D esigned to evoke the look and feel of a Scottish castle, this hotel is known as one of the best in the world. It is prized for its service, amenities, and more importantly -- it's location. Banff is an enclave inside Canada's Banff National Park. Before you pack up the kids to start a new life in Banff's clean air and sparkling blue-green waters, you should know that the population of the city is capped at 10,000 by law; and only people who need to be there and their dependents, are allowed to take up residence. The hotel is one of several luxury hideaways constructed by the Canadian Pacific railroad as it carved a path across the wilderness. It was a pair of off-duty railroad workers who stumbled across the element that would make Banff famous: the hot springs. The hotel was built near one and its therapeutic mineral-infused heat attracted visitors to the hotel. Naturally, the only way to get there was via the Canadian Pacific Railroad since cars were banned in the park in its early years.
» It is said that a long deceased bellman named Sam is still helping guests with their luggage and giving them other assistance, especially on the ninth floor. When Sam's duties are concluded he vanishes.
» It is said that the ghost of a young bride inhabits the castle. According to legend, on her wedding day she was descending a staircase when a gust of wind from an open window moved her train, causing her to trip and fall to her death.
» Visitors say they still see a vision of a woman in a white wedding dress descending the staircase, or dancing in the ballroom.
» There are also reports of unexplained gusts of wind startling visitors on the staircase.
» The owner of this web site was once kicked out of this hotel. It is not surprising since at the time he was on what Australians would call a "walkabout" and hadn't eaten, bathed, or shaved in days and had virtually no money.
Linh
Sunday, July 27th, 2008 @ 6:11pm
Rating: One star. We recently had a company trip there and there were many stories of strange happenings. TV turning on by itself, alarms going off by itself. Others have felt a presense in a room and when the lights are turned on, the strangeness stopped. Others have woke up in the middel of the night ina frozen state and they cannot move. The scenery was amazing but we will never come back to this hotel again.
kevin hamilton
Tuesday, March 27th, 2007 @ 2:00am
Rating: Five stars. Me and my girlfriend went up to banff for the weekend we stayed at banff springs when i went to bed i covered my self up good and when i sleep i dont tend to move at all and always covered... in the middle of the night around 5am i woke up the sheets were underneath me perfectly made on my side of the bed freaky A
chanelle
Wednesday, February 14th, 2007 @ 3:39pm
Rating: Four stars. when i visited the hotel, i had a great day, then.... I went to bed and un-tucked the sheets and wrapped them around my body. I woke up in the morning with the bed sheets perfectly back in shape and the sheets were tucked under the matress, like it was the dat before. Strange stuff.
Lynn Barber
Monday, January 29th, 2007 @ 7:13pm
Rating: Five stars. Like all the hotels in the former CPR chain there is so much Canadian history that took place in or about its stone walls that I just go there to imbibe its atmosphere. No one can manage to bring all this together easy but I invite anyone to learn about its storied past and query employee Dave Moberg on arrival at that baronial castle in the Rockies.
vinnie
February 6th, 2003 @ 12:02pm
banff hotel ghost tales are true i worked there in 1985 &86
Amy Goulet
Friday, April 2nd, 2004 @ 11:26pm
wind gust actually blew the brides train into the burning flame of one of the candles which lined each step of the staircase. It was during her panick to extinguish the fire that she tripped and fell to her death.
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Linh
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