Hotels in Banff with Pools

After a day in Banff National Park, what better way to unwind than a soak or a swim in your hotel pool, or if you are a family with kids, some of the indoor or outdoor pools can be a destination in their own right. Most hotels in Banff have some sort of hot tub or whirlpool, but several Banff accommodations offer a lot more than that, with some hotels offering swimming pools and others having larger hot pools with unique designs or in special locations. Below you will find a comprehensive list of hotels in Banff with pools that we regard to be a level above the average hot tub.

The Douglas Fir Resort & Chalets has one of the most popular swimming pools for families with 2 indoor waterslides plus whirlpools. This facility is free to hotel guests, and costs $20 for general admission.

As part of its impressive sports facilities the Banff Rocky Mountain Resort has a 15 metre indoor pool as well as an indoor and outdoor hot tub.

Guests at Best Western Siding 29 Lodge can do laps in the indoor swimming pool, or just relax in the hot tub.

Not surprisingly, the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel has an excellent selection of pools, with a 20 metre outdoor heated pool (open year round), a 32 metre indoor pool, as well as a shallow indoor pool for small kids plus an indoor jetted hot tub. These pools in the Aquatic Centre are free of charge to hotel guests, while the mineral pool with waterfalls in the Willow Stream Spa as well an indoor and outdoor hot tub are available for an additional charge (currently $69 per day for hotel guests).

The Banff Park Lodge has an indoor heated swimming pool as well as a large Jacuzzi. Guests of the nearby Homestead Inn can also make use of these facilities.

The Banff High Country Inn offers an indoor heated pool plus hot tubs which guests at their sister property the Red Carpet Inn can also enjoy.

Guests at the Inns of Banff can take in some impressive mountain views from the large outdoor roof top hot pool, as well as having an indoor swimming pool and whirlpool at their disposal.

The Rundlestone Lodge can offer its guests a 45 foot indoor lap pool plus a large whirlpool.

The Voyager Inn has a large outdoor heated pool which is open year-round, plus an indoor jacuzzi. Guests at the neighbouring Spruce Grove Inn can also use these facilities.

A unique hot pool can be found at the Fox Hotel & Suites, whose grotto-like appearance resembles the historic pools at the Cave & Basin.

The Grotto Spa mineral pool plus a whirlpool can be found at the Delta Banff Royal Canadian Lodge.

At the Banff Caribou Lodge & Spa you’ll find a large 26 person jetted hot pool which is part of their Red Earth Spa facility, but is free for all hotel guests to use.

The Rimrock Resort Hotel offers its guests an indoor pool as well as a whirlpool as part of their spa & leisure facilities.

An indoor pool, hot plunge pool, and a hot tub can all be found at the Bow View Lodge.

Guests at the Hidden Ridge Resort can enjoy magnificent mountain views from the two outdoor hot pools perched on a ridge looking west down the Bow Valley.

And finally, Tunnel Mountain Resort has an indoor heated pool and 2 indoor whirlpools for its guests to enjoy.

If you don’t stay at a Banff hotel with a pool, you can always make use of one the public pools in Banff Alberta, namely the 25 metre swimming pool at the Sally Borden Fitness & Recreation Centre ($4.50 adults, $2.50 6-15 yrs), or the pool with waterslides at the Douglas Fir Resort & Chalets ($20).

Accommodations in Banff with Kitchens

Whether you are travelling with your family or you simply like the taste of your own cooking, staying in a hotel, condo or suite with kitchen facilities can be a convenient and cost effective way to visit Banff. With two large grocery stores and a fantastic bakery in town, it is easy to be self sustaining and the following list of Banff hotels with kitchens gives you a wide selection of self catering accommodation to choose from:

Popular with families due to its waterslide, Douglas Fir Resort & Chalets offers a range of Banff accommodations with kitchens for various group sizes in a peaceful location on Tunnel Mountain. Each unit has a full kitchen with a cook-top, oven, fridge, microwave, pots, pans and utensils.

Surrounded by magnificent mountain views on the edge of the town of Banff, Banff Rocky Mountain Resort offers Banff lodging with cooking facilities. Their studio suites, one bedroom condos, two bedroom condos and loft suites each boast a kitchen with a stovetop, microwave and dishwasher, as well as pots, pans and utensils.

Charlton’s Cedar Court is a Banff hotel with a convenient location close to downtown. Their Kitchenette Suites offer two sleeping areas plus a kitchenette featuring a four burner stove top, microwave, mini-fridge, dishes, and cooking utensils.

With a quiet location on Tunnel Mountain, Hidden Ridge Resort offers a range of modern condo style accommodation in Banff, with one or two bedroom condos as well as some jacuzzi suites. Each unit offers a full kitchen including a stove, fridge, microwave, dishwasher, as well as stylish granite countertops.

Also located on Tunnel Mountain, Tunnel Mountain Resort offers cabins, chalets or suites for 2, 4, or 6 people. Their loft chalets, mountain cabins, one bedroom suites and loft suites each offer kitchen amenities which include a stove top, oven, dishwasher, microwave oven, full size refrigerator, toaster, coffee maker, pots, pans and utensils. If you do not require a full kitchen, their executive suite offers just a microwave, mini-fridge and coffee maker.

The Rundle Manor offers basic, affordable accommodations in a central location just one block from the shopping and restaurants of downtown Banff. Their studio, and one and two bedroom apartments each boast a kitchen with a stove, fridge, microwave, pots, pans and utensils.

Banff SnowDays Festival

From January 14 to February 12 2012 Banff SnowDays winter festival will bring a whole host of exciting winter activities and events to the town of Banff and other venues in Banff National Park. Like Jasper in January, a popular annual event in Jasper Alberta, SnowDays is a chance to celebrate everything that is wonderful about winter in the Canadian Rockies. While skiing and snowboarding are already extremely popular activities for winter visitors to Banff, SnowDays introduces some new ways to enjoy and appreciate the winter months, with story telling, outdoor skating, curling, mountain films, wildlife walks, live entertainment and street hockey joining existing events and festivals such as Celebrity Ski and the Ice Magic Festival.

Banff SnowDays Events & Activities

Banff Snow Days kicks off with the Fairmont Banff Springs Celebrity Sports Invitational, otherwise known as Celebrity Ski on Thursday January 12 2012. Taking place until January 15, Celebrity Ski brings together Hollywood stars such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Alec Baldwin at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel with skiing, snowboarding and other fun events at Sunshine Village in aid of the Waterkeeper Alliance.
The same weekend, the Mountain Adventure Festival will take place on January 14 and 15 with ice climbing in downtown Banff, outdoor skating, snow carving, and mountain adventure stories.
January 20-22 sees the first weekend of the Ice Magic Festival in Lake Louise where masterpieces will be carved from huge blocks of ice, while on Jan 21 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel there’s a chance to join a free guided hike with Parks Canada to learn how to identify wildlife tracks. Kids will love meeting sled dogs on the evening of Jan 21, and on Sunday January 22 the famous Lake Louise to Banff Loppet cross country ski race will take place.
On the evening of Friday January 27 the hilarious Cardboard Sled Derby takes place at Mount Norquay and on Janury 28 and 29 the second weekend of the Ice Magic Festival takes place with an emphasis on family fun for the Little Chippers. Also on Jan 28 is a talk about bear safety courtesy of Parks Canada, and that night you’ll have the opportunity to join the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada for an evening of star gazing.
Saturday February 4 sees the Dave Irwin Dash for Cash at Sunshine Village, free snowshoeing lessons at the Fairmont Banff Springs golf course, and fireside stories about Norman Sanson at the Banff Park Museum. On Sunday February 5 visit the Mary Schaffer Story Tent to hear historical stories about early explorations in Banff National Park.
For something completely different, on the final weekend of Banff SnowDays, why not go and see the Victorian Soldier Drumming and Firing Demonstration on the evening of Friday February 10. One of the highlights of Banff Snow Days 2012 has to be the street ball hockey tournament taking place on Banff Avenue throughout the day on February 11 and 12, and for a historical perspective on Canada’s national game there’s also the opportunity to see a Victorian Hockey Demonstration on Feb 11 at the Banff Community High School Outdoor Rink.

The above SnowDays activities are just a small selection of what’s on offer throughout this exciting winter festival, and you will find a full schedule of events by visiting www.banfflakelouise.com.

Find a Banff Hotel

In general, Banff hotels do not offer special packages or deals specifically for SnowDays, however if you need accommodations during this winter festival you can simply click here and enter your dates to see rates and availability for a selection of hotels in Banff.