Couples Massage in Beautiful Banff

View of Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada

Overview

Spa: Fairmont Spa at Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

Location: 405 Spray Avenue Banff, Alberta, Canada, T1L 1J4

Visit: April 2025

Recommend: Any Massage treatment

A few days in the Canadian Rockies presents many options for enjoying the scenery and experiencing services at a spa. When considering where to schedule a massage, I chose the spa at the Fairmont Banff Springs because it offers access to a natural mineral pool. Fairmont Banff Springs is in Banff National Park, part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks UNESCO World Heritage Site, which has provided access to hot springs for soaking in natural mineral water. A description of the facility, the session and tips to consider when choosing to visit the spa follows.

Facility and Session

Fairmont Spa covers 40,000-square-feet. It offers three waterfall plunge pools, an indoor mineral pool and an outdoor, heated pool with a view of the majestic Sulphur Mountain.

Waterfall plunge pools border the walls; photo from Fairmont website.

I chose the “Side-by-Side Massage” to get my partner a treatment too. We arrived about an hour before our session to check out the different pools and saunas. Unfortunately, I didn’t note the specificity used in identifying the sauna and whirlpool as being gender specific. Unlike the Serenity Spa in Portugal, the whirlpool and saunas are placed between the women’s locker room and entrance to the plunge pools. For men, a similar setup keeps men separate from women when it comes to whirlpools and dry saunas. The genders may unite in the pools or in the large lounge filled with overstuffed chairs, several seating areas and food stations offering a variety of refreshments.

Indoor pool at the Fairmont Spa copied from their website.

We did experience the numerous waterfall plunge pools and the mineral pool together. We also stepped outside into the almost freezing temperatures to soak in the outdoor pool and witness the few signs of early Spring dotting the spectacular scenery. The clear blue, cloudless sky gave the sun plenty of room to heat up the air.

We eventually returned to our separate lounges to meet our therapists. They reunited us in a very large treatment room which had two massage tables and a tray of scents. One of the therapists introduced us to the different scent-infused oils and let each of us select one for the session. We chose different scents then received our Swedish massages.

As with any spa, the therapist is key in receiving a therapeutic massage. Compared to the 700 hours required in the State of Maryland, a Registered Massage Therapist in Alberta, Canada completes 200% more hours of training. I gave my therapist my hip flexor as one point of concern and the therapist did all the things I would have done. After the session, the therapist checked in to make sure my expectations had been met. It was a really effective and relaxing session for me.

Afterwards, we were guided back to our respective lounges to change.

Women’s Locker Room and Lounge

The women’s locker room is spacious. A few other women had entered the facility after my session (initially, I was the only person in the locker room and women’s lounge). The locker room has a selection of body washes, lotions and scents to use. They keep a stock of towels and feature a row of showers. The lockers are keyless and large.

Co-Ed Lounge

When we arrived at 8:30 AM, the fireplace room seemed huge. When we returned after our session, it felt much smaller as other people sat talking in groups and claimed the various seating areas. We found a small table near a side window and tried a few freshly baked goods with tea. The buzz of conversations and the small groups around the food stations reminded me of why the reception room at fibre has space for only one client at time. At fibre, you can relax without your thoughts or quiet-time being interrupted.

TIPS FOR a VISIT TO the spa at Fairmont Banff Springs

If you happen to be in Banff, I hope you make time for a spa treatment at the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel. The views from the numerous indoor pools or the outdoor pool inspire a sense of awe.

Photo of Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, image copied from their website.

1. Fairmont Banff Springs hotel is a huge complex. It has about 850 guest rooms. Arrive early if you’re not a guest to have time to find the spa entrance - it’s quite a distance from the main lobby - and to enjoy the various plunge pools, hot tubs and saunas before your session.

2. Fairmont Spa provided a comfy robe and slippers for wearing when in the pool and spa areas. They offer swimsuits for purchase at the reception desk; please make sure you bring one from home.

3. Before scheduling at Banff Springs, you might consider comparing Banff to the expansive spa featuring a “thermal bathing experience” being constructed at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. It’s about a 45 minute drive from Banff and scheduled to open in Fall 2025. It will offer views of the impressive emerald lake and the Victoria Glacier. Both hotels are huge complexes with amazing views.

RESULTS: INFORMING SERVICES AT FIBRE

• The space at fibre:  A Homespun Spa will always be a smaller scale when compared to 40,000 sq. ft facility. We don’t have any plans to expand the facilities to include a pool or sauna. However, you can sit in the reception room after your session and catch a glimpse of the seasonal changes in the Northwest Branch while enjoying a snack.

• The Fairmont states: “With humility and deep respect, we acknowledge that we live and work within the present-day territories of Treaty 6, 7 and 8, as well as the Métis Homeland. The lands and waters of Banff National Park have been used for millennia by Indigenous Peoples for sustenance, ceremony, trade and travel. We thank them for their continued stewardship and for sharing this land.” I wanted to acknowledge the Indigenous People who lived in Montgomery County, Maryland and found no specific tribe for Silver Spring. The State of Maryland notes “a great diversity of people living in the area… named Maryland. Most of the land was claimed by Algonquin tribes, although both Iroquois and Sioux maintained a presence.”

• The wide selection of freshly pressed juices and baked goods would be hard to replicate at fibre because fewer people visit fibre. We are considering adding fresh fruit to augment the current assortment of packaged snacks.

  
  Note: With plans to enjoy the pools, I left my cell phone/camera in the locker room. I’ve added images from their website; they accurately reflect the pools. The personal images show the interior space of the spa including the women’s locker room.

  Please use the code BANFF for 10% off any regular priced service at fibre: A Homespun Spa. Code expires 31 August 2025.

Heated outdoor pool at Fairmont Spa; image from their website.