Recommendations for weekend trip to Banff

[slcrocket]

Hi CPers,

So I am planning a weekend getaway for my wife's 40th birthday in February next year. I started looking online at some different options but realized that you folks probably have some decent recommendations. Some things to keep in mind:

1) We are not skiing.
2) We are big fans of relaxing in a nice room with a nice view with a good book (or ten).
3) We'd like to be somewhere we can get transportation from YYC and back again so we can avoid driving.
4) We'd like to be staying somewhere in Banff where we can walk around, window shop, etc.

We're pretty boring; fact is that we have young kids and we're just excited to have a few days away in some beautiful scenery with some sights to see. Any lodging recommendations?

Thanks in advance!

[Gemnoble]

Grizzly House is a must if you like fondues. There's an Old Spaghetti Factory there that's pretty decent. If you want something more unique then The Maple Leaf for Steak and Seafood, Pacini for Italian, The Eddie for burgers and Zyka Elevated for Indian food and if you want Asian food, Happy Sunshine for Sushi and Silver Dragon for Chinese.

There's a Bar in each Hotel but the Pump and Tap tavern is good, if you wanted a Club then the Hoodoo Lounge is probably best.

If you want the fanciest most top end spot in Banff then 'Grapes' in the Banff Springs for Wine and Cheese and Eden in the Rimrock or The Vermillion Room in Banff Springs if you feel like dropping $600 on your Escargots and Foie Gras and Dom Perignons.

For hotels, the fanciest spots are The Banff Springs Hotel and The Rimrock, if you have cash to splash anyway. The Moose and The Peaks are also great hotels. There is a shuttle from the Calgary Airport to Banff and back but it stops at a sort of Greyhound station a little walk from the main drag.

Most of the hotels are fine, but try to stay somewhere more unique then the Best Western.

For sites to see, go to the Hot Springs, take the Gondola up the mountain and have lunch at the Sky Bistro, there's tons of great hiking (Bring good hiking shoes), and don't forget to grab some candy from the best confectioneries in Alberta.

Just don't forget it's a National Park and you'll see animals around.

[Whynotnow]

You have any interesting request for Banff as you’d like a room with a view but also want walkable. The rimrock is the place to stay for a view or the springs, but neither are walkable to main Banff, although there is transist service in town. You may need to figure out what you want more - I’d lean towards rim rock and then transit or cab when needed.

Also great recommendations in the post above except for the Old Sogahetti factory part - if you eat there in Banff you are doing it wrong. Bear Street Tavern is a fun little place.

[Fuzz]

Banff has great transit, I wouldn't worry about getting around town. If you can't afford the Banff Springs, you can still go there and enjoy it. There are lots of great sitting rooms with views, and some indoor shopping so it's worth heading there if that's what you like. They do not have big guest rooms(unless you are really loaded!).

[Flabbibulin]

First reply mentions a lot of great stuff, but my contribution will be that going during the week in Feb is absolutely going to make a difference on the hotel cost- not to mention how busy it is. If it is summer, forget it- expensive and busy regardless. And booking a bit closer to the date might give you some better prices.

Banff springs and Rimrock of course are the standouts and the best options if you just want to lounge and relax without having to leave the complex too much (always great offers at Rimrock), but if you want to stay in town, I think Moose’s is the nicest.

It might not be for everyone, but the Corner House at Moose’s is a pretty cool experience- https://moosehotelandsuites.com/corner-house/

Otherwise, the one bedroom suites at Moose’s are fantastic, and at Moose’s you access to the rooftop hot tubs, sauna etc.

[SeeGeeWhy]

Honestly I prefer going to the Pomeroy Mountain Village in Kananaskis, and visiting the Knordic Spa. Just took my missus there for her 40th!

But if you insist on Banff, check out the Banff Sushi House (cute little place with sushi served on a model train). My fave spot to chill and soak up the views is at the outdoor hot tub in the spa at the Fairmont - they allow the public to use the pools Mon - Thurs with a drop in fee. I think it’s $80 per person but you can stay all day if you want and it’s never busy like the Sulphur Mountain hot springs are.

The Bison is a nice dinner place, Waldhaus pub is cute and cozy. Second the moose and its cool outdoor pool on the roof.

But it sounds like you guys would REALLY love checking out the Banff Centre for Performing Arts. Great campus with lots of options for rooms and quiet places to chill out and soak up the nature, read, etc. They have an interesting library and other exhibits you can check out and the architecture is amazing. It’s a little out of the way from the main town so it’s also kind of a hidden gem but that baffles me. Banff Centre

The On-It bus is the cheapest way to to from Calgary to Banff. I think it’s like $10/person but it only runs on weekends and is not as nice as other shuttles that go anytime you want. It’s about a 90-120 minute drive depending on conditions.

[Sliver]

Good recommendations for sure, but I think OP is getting trolled with the Pump and Tap suggestion. Guys, that's in a basement with no windows. The only food they serve is fried - chicken fingers and French fries. Plus, they only have one deep fryer so hopefully nobody ordered anything ahead of you or you're waiting. It's a locals hangout, but not a place to go unless there's a soccer game you want to watch or your really like Pilsner on tap.

I say that as a guy who loves drinking down there. Reminds me of The Den in the 90s. For what OP is after, though, literally every other spot in Banff is better, including drinking from a bottle hidden in a paper bag while standing on a street corner.

Since OP and wife seem to like it mellow, they should hit Night Rise on the Gondola versus going up during the day. You basically listen to spa music in your own private Gondola lit by cool northern lights-style LEDs. You get to the top and there's more ethereal music and lights and limited people (you buy tickets in advance) so you can move around freely and really enjoy the chillest vibe ever whilst overlooking Banff townsite lit up in the valley below.

If you enjoy cannabis, might I suggest a strong Indica for your way up? Great cannabis store right outside the Pump and Tap.

[Sliver]

At the Grizzly House you can book ahead for their private room. You'd totally surprise the crap out of your wife and become a legend if you did that. You pull a string and a sign flops down indicating to the waitress you'd like to be alone. They won't come in unless you flick the sign back up. It's crazy. Probably no mention of it on their website as it's kind of on the down low, but it's for real.

[PepsiFree]

Banff Springs is the best. You could conceivably spend the entire time in the hotel and have an incredible time, but you could also just used it as a A+++ base camp for whatever you want to do around town. They have a great pool and an even better outdoor heated pool which is hard to top in the winter. Yes, it’s expensive, but if it’s in your budget or even a bit outside of it I would take the leap and go for it as it’s an experience all on its own.

Park Distillery is also a must for food and drink imo. Great food, even better drinks. There are tours of the distillery if that’s your thing, but I would just go for a meal and a couple drinks.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Good recommendations for sure, but I think OP is getting trolled with the Pump and Tap suggestion. Guys, that's in a basement with no windows. The only food they serve is fried - chicken fingers and French fries. Plus, they only have one deep fryer so hopefully nobody ordered anything ahead of you or you're waiting. It's a locals hangout, but not a place to go unless there's a soccer game you want to watch or your really like Pilsner on tap.

I say that as a guy who loves drinking down there. Reminds me of The Den in the 90s. For what OP is after, though, literally every other spot in Banff is better, including drinking from a bottle hidden in a paper bag while standing on a street corner.

Since OP and wife seem to like it mellow, they should hit Night Rise on the Gondola versus going up during the day. You basically listen to spa music in your own private Gondola lit by cool northern lights-style LEDs. You get to the top and there's more ethereal music and lights and limited people (you buy tickets in advance) so you can move around freely and really enjoy the chillest vibe ever whilst overlooking Banff townsite lit up in the valley below.

If you enjoy cannabis, might I suggest a strong Indica for your way up? Great cannabis store right outside the Pump and Tap.

I don't know, someone suggest the Old Spaghetti Factory which is just hilarious to me. I feel like that's the ultimate troll here, but maybe some people love that place?

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by slcrocket

Hi CPers,

So I am planning a weekend getaway for my wife's 40th birthday in February next year. I started looking online at some different options but realized that you folks probably have some decent recommendations. Some things to keep in mind:

1) We are not skiing.
2) We are big fans of relaxing in a nice room with a nice view with a good book (or ten).
3) We'd like to be somewhere we can get transportation from YYC and back again so we can avoid driving.
4) We'd like to be staying somewhere in Banff where we can walk around, window shop, etc.

We're pretty boring; fact is that we have young kids and we're just excited to have a few days away in some beautiful scenery with some sights to see. Any lodging recommendations?

Thanks in advance!

scenery from the room?

Have you thought about Chateau Lake Louise and requesting a lake side view?

When you want out of the room, stroll around the hotel & grounds (similar to Banff Springs).

Just a thought, cuz it doesn't seem like you guys are a stroll Banff Ave and hit pubs type from your post.

[Yeah_Baby]

I ate at the Magpie and Stump last time I was in Banff and it was some of the best Mexican I've had.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Sliver

At the Grizzly House you can book ahead for their private room. You'd totally surprise the crap out of your wife and become a legend if you did that. You pull a string and a sign flops down indicating to the waitress you'd like to be alone. They won't come in unless you flick the sign back up. It's crazy. Probably no mention of it on their website as it's kind of on the down low, but it's for real.

The Grizzly house is meh, over hyped and oily

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Slava

I don't know, someone suggest the Old Spaghetti Factory which is just hilarious to me. I feel like that's the ultimate troll here, but maybe some people love that place?

Banff has a BP's too, if you are feeling adventurous.

[puckedoff]

There's a restaurant called "Three Ravens" which had great food and views. A quick google shows it is closed now but maybe it would be open in February.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Banff has a BP's too, if you are feeling adventurous.

From the OP's description, I reckon he & his missus would appreciate a spicy perogy and a nice bottle of Baby Duck

[Redlan]

Best dinner experience in Banff is Eden at the Rimrock - 7 course meal with the wine pairing.

Nightrise Sky Experience Dinner Package - this one is awesome as well, gondola and a great meal. Cocktails are excellent as well.

Banff Springs is always awesome and the add the access to the spa, you can spend all day there, reading, relaxing in different temp pools and add a message as well.

[anyonebutedmonton]

Budget is going to determine the hotel. Rimrock and Banff Springs are high-end, but may be worth the cost if travelling from out of town. Some more budget friendly options that are also right in town are the Banff Aspen Lodge and Mount Royal. Both have an outdoor hut tub that are really nice.

For food, check out The Bison (higher end) and the Bear Street Tavern (great pizza). I also like Magpie and Stump for decent Mexican in a cool environment. There is a new steakhouse that is gorgeous and has great food called Bluebird.

Check out the Sulphur Mountain gondola and see if you can get a reservation (https://www.banffjaspercollection.co...ng/sky-bistro/) for dinner at the restaurant. It has an absolutely amazing view and can be great if you time it for around sunset/dusk.

Hope you guys have fun!

[fotze2]

Definitely would also suggest/confirm these good recommendations in this order:

1. Ole Spaghetti Factory
2. Grizzly house so you can throw your clothes out after because it smells like 50 years of boiling fryer oil and cigarettes. Oh ya there are phones on each table so you can phone other tables for some reason. (are those still there). German swinger owners back in the day?
3. That pub with no windows and smells like sick and sewer back-up because its in a basement.

[Muta]

If you like sushi, check out Hello Sunshine which is a relatively new place, amazing interior design too:

Spoiler!