Although known for cowboy culture, Calgary, Alberta has grown into an urban centre of western Canada. Sitting in the centre of the downtown core, the Fairmont Palliser hotel offers luxury accommodation for both business and leisure trips.
Accommodation in Calgary, Alberta
Location, check. Style, check. Grace, check. Service, check. History, check. The Fairmont Palliser hotel gets high ratings on each.
Located in the heart of downtown Calgary, the hotel stands beside the Calgary Tower and the TELUS Convention Centre, and is across the street from the Glenbow Museum and the Calgary Centre for Performing Arts.
It is also located in a prime viewing spot for the yearly Stampede Parade, during the 10-day Calgary Stampede event.
Style and grace it has. Coming up to the street entrance, the impressive staircase with attentive porters leads to the grand lobby area. Fine furnishings abound, including the striking chandelier found in so many Fairmont properties. Staff greet guests with the utmost welcome and are happy to assist whenever needed.
This building was the original 1914 hotel at the CPR (Canadian Pacific Railway) station. As people rushed to the “wild west,” this station was built to connect farther west to Banff. At a whopping $1.5 million dollars at the time, 18 teams of horses and 500 workers laboured to build the eight floor, 350 room hotel. Expansion added four additional floors in 1929. The “E” shape was designed by E. and W.S. Maxwell to provide all guestrooms with natural light and the straight geometrical lines are similar to the prairie grain elevators found elsewhere in Alberta.
Hotel Rooms
With 405 rooms to choose from, there are options for every taste, budget and size. Rates start at $129 CDN and go up to $449 CDN per night, depending on the suite type. The Fairmont Rooms and Junior Suites offer the most standard accommodations and can be booked with one king size, one queen or two double beds.
The Fairmont Gold rooms are located on the gold floor, a “hotel within a hotel.” A private concierge, lobby area, small boardroom, overnight shoeshine service, complimentary breakfast and hors d’oeuvres, and many other exclusive benefits come with these rooms. It’s also the location of the 800 square foot Royal Suite, where Queen Elizabeth stayed in 1990. Also available are one bedroom and Palliser suites, which have a separate living area, and the Heritage Suites, with kitchen amenities and traditional furnishings.
Dining at the Hotel
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the classic Rimrock restaurant. First-class service, regional cuisine and an elegant setting are the theme here. It also includes a lunch buffet during the week from 11:30am – 1:30pm and the Sunday brunch complete with live piano music from the lobby. A more casual lounge, The Oak Room, is a great place for appies and cocktails.
The Fairmont Palliser Hotel
133 9th Avenue SW
Reservations: 1-866-540-4477
