakfast at sunrise or cocktails under the stars.

The Banff Gondola is a must-do whilst staying in Banff. Discover sweeping scenes of six mountain ranges, the Bow Valley and the charming town of Banff from the Sulphur Mountain summit. Once you're at the top, begin your adventure by strolling the boardwalk to the Cosmic Ray Station and Sanson's Peak and learn about Canada's first national park. The views all around at the top of Sulphur Mountain are simply breathtaking.

The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel was built over a century ago to help develop tourism along the Canadian Pacific Railroad. To say it succeeded is an understatement. It's a stunning place with an intimate, welcoming feel to it. The lobby feels like a movie set, and even features a harpist.

Bow Falls are a well-known waterfall and hiking trail in Banff National Park. The falls are popular for both their beauty and easy access. Conveniently located just a few minutes walk from downtown Banff, you won’t need to go far to visit the falls. We walked several times into the town of Banff from the hotel along the Bow River which takes about 20 minutes on foot.

One of the highlights of our trip was taking an excursion with Viator that took us to Two Jacks Lake, Lake Minnewanka, Johnston Canyon, Lake Louise and Vermillion Lake. Picking up from downtown Banff, the driver and guide was exceptional giving us a running commentary and spending just the right amount of time at each location.

The town of Banff is nestled high in the Canadian Rockies within Banff National Park. Originally “Siding 29” on the Canadian Pacific Railway, the Banff townsite has attracted visitors from around the world since its very inception. The vibrant streets of downtown are lined with top-class restaurants, bars and shops, as well as a number of incredible art galleries and museums.