You’re on your annual Banff getaway with your closest friends. You’ve spent the last few days exploring the town, hitting the slopes by day and sipping drinks by night, before collapsing into hotel beds. Now, someone suggests a snowshoe hike, and, while you want to be a trooper, you’re more inclined to tap out.
And, you know what? That’s totally fine. Let your friends brave the elements while you hit the spa! And not just any spa: the Fairmont Spa Banff Springs at the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel.
Previously Willow Stream Spa, the spa at the Springs was renamed after a company-wide re-brand in November 2022. Spread across 40,000 square feet, Fairmont Spa Banff Springs offers 27 treatment rooms where you can indulge in relaxing body treatments, massages or facials; the spa salon for manicures, pedicures and styling; and the spa pools.
Those staying at the iconic castle hotel can book spa access any day for $79 plus tax per person, while non-hotel-staying guests can book spa access Monday to Thursday for $109 plus tax per person (holidays excluded).
Daily bookings for services, such as massages, facials or body treatments, are open to both hotel guests and non-hotel guests alike (though all bookings are dependent on availability and non-hotel guests may experience limited availability during peak holiday times) and come with three hours of general spa access.
Following the ethos “nourished by nature,” the spa incorporates elements of Banff’s natural environment and history into its treatments and, when possible and allowed, uses locally found plants and natural materials in treatment oils, essences and scrubs. Experiences like the Signature Rockies Rehydration treatment combine dry-brush exfoliation and a massage using rich mineral cream with organic essences, while aromatherapy treatments like the Serenity Ritual encourage relaxation and tranquility through a hydrating body polish and a massage using frankincense essential oils.
The spa pools are also an enticing reason to visit, with three waterfall whirlpools, an indoor mineral pool and an outdoor whirlpool, plus saunas, steam rooms and hot tubs in each of the women’s- and men’s-only areas of the spa. The three waterfall treatment whirlpools offer a particularly rejuvenating experience as you transition between the Bow Falls whirlpool (40°C), the Cascade Falls whirlpool (37°C) and the Assiniboine Falls whirlpool (24°C). Just beyond the indoor mineral pool, the outdoor whirlpool awaits, surrounded by views of towering mountains.
You’ll emerge relaxed, renewed, re-energized and ready for whatever your friends have planned for you next.