Wine & Food Festival Review

The Banff Wine & Food Festival succeeded in attracting more than 2000 people to the Grand Tasting Hall in the conference centre at the Banff Springs Hotel on May 2nd, and those in attendance were treated to a glorious sunny day, excellent cuisine and a good selection of wines, beers and spirits.
After picking up our sampling glass and tasting coupons, the aroma of Indian spices guided us directly to the stall where Fuze’s Executive Chef Gary Dayanandan was preparing exquisite Chili Prawns and, for dessert, a superb Sticky Toffee Pudding. The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel was represented by five of its restaurants, each of which produced an impressive and intricate dish, such as Organic Chinook Salmon with a Chipotle Glaze, Seared Scallop with Lemon Orzo Pasta Risotto, and Maple Braised Pork Belly.
The Bison Restaurant and Lounge offered a festival special of Pulled Bison on a Mini Brioche, and also gave a sampling of their excellent Swiss Cheese Fondue, one of 3 new fondues offered in the restaurant. Meanwhile burger lovers were well looked after by the Eddie Burger & Bar, whose mini bison burger gave us a good reason to sample the full size version at a later date.
There were a lot more wine and drink stalls than food stalls, and choosing between them was a little bit more difficult, which made us think that it would have been interesting if wine pairings had been offered by the restaurants along with the food samples. The wide selection meant that most grapes and many regions could be sampled and our particular favorite was the 2006 Cashmere by Cline Cellars, a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre.
All in all, it was the Banff restaurants that really shone at this event, and Banff’s reputation for first class dining was certainly reinforced. We are already looking forward to next year’s festival!

The following restaurants were present in the Grand Tasting Hall:
Bison Restaurant & Lounge
Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts
Eddie Burger & Bar
The Evergreen
Fuze Finer Dining
Giorgio’s Trattoria
Maple Leaf Grill & Lounge
Masala Authentic Indian Cuisine
St James Gate Olde Irish Pub
The Elk & Oarsman Restaurant & Pub
Sunshine Mountain Lodge
Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel
Wild Flour

Mother’s Day Brunch in Banff

If you are planning to treat your mother, wife, grandmother, or daughter in Banff this Mother’s Day May 10th, you may wish to consider an invitation to brunch:

Fuze is offering a Mother’s Day Brunch Buffet from 10.30am to 2pm featuring eggs benedict, omelettes made to order, smoked salmon, tempura crab sushi rolls, various salads, top sirloin of roast beef, barbecue pork ribs, poached salmon, sticky toffee pudding, plus much more for $27 per person, and $15 per child 12 & under, including tax & gratuity.
Tel: 403 760 0853

The Juniper Hotel & Bistro are giving free flowers to Mom at their brunch buffet, which takes place from 10am to 2pm and costs $34pp, $15 for children 6-12 yrs, and free for children 5 & under. The menu includes bison whiskey sausage, french toast with berries and whipped cream, carving station with honey roasted ham, plus a crepe station. The full menu looks delicious and can be seen here.
Tel: 403 763 7205

The Keg’s Mothers’ Day Brunch Buffet is from 11.30am to 2pm and features a salad bar, eggs benedict, French toast, three mushroom roasted chicken, Canadian AAA prime rib roast, and decadent chocolate desserts for $18.95 pp, and $6.95 for children 12 & under.
Tel: 403 762 4442

The Rimrock Resort Hotel is offering a buffet from 10am to 2.00pm for $38pp, $16 for children 6-12 yrs, and free for children 5 & under.
Tel: 403 762 1865

The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel will be offering a larger and more elaborate version of their usual Sunday brunch in the Cascade and Alberta rooms from 10.30am to 2.30pm for $55pp, $15 for children 6-12 yrs and free for children 5 & under.
Tel: 403 762 6860

The Banff Park Lodge are hosting their Mother’s Day Brunch in the Chinook restaurant from 10am to 2pm for $29.95pp, $24.95 for seniors, $19.95 for children 6-12 yrs, and free for children 5 & under. Their extensive brunch menu can be seen here.
Tel: 403 760 3255

Reservations are strongly recommended for all of the above events.
If you are a Banff restaurant owner and would like us to feature your Mother’s Day Brunch special, please leave us a message in the comments below and we will be happy to include you.

May Specials at Banff Hotels

Several Banff hotels have put together some attractive spring packages and discounted rates for May, so if you are planning to visit Banff National Park in the next month, possibly for the Wine and Food Festival, you may wish to consider some of the specials below.

The Douglas Fir Resort & Chalets is offering the Just for Moms *Celebrate Mom in May* package. Starting at $159 and valid from May 1-31, the package includes 1 night’s accommodation, one “cook your own” breakfast kit, a spring flower bouquet and a bottle of sparkling wine.
One of the best deals we’ve seen is the $99 hotel room deal offered by the Banff Lodging Company. The offer is valid for the Caribou Lodge, Ptarmigan Inn, Fox Hotel & Suites, Inns of Banff and the Hidden Ridge Resort throughout May and June.
The Rundlestone Lodge is offering a Spring Special discount of 15% off any of their rooms on any day of the week.
Until May 14th 2009, the Red Carpet Inn is offering 20% off your rate for stays of 4 nights or more.
In downtown Banff Brewster Mountain Lodge is offering a Springtime in the Rockies package until May 31st 2009, which starts at $196 for 2 people and includes a $50 meal certificate, free hot springs passes and spring flowers in your room.
Residents of Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba can enjoy the lodge experience at Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts where the Western Canada Special is valid until the end of May.
And finally, the intimate Banff Boutique Inn is offering a “Save the Economy” 30% off midweek rates spring special.

Please contact the providers of the above offers directly to confirm rates and make reservations.

If you are an accommodation provider in Banff and would like us to feature your spring specials, please leave a comment below and we’d be happy to include you.

For further accommodation ideas, visit our Banff lodging guide.

Banff Wine & Food Festival

The second annual Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festival will take place May 1-2 2009. The main event will be in the Grand Tasting Hall at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel on Saturday May 2nd, where a selection of wine, beer, and spirits can be tasted as well as food from some of Banff’s best restaurants. Choose between an afternoon tasting session from 2-5pm and an evening session from 7-10pm. Entrance tickets cost $20 online or $25 at door (depending on availability). Sampling coupons are extra and can be purchased at the event.
In addition, on the Friday evening participating Banff restaurants will be offering special festival menus and events, such as the Wine, Charcuterie and Cheese evening at the Bison Restaurant and Lounge, the “Gold Medal” Chef’s Table Dinner at the Three Ravens Restaurant and Wine Bar, and the Wine Country Cooking Class at Fuze Finer Dining.
On Saturday night the popular Aurora Nightclub will be hosting the Festival After Party, where Absolut cocktails will be served at their Onyx Bar.

This is a fantastic event for food and wine lovers, and is a great excuse to visit Banff in the springtime, when you can still go spring skiing or take a sightseeing tour before the summer crowds arrive.
Special Banff hotel packages are also available for the event.

For more information and to purchase tickets for the Grand Tasting Hall, visit www.rockymountainwine.com.

Spring and Easter Hotel Deals

With several weeks of excellent skiing between now and the end of our long winter season, there is still plenty of time to hit the slopes in Banff and Lake Louise. Several Banff hotels are offering discounts and special packages in March, April and over Easter, so whether you are travelling from Alberta, Ontario, the USA or the UK, you should take a look at some of the spring hotel deals we have found to make your stay in Banff a little bit more affordable.

The Rundlestone Lodge is offering a Spring Special discount of 15% off any of their rooms on any day of the week.
On the more affordable end of the scale, the Red Carpet Inn is offering 20% off your rate for stays of 4 nights or more until May 14th 2009.
The luxurious Rimrock Resort has Spring Break rates starting at $149 for stays in April 2009, and also a ‘4 nights for the price of 3′ offer for March and April (based on the rate of the day).
In downtown Banff Brewster Mountain Lodge is offering a Springtime in the Rockies package until May 31st 2009, which starts at $196 for 2 people and includes a $50 meal certificate, free hot springs passes and spring flowers in your room.
For the lodge experience, Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts are offering Easter specials at each of their 3 properties, which includes breakfast or brunch and starts at $71 per person at the Deer Lodge, $100 per person at Buffalo Mountain Lodge and $104 per person at Emerald Lake Lodge. For an even better deal, residents of Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba can take advantage of the Western Canada Special right through to May 31st 2009.
The intimate Banff Boutique Inn is offering a “Save the Economy” 30% off midweek rates spring special.
And finally, Banff Accommodation Reservations is offering 15% off March & April rates at the Banff Aspen Lodge, and a ‘4th night free’ offer at the Fairmont Banff Springs or Chateau Lake Louise.

Please contact the providers of the above offers directly to confirm rates and make reservations.

If you are an accommodation provider in Banff and would like us to feature your spring specials, please leave a comment below and we’d be happy to include you.

Spring Skiing in Banff

For many locals, spring is the best time to ski in Banff & Lake Louise. The days are longer and usually warmer, the snow is often better than earlier in the winter, there are normally several ‘bonus’ powder days in April and even in May, and there’s still a couple of months of great skiing before the end of the season. For residents of Western Canada, both Lake Louise Mountain Resort and Sunshine Village offer a Spring Pass to help you take advantage of the great spring skiing in the Canadian Rockies.
At Lake Louise the spring pass is valid from March 15th to May 3rd, and the adult midweek (Mon-Thurs) pass costs an attractive $199 + GST, while a full adult pass costs $249 + GST.
At Sunshine Village the spring season is longer and runs from March 21st to May 18th, and the adult midweek (Mon-Thurs) pass costs $287 + GST and a full adult pass will cost you $347 + GST.
Needless to day, there are great deals to be found at both ski areas, and we particularly like the Lake Louise midweek pass which would pay for itself after just 3 days of skiing!
Each resort offers spring passes for family, child, youth, senior, and student. For full details, visit the Lake Louise or Sunshine Village website.

Lake Louise to Banff Loppet

Due to low temperatures the annual Lake Louise to Banff Loppet has been postponed for one week and will now take place on Saturday Jan 31st.
This 71km cross country ski race first debuted as far back as 1929, and has been running in its modern day format since 1979. The race includes both team (relay) and individual categories and starts at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise at 8am. Most of the course follows trails close to Highway 1A and the finishing line is in Central Park in Banff.
Further information and track conditions can be found at www.loppet.ca, where you can also view a map of the course on Google Earth.

Celebrity Ski in Lake Louise

Hollywood stars will be descending on Lake Louise on Jan 16 and 17 2009 as part of a fund raising event for Robert Kennedy Jr’s Waterkeeper Alliance.

Skiers and riders at Lake Louise Mountain Resort will be able to view the various events, such as tobogganing and ski racing and many well known celebrities such as Alec Baldwin, Tim Robbins, Peter Fonda, John McEnroe and Kevin Lowe will be in attendance.

Tickets for the Saturday night gala at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise are available to the public and start at $500 per person for the gala evening, while packages including gala tickets, accommodation and breakfast start at $1,460 for 2 people. A gold table for 12 people can be yours for $10,000 and includes 10 of your own guests plus you’ll have the pleasure of the company of one of the celebrities and their partner.
Tickets are available from the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise by calling 403 522 1832.

Update
The Canadian Tourism Commission kindly let us know about Celebrity Ski videos they have posted to YouTube, some of which you can see below. Thanks guys!

Ski Holidays from the UK

Banff Canada is a very poplar destination for UK skiers who love the fantastic snow, uncrowded slopes, exceptional customer service, and high standard of hotels in Banff.

Most British skiers come to Banff with one of the UK tour operators, but many regular visitors wonder whether they might be able to save money by booking their hotel and flights independently. We thought it would be interesting to compare the prices of a Banff ski holiday booked through a tour operator with the price of an independently organized trip.

As an example, we chose an 11 day holiday for 2 adults departing from London Gatwick on March 14th 2009, staying at either the Inns of Banff or the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.

For the tour operator, we used Inghams who are known to have some of the lowest prices to Banff from the UK.
The package price with Inghams including flights to Calgary, airport transfer, and accommodation in Banff was £1379.00 staying in a superior room at the Inns of Banff, or £2345.00 staying in a Fairmont room at the Fairmont Banff Springs.

For the independent trip we found flights for £458.00pp with Canadian Affair and airport transfers for $110.00pp through the Brewster Airport Shuttle.
On the Inns of Banff website we were quoted $1633.53 including taxes for the superior room, and on the Fairmont website we were quoted $3650.79 for the Fairmont room.
Using today’s tourist exchange rate of £1.00 = $1.71, the total for the independent Inns of Banff package came to £1868.32, and the independent Fairmont Banff Springs package came to £3175.75.

Conclusion
Booking the Inns of Banff ski holiday with Inghams resulted in a saving of £489.32 compared to booking independently, and the saving for the Banff Springs holiday was £830.75. The savings in both examples were considerable at around 26%. We found the savings to be consistent for several Banff hotels for various dates and durations, and it seems as though the UK tour operators are difficult to beat on price, at least for winter 2008/09.

For your own research, here is a list of the larger UK ski tour operators that operate in Banff:
Inghams
Neilson
Crystal
Thomson

Also, Ski Holidays Canada is a well run locally based tour operator offering Banff ski holidays, as well as holidays to other major ski resorts in Canada.

*The prices quoted above were found on the relevant websites on Jan 12th 2009, and are for illustrative purposes only. These prices may change. Please do your own price check before booking.

Banff Culture & Heritage

Banff is blessed with a strong cultural heritage and there are many ways to immerse yourself into both the past and the present of the people, places, and events that continue to influence the direction of the town.
For breakfast, the Cake Company on Bear St is a great place to enjoy a coffee and a muffin and see many of the older Banff characters still spinning their stories before their working day.
Banff Alberta has several excellent museums, each offering a different perspective. The Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies is perhaps the most famous, and portrays the history and culture of Banff and the Canadian Rockies, through its variety of current exhibitions. They also offer a selection of guided tours. The Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum is dedicated to the culture of the First Nations of North America and displays interpretive exhibitions and artifacts, and the Banff Park Museum displays an extensive range of natural history specimens and is itself a building of historic significance.
For lunch you could try a chicken and cranberry sandwich at Evelyns Coffee Bar or some fresh pasta at Coyotes, both Banff owned and popular with locals.
For shopping, tasteful gifts and local books can be found at the Banff Book & Art Den, and fine pieces of local artwork can be viewed and purchased at Mountain Galleries, or Canada House Gallery.
A fine place for dinner would be the Three Ravens Restaurant at the Banff Centre, which has impressive views over the Bow Valley and is perfectly located if you are planning to take in a Banff Centre performance afterwards. The Banff Centre regularly hosts live music, dance, drama, and mountain culture events, and it is well worth checking to see their events calendar to see what’s on while you are here.
To spend the night, why not stay at Banff’s most historic hotel, the Fairmont Banff Springs, or at Treetops, an exclusive Banff B&B, owned and run by long-time Banff locals.

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