Accor Hotels arranged a pre-Global Meetings Exchange Familiarisation Trip to their two hotels in the Rockies – Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and Fairmont Banff Springs Hotels. We were privileged to be part of a small group of Hotel Booking Agents participating in this amazing trip. From London Heathrow Airport we travelled to Calgary and then a two hour coach transfer through the most spectacular scenery to Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. What an incredible sight when we arrived to walk out and see not only Lake Louise frozen but ice hockey games being played on it!

When we arrived into our guest rooms we found leisurewear and trainers if we wanted to use the gym or join a yoga class and also a pair of ice skating boots so we could go ice-skating the following day. Dinner began with a selection of fabulous cheese fondues followed by a beautiful dinner and at the end of the evening we had a Birds of Prey display.

The next day our group experienced Show Shoeing around Lake Louise and then a spot of Snow-Tubing at one of North America’s top ski-resorts – Amazing – and I keep saying this…. It was then lunch followed by a sleigh ride to visit an outside venue at the hotel – Dance Barn – and then we were on our coach and on to our next hotel Fairmont Banff Springs.

   Again, on arrival we were ‘wowed’ by this spectacular iconic hotel. The ‘Castle in the Rockies’ as it is known. Dinner was in Banff at Chuck’s Steakhouse where we experienced true Canadian steaks – huge. We then returned to the hotel to play ‘5-Pin Bowling’. The hotel has four lanes of Canadian 5-Pin bowling and as always everyone’s competitive side emerged.. a really fun night.

Our third day was something the whole group was looking forward to – Dog Sledding although the prospect of this at -14 degrees was a little daunting. The sun was shining making the views even more beautiful and did ease the chill a little. The experience of 10km of dog sledding through the most incredible scenery and over a frozen lake was something we’ll never forget.

Lunch followed at the Grizzly Paw Brewing Company – what a great name for a brewery and the beer was very good too. Talking of ‘paws’ Fairmont Hotels have Fairmont Canine Ambassadors with a selection of their hotels having resident Fairmont dogs so that travellers who are missing their canine friends can take the Fairmont resident dogs for walks. Our farewell dinner in the Cascade Conservatory was a credit to the hotel and we had an opportunity to reflect on the amazing Rockies Experience.

This whole two-centre trip would make a truly memorable Incentive/Reward and Recognition Event and would be a definite ‘tick’ of anybody’s bucket list! Also, both hotels have great conference facilities to host large events. For more details on these two iconic Fairmont Hotels please look at our Venue Focus features. A big thank you to our hosts from Accor Hotels and their supporting Sponsors, Cantrav, Travel Alberta and not forgetting the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and Fairmont Banff Springs.