Fairmont Palliser

We had and amazing stay.

Older property but was nice

Max welcomed us at the valet and was amazing. Our host who checked us into our room was warm and helpful. Hawthorn served us a delicious meal with great service and the music was really good as well.

Pretty hotel in the heart of town. Rooms were spacious and the staff very friendly. One block away from Stephen St which is a must in the area. Great street with live entertainment, retail booths and several outdoor restaurants. Definitely check it out!

Great all around

There were no bellmen available to take our bags up the 20 steps to the entrance. The cabin on my cruise was bigger than this room. There was a man’s jacket hanging in the closet at check-in. The lobby and lobby bar were extremely nosy as everything echoes. Food selection at the bar was very limited. We hung a Do Not Disturb sign on the door yet housekeeping still banged on the door asking if we wanted service. There was loud power washing going on outside our window at 10:40 pm! I had called and texted several times asking to connect the one night with the Rocky Mountaineer so I didn’t have to change rooms. We confirmed at the front desk we didn’t want to move rooms unless they had a bigger one available yet our room keys were still deactivated after the first day. They apologized for all the issues and sent chocolates, wine and a food credit, but it didn’t make up for the lousy room. I would not stay here for free.

We only stayed for one night, and it was OK, but some things could be improved. We had two rooms, one booked under my account, and one under my wife's. We're both Diamond members in the ALL program, so we stay at a fair number of Fairmont properties, but this was our first visit to the Palliser. We booked one Gold Junior Suite and one regular room with 2 Queen Beds. The hotel common areas are grand and beautiful, like most of the old Canadian Pacific Railway hotels. The Gold Lounge was nicely appointed. The guest rooms really need a renovation. The bathroom was a poor use of space, with a small vanity, yet there was lots of empty space next to it, that a designer should easily be able to take advantage of. The furniture and finishes could use a refresh. One reason I booked one Gold and one non-Gold room, was so I could compare them, and see if one is finished nicer than the other, but both could use a redo. Service in the Gold Lounge was awkward. Staff pulled my wife aside, asking about our second room, clearly noticing we had more guests in the lounge than could be accommodated in our Gold Junior Suite. However, since the non-Gold room is for an ALL Diamond member, lounge access is included no matter what. It took a while for the lounge staff member to realize this, and eventually everything was good, but there was no apology offered for the uncomfortable interaction. This could have been handled better. We had an issue after check-out, with some incorrect minibar charges applied to our room the following day. After emailing the hotel that we did not use the minibar, they did reverse the charge and credit some ALL points as an apology. I was happy with the resolution, but still, they really should reach out to a guest to discuss before just charging them for something after-the-fact. The bell staff were very helpful with luggage and at arranging airport taxis. They were friendly and efficient. If I have a need to stay in downtown Calgary again, I would certainly consider the Palliser again, but there is some work to do. If you're a regular Fairmont guest, and are expecting it to be on par with the Royal York, the Queen Elizabeth, Chateau Frontenac, Banff Springs or Chateau Lake Louise, you will be disappointed. But, it's still a decent hotel worth considering.

The Palliser staff are fantastic. We stayed on the Gold Floor and everyone went out of their way to make my son feel special on his 13th birthday-- they even gave him ice cream! The beds are comfortable, the pool is very pretty and the food in the restaurant was fantastic. We had an issue with air conditioning not working hotel-wide during our stay but luckily the temperature dropped at night and we could open our windows. That is not the Gold Floor staff's issue but they were very kind to all of us who were uncomfortably hot.

Beautiful and the staff are ready to help

It is the place you never get regret