History
The original building was shaped as an H and included an octagonal centre hall, with an additional wing extending from its towards the Bow River. The building was clad in shingles with stone accents.[6] Tiered verandahs were situated at the end each wing. The 1888 structure cost $250,000 and a mistake made by the builder changed the intended orientation of the building, turning its back on the mountain vista. This building included more than 100 bedrooms, centered on a five-story, octagonal rotunda. The hotel was named for the natural hot springs emanating from various places on Sulphur Mountain which was also piped into the hotel. An addition in 1902 expanded and renovated the building, adding more than 200 rooms.[6] By 1906, plans were advanced for a complete overhaul of the Banff Springs Hotel building, proposing a replacement of much of the original structure. Walter Painter, chief architect for Canadian Pacific Railway, designed an eleven-story central tower in concrete and stone, flanked by two wings. This time correctly oriented to the dramatic view, the so-called "Painter Tower" was completed in 1914 at the cost of $2 million with 300 guest arooms and, for some time, became the tallest building in Canada. Construction of new wings was delayed by World War I, and the surviving Price wings continued in service.
Further renovations designed by architect, J. W. Orrock, who continued in style originated by Painter, significantly expanding the Painter Tower, altering its roofline, and adding two substantial wings following a fire in 1926 which destroyed the original building designed by Price.[6] The two new wings completed and opened in 1928.
The Monarch of Canada, King George VI, and Queen Elizabeth visited the hotel during their 1939 royal tour of Canada.[5] From 1942 to 1945, the hotel was shut down in an effort to free up labour for the war effort.[5]
In 1968, the building underwent a process of winterization, allowing for the hotel to operate year-round.[7] The hotel went through several renovations during the latter half of the 20th century, including one in 1971, and another in preparation for the 1988 Winter Olympics.[5]
In 2001, Canadian Pacific Hotels, the hotel division of Canadian Pacific Railway, was reorganized as Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, adopting the name from an American company it had purchased in 1999. The hotel's name was changed to the Fairmont Banff Springs as a part of this re-branding effort.[8] In 2006, seven Fairmont hotels, including Banff Springs, sold to Oxford Properties, a company owned by the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System.[9] Fairmont Hotels and Resorts continues to manage the resort following the sale of the hotel property.
