The Fairmont Palliser Calgary first opened in 1914. It was originally built by the Royal Canadian Pacific Railroad as a transit stop for passengers heading up to Banff in the mountains. The hotel sits on 9th Avenue in the centre of downtown Calgary. Right next to it is the Calgary Observation Tower. Calgary itself is an odd place, in that it is noticeably quiet, not to say deserted, during day. However, that may also be because I’m visiting during the Christmas and New Year break, and/or that the temperatures outside don’t really encourage you to want to spend any length of time outdoors.

The public area and reception on the ground floor are very grand, and hark back to the early 1900s when the hotel was opened. They’ve done a great job at maintaining the hotel but without ruining its old world grandeur. The lobby is still decked out in Christmas decorations, which fit nicely into the space, with its high ceiling and the grand staircase off to one side.

Fairmont Gold

I’m staying in a suite that is part of the Fairmont Gold brand, which is a kind of hotel within the hotel. It has its own reception and a spacious lounge up on the top floor of the hotel, which is referred to as the penthouse. When I arrive at the hotel, a receptionist at ground level attends to me straight away and asks me to head straight up to the twelfth floor to Fairmont Gold reception. Up in the penthouse they’re already expecting me. The lady at the front desk informs me that I’ve been upgraded to a larger suite. She briefs me about the hotel’s services, and then I head to my suite on the seventh floor.

The lounge in the penthouse is nice. The decor is perhaps a bit old fashioned, but other than that, it’s a comfortable space. My only grippe is that the air condition is kept at rather a low temperature.

The Fairmont Gold Suite

The door to the suite opens into a small foyer with a credenza up against the wall on the left. Straight ahead is the closet. The living room opens up to the right, off the foyer.

The most noticeable feature of the room is the nicely decorated and illuminated Christmas tree sitting in the corner of the room by one of the windows overlooking 9th Avenue. I don’t think I’ve ever had a hotel room with its own Christmas tree before!

The room has a large dining table on one side, with four wide armchairs.

There’s also a two seater sofa that its easily large enough for three persons to sit comfortably, and an armchair with a footrest between the sofa and the Christmas tree.

And, of course, there’s also a small desk sitting by the other window of the living room, that overlooks 9th Avenue.

Inside the credenza in the living room are a Nespresso machine and a kettle. Tea, coffee and cream are replenished daily. The soft drinks in the minibar are complimentary.

The bedroom leads off from the living room. It has a large King bed with a thick mattress. In contrast to my bed at the Sofitel St. James in London, this bed is nice and firm and very comfortable. The bedroom has another window overlooking 9th Avenue.

The Fairmont Gold rooms have a nightly turn down service.

The bathroom is spacious, but slighly old fashioned. There is no walk in shower, just a bath tub with an old school curtain. It’s retro in a nice way. The toiletries are by Le Labo, the same brand that they also use at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth II in Montreal.

For a welcome gift, there is a small platter with grapes, crackers and a selection of cheese from Alberta and two small pralines. There are also two cards – one is from the hotel’s management, whereas the other is from the Fairmont Gold Penthouse team.

For Fairmont Gold guests, breakfast is served in the penthouse lounge up on the twelfth floor. They have a nice buffet up here with a good selection of hot and cold dishes.

The Staff

All the staff I encounter at the Palliser are great. Their interaction is efficient, but always friendly and very polite. It’s also sweet to watch them making the effort to interact with the little ones of the guests with family.

Conclusion

The Fairmont Palliser in Calgary is a very nice hotel. It’s obviously well managed and the staff are excellent. I don’t think you get this level of customer orientation in many places in Europe anymore. The suite and its decor are a bit of a mixed bag. The size of the room is certainly great. I spend several days in Calgary, so it’s nice to be able to come back to what feels more like an apartment than a hotel room after a long day of exploring. The lounge on the top floor is also a nice place to sit and work. However, the decor is now a bit old fashioned. I don’t think it’s dated as such. It’s just that many of the big corporate hotel chains in North America have a rather conservative design which you may like, or you may not.