Banff Hotel & Ski Packages

With decent snow at the ski areas around Banff, now could be a good time to plan your next Banff ski trip. To narrow your choices, we have featured ski packages from 3 standards of hotel, each of which offers savings compared to booking accommodation and ski passes separately.

*Note that the information below is from last winter 09/10 and is no longer valid. Please take a look at current Banff ski deals for 2011, courtesy of BanffHotels.org.

If you are looking for a good standard of hotel in downtown Banff, the Mount Royal Hotel has a great deal for a 3 night stay with breakfast and a 3 day tri-area lift pass (which can be used at Sunshine Village, Lake Louise, or Norquay) including ski bus, costing from $784.56 to $994.56 plus taxes for 2 people in a standard room.

At the luxury end of the market, the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel is offering its Ski for Free Package which is valid for stays of 2 nights or longer. A 2 night stay qualifies for 2 tri area ski passes (ie one day of skiing for 2 people) including ski bus, and for each additional night 2 more ski passes are provided, so a 3 night stay would allow for 2 days of skiing for 2 people etc. Rates start at $299/night plus taxes for 2 people in a Fairmont Room, and the offer is valid until April 30th 2010.

The Homestead Inn is an affordable Banff hotel with a central location and is offering ski packages of various durations, which include accommodation and lift pass. For example, lodging for 3 nights including 3 days of skiing, Sunday to Thursday during ‘value season’ starts at $564 plus taxes for 2 people in a double room.

The above ski packages are all subject to availability, and can change without notice. To confirm pricing and for reservations, please contact the hotels directly.

September Hotel Packages

Visitors to Banff are generally attracted not only by the town itself, but also by the myriad of activities and tours available in the surrounding area. One of the best ways to get the most out of your trip to Banff, while saving money at the same time, is to take advantage of one of the accommodation and activity packages offered by some Banff hotels.
The Brewster Bundle is a fantastic way to combine a night in a heritage hotel with 2 of Banff’s most popular attractions. For just $125 per person, two adults can enjoy one night’s accommodation at the Mount Royal Hotel, a pass each for the Banff gondola, and two tickets for the Minnewanka Lake Cruise. This package, available until October 11, is ideal for first time visitors to Banff, as it includes the ‘must-see’ attractions that would probably be on your itinerary anyway. It will also appeal to Alberta locals who have been to Banff before, as the boat cruise and gondola ride are a perfect way to take in the beauty of the Canadian Rockies in a short amount of time.
If you are a family looking for condo style accommodation with a kitchen, the Rocky Mountain Resort offers a Banff Lake and Mountain Package which includes a 2 night stay, 2 adult passes for the Banff Gondola and 2 adult tickets for the Minnewanka Lake Cruise. Rates start at $510 for a standard suite (no kitchen), and several other room types with kitchen are also available.
Another Banff package which caught our eye, although not strictly speaking an ‘activity’ package, is the Royal Feast at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.
On September 26 you can enjoy a medieval dinner, castle tour, one night’s accommodation, and Sunday brunch the following morning, starting at $499 for 2 people. Bring a hearty appetite!

The above packages may be subject to change and availability. To confirm rates and for reservations, please contact the respective Banff hotels directly.

If you are flying in from overseas and would like to research hotels in Calgary for before or after your trip to the Canadian Rockies, visit the Calgary Hotel Guide for some suggestions.

Midsummer Deals at Banff Hotels

It may be peak season in Banff, but that doesn’t mean there are no hotel deals to be had, if you know where to look. Here are some special offers that might entice you to extend your stay a little…

In the heart of downtown, the Mount Royal Hotel offers several packages throughout the summer, such as the Brewster Bundle which, for only $125 per person, includes 1 night’s accommodation, two adult passes for the Banff Gondola, and two adult tickets for the Minnewanka Lake Cruise - ideal for first time visitors to Banff.
The Juniper Hotel and Bistro is offering some very competitive rates, starting at $134/night for a 2 night stay, and extra nights for just $99, based on Sunday to Thursday stays until September 6.
Located on Tunnel Mountain, and ideal for families, the Douglas Fir Resort & Chalets is offering a Stay, Play and Cook Your Own Way package which includes two night’s accommodation, a “Cook your own” breakfast kit and a “BBQ your own dinner” kit. Rates start at $197 from June 27 to August 22, and are as low as $140 from August 23 to September 30.
For a luxury hotel at a reasonable price, it’s hard to beat the Rimrock Resort Hotel which is offering rates starting at $99/person for stays in August, subject to availability.
And, finally, the Rundlestone Lodge is offering a 25% discount off the rate for superior one or two bed guest rooms throughout July and August.

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

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.

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.

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.

Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

When looking for a Banff hotel, you can’t fail to come across some mention of the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. The “Castle in the Rockies” has been welcoming visitors from all over the world since 1888. William Cornelius Van Horne, general manager of Canadian Pacific Railway, was responsible for its construction and famously said ‘Since we can’t export the scenery, we’ll have to import the tourists.’ The hotel boasts grand public rooms, a variety of excellent restaurants, a championship golf course and a world class spa. There are almost 800 guest rooms and many visitors to Banff choose to stay here, but even if you stay in a different hotel in Banff, you should make time in your itinerary for a visit to this impressive historic building.

The B&B Option

Staying at a Banff bed and breakfast is a great way to save some money while enjoying the more intimate surroundings a B&B can offer. B&Bs are perfect for those who like to experience a ‘home away from home’ and meet and share travel stories with like-minded people. Breakfast is usually included, and the restaurants of downtown Banff are never very far away for lunch and dinner options. There are several Banff B&Bs to choose from, usually run by long-time locals who can be the best people to advise you on how to make the most of your vacation in Banff.

Location Matters

When looking for a hotel in Banff, one thing you should consider is where that hotel is located. There are several Banff hotels in the downtown area, and staying in the centre of Banff has the advantage of being close to all the usual amenities, such as restaurants, shopping and nightlife. Some popular downtown hotels are the Mount Royal Hotel, Brewster’s Mountain Lodge, and the Banff Park Lodge.
Many hotels are just a short walk from the centre along Banff Ave, such as the the Rundlestone Lodge, the Royal Canadian Lodge, and the Caribou Lodge. While staying out of the centre may involve walking into town for dinner, it is a pleasant walk and these hotels are normally quieter.
No matter where you are staying in Banff, you will not be far from the Town of Banff’s hybrid-electric public transit bus service. These environmentally friendly buses are easily recognized by the wonderful wildlife depicted on the exterior, and just cost $2 for a ride!