Spooky Legends of the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

Recognized today as one of the more luxurious hotels in the world, the famous Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel has a rather twisted and dark history. Opened originally as the Banff Springs Hotel (the Fairmont name was added in 2000 when it joined the hotel chain) on June 1, 1888, the Canadian hotel got off to a rather odd start when it was discovered one year into the construction that the structure had been inexplicably built backwards from the original plans. Adding to the mystery and quirkiness, a design flaw would result in one room being constructed with a lack of any windows and doors - essentially being walled off and forgotten until years later.

Over its history, the hotel has endured a fire that necessitated a rebuilding, as well as countless ghost tales and legends. Among its reputed otherworldly inhabitants are a bellhop that refused to leave after his death, a ghostly bride that is sometimes seen covered in flames, an ever-helpful unseen bartender, and a missing room rumored to have been the site of a tragic murder and where fingerprints of a young victim are said to be impossible to remove from the room's mirror. While some account these tales to the fanciful imagination (and early marketing ideas) of a former manager, others insist that something strange is afoot in the grand old hotel.

Hear the ghostly tales of the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.

-Casey H.