A doorman wearing a cowboy hat and an easy smile opened the car door and we wandered through to check in at The Westin Calgary. It felt a little like pulling into a good friend’s home. Having fallen in love with other Westin Hotels around the world we were instantly at ease. We knew that our expectations for a wellness weekend in downtown Calgary would be met by their trademark fusion of wellbeing and luxury and that’s just what The Westin Calgary delivered.
Warm and modern, The Westin Calgary is a luxury retreat in the heart of the city. Image © The Westin Calgary
Stay
Contents
We stayed in a super spacious and very plush Executive Junior Suite. Located on the corner of the building, our picture window ran the length of the living area leading onto a large balcony. Both showed off the impressive Calgary city views. After an early start and our drive in from the mountains, we couldn’t resist retreating to our suite for the night, taking advantage of the amenities and ample space it offered. A night in, meant combining some of my favourite Westin features; healthy and delicious options on the in-room dining menu, the large bathroom with robes and White Tea bath products (the signature scent we recognised upon stepping into the hotel foyer), and of course the Westin Heavenly king bed.
Our Executive Junior Suite was the perfect space for us to relax for a weekend or wellbeing at The Westin Calgary. Image © Skye Gilkeson
Instantly at home at The Westin Calgary thanks to room service and a Heavenly Bed. Image © Skye Gilkeson
Nourish
Essence
Breakfast was served in the warm and cosy restaurant, Essence. The buffet covered all culinary bases from the indulgent dishes the likes of french toast, pancakes and fresh baked goods to those tailored to health conscious guest like fresh fruit, steamed vegetables, lean cuts of meat, superfoods and allergy friendly breads and cereals. Needless to say we jumped right in each morning, relishing the generous spread and found it tough to stop at one serving.
Essence at The Westin Calgary has a delicious spread of indulgent and health conscious options for every traveller. Image © Skye Gilkeson
The Keg Steakhouse and Bar
The early evening chill and many great reviews made The Keg Steakhouse and Bar an easy choice for our Saturday night date destination. The Keg Steakhouse and Bar is located just footsteps from the hotel lobby. Dark wood, cosy leather booths, a fireplace and soft golden lighting created the perfect setting for a romantic meal. We ordered from the mouthwatering steak menu that featured the best Alberta cuts. The seafood was also too good to pass up. We shared the scallops, lobster tail and prawns. Vegetable side dishes and a delicious bottle of red and we’d put together the ideal comfort meal. Needless to say, we were very full but very satisfied afterwards. The quality of the food and the service were impressive and I would recommend you add the restaurant to your foodie hit list even if you aren’t staying in house.
Move
It was the gym or stretchy pants for us after all of the amazing local food we had been feasting on during our stay. The Westin makes it difficult to find excuses not to train with their Gear Lending Program, and varied fitness programs. The Fitness Studio is located on the 20th floor or the new the hotel’s newly refurbished business tower. The studio is split into cardio on one side of the floor and a weights studio on the other, set either side of the large indoor heated pool. The entire floor is enveloped in glass so you can take in the views over the city to the mountains beyond while you are working up a sweat or recovering with laps in the pool.
For those missing their home town CrossFit box, CrossFit Ramsay offers classes for guests three days a week for about $20 per class. The Run Westin program is also offered at this hotel. The 5 kilometre loop is a great way to see the city, meet other guests and stay in shape during your visit.
The Westin Fitness Studio takes in city views from the 20th floor. Image © The Westin Calgary
Welcoming heated pool on the 20th floor at The Westin Calgary. Image © The Westin Calgary
Explore
Arriving fresh from the mountains to downtown Calgary offered a complete contrast when it came to our surrounds. Located in the heart of Calgary, The Westin is just a five minute walk to Eau Claire Market and the gorgeous Prince’s Island Park. It’s a great area to train in or simply to take a cafe crawl along the water.
There are also a number of local tourist close to the hotel such as Fort Calgary and the Calgary Tower. We had to go to Winsport and get our adrenalin pumping on the Luge which is suitable for adults and kids and so much fun for both. Make sure you buy tickets and book if you want to try other activities on site like the Bobsleigh as it gets booked up.
You’ll find a range of designer stores at The Core Shopping Mall, a stroll from The Westin. We jumped in the car and caught a movie at Chinook Centre and we even shopped up a storm at CrossIron Mills on the way to the airport (you’ll need to buy an extra bag. Trust me).
Tourism Calgary has great guides and deals on attractions and The Westin also offers different packages depending your interests are for your stay in the city.
Getting there
The Westin Calgary is located in downtown Calgary just 20 minutes drive from the airport. If you have a car, there is the option of either self-parking (accessed from 3rd Avenue) or valet service. A taxi from the airport costs about C$30-40 each way.
The beautiful Prince’s Island Park is just a five minute stroll from The Westin Calgary. Image © Skye Gilkeson
The Westin Calgary
320 4th Avenue SW, Calgary, AB, T2P 2S6, Canada
+ 1 (403) 266-1611
The Fit Traveller was a guest of The Westin Calgary for this stay. As always, the opinions and words are authentically our own.
Skye is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Fit Traveller.
She is a journalist, writer, photographer, intrepid traveller and a former personal trainer with a passion for helping others reach optimal health.
As a TV journalist and producer, Skye has worked for household names such as 60 Minutes, Sunrise, TODAY and Nine News. She has also written for Women’s Health, Fodor’s Travel and Yahoo7 Travel, among many others.
Equally comfortable in a 5-star resort or hiking a far-off mountain, Skye loves the unexpected and enriching life experiences that each trip brings and can often be found in a backstreet chatting to locals with her camera in hand.
Skye is based in Sydney, working to master the balance between motherhood and her appetite for adventure.
Read more about Skye’s story here.