Rooftop Nordic Spa Planned for Downtown Banff

A Nordic spa and hotel development is planned for downtown Banff, as Basecamp Resorts moves ahead with an expansion of its Everwild brand.

The project would see the redevelopment of Basecamp Suites Banff at 316 Marten St. into a 34,000-square-foot Nordic spa and hotel centred around a rooftop thermal circuit. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2026, with an opening targeted for fall 2027.

Plans include saunas, steam rooms, a thermal shower circuit and relaxation areas, along with 21 updated hotel rooms. The interior spa would span approximately 18,000 square feet, with a 16,000-square-foot rooftop thermal pool circuit.

“The project builds on an existing…downtown Banff hotel asset…operating within Banff’s established tourism and accommodation area,” the Everwild team said.

The rooftop component would include hot and cold pools, fire features, lounge areas and an event sauna intended for guided rituals and wellness sessions.

The project is expected to employ about 70 people and attract roughly 100,000 visitors annually, adding to a region that already sees millions of visitors each year and faces ongoing constraints related to space, infrastructure and housing.

While the company says the development is not intended to increase overall visitation, the projected scale of the facility raises questions about how additional demand will be accommodated within Banff’s limited footprint.

“Everwild Banff isn’t designed to bring new volumes of visitors to Banff, it’s designed to change how people spend their time once they’re here,” the company said.

Banff is already home to roughly a dozen spa and wellness operations, most of which are smaller, treatment-focused facilities rather than large destination-style developments.

Questions remain about how the project will integrate into the local community, including whether the facility will be accessible to residents or primarily serve visitors. Similar spa developments in the Bow Valley are often priced at a level that can limit access for local residents, with some facilities prioritizing hotel guests or offering limited availability to non-guests.

In response, the company said it plans to offer preferred pricing and programming for local residents, while continuing to prioritize access for hotel guests.

“Everwild is designed as a place-based experience, so while tourism is a meaningful driver of demand, it is not intended to operate as something separate from the local community,” the company said.

The Everwild team added that the spa will include seasonal programming and community-focused events, though it is not currently pursuing a membership model due to the need to maintain availability for hotel guests.

The expansion follows the November 2025 launch of Everwild Canmore, which the company says has exceeded expectations, with higher-than-anticipated visitor numbers, increased profitability, and stronger hotel rates.

The Banff project differs from the Canmore location, which is spread across a larger, outdoor-oriented site with multiple pools and a 99-room hotel, and is expected to welcome between 70,000 and 78,000 visitors annually.

At the Canmore location, Everwild offers a 25% weekday discount for local residents, with access available without requiring a hotel stay.

By comparison, the Banff development is more compact and vertically designed, centred around a rooftop experience within an existing downtown footprint, but is projected to attract a higher volume of visitors.

The company said each location is expected to contribute to the local economy through employment and visitor spending, with guests typically extending their stays and supporting other businesses in the Bow Valley.

The development is part of a broader expansion backed by the Wildwood Investment Fund, which has grown from $20 million to $50 million to support projects in Banff, Fernie, B.C., and Harmony (near Calgary).

Everwild said it is currently working through the planning and permitting process with the Town of Banff, but did not provide further details on approvals beyond the anticipated construction timeline.