The Moxy Banff: A Midcentury Modern Twist on an Old Banff Classic
Hot pools with mountain views and toe-to-toe sleeping arrangements await visitors in this outdoor paradise.
At the Moxy, Banff’s newest take on the classic mountain lodge, the fifty-shades-of-orange retro lounge welcomes visitors with crackling fires, giant Jenga, and a Volkswagen food truck serving bites to accompany a wide array of cocktails, wine, and local beer on offer at the bar.
It’s a lobby that you will actually want to spend time in. A circular bar/check-in counter cuts the space in half, with one side composed of a cozy lounging area, and the other side containing a reading nook and dining tables overlooking a courtyard where a heated swimming pool steams invitingly in the frigid winter air.
In a guest room, a replica chairlift for lounging hangs alongside a record player and Cat Stevens records. It’s the ideal way to get a groove on in the “groovy” atmosphere that radiates from every inch of the building.
And this $30-million midcentury modern renovation of Banff’s first commercial motor hotel is living up to its promise of shaking up the industry by providing a nontraditional mountain hotel experience aimed at the modern traveller. Moxy Hotels, part of Marriott’s Bonvoy portfolio, has partnered with Canalta Hotels and revamped what was once known as the Voyager Inn, a Banff mainstay since 1964. Now called the Moxy Banff, which opened to the public in the spring of 2024, it provides guests with fun vibes, unconventional room layouts—some have beds where guests sleep toe to toe (so be sure to really like who you bring)—and a bar that opens to a social hub with hot pools and fire pits, all with those coveted mountain views that the area is known for.
The exterior of the hotel, inspired by the original design of the Voyager Inn, is the work of Metafor in Calgary, and the interior, with its 109 guest rooms, was devised by Workship/APD in New York. Ultimately, the charm of this hotel is in the little details: the neon-pink signage, the cheeky note in the shower indicating where the “deep end” is located, and the rotary phones. While the rooms are snug, the decor is warm and homey, with classic plaid wallpaper, retro light fixtures, and black-and-white bathrooms. It embraces the 1970s theme without feeling kitschy or over the top.
Where the hotel disappoints is the meal from the on-site food truck, and the large wood-burning fireplace, the focal point of the outdoor patio, is only lit on weekends, but Moxy is a fun, fresh, and more affordable take on the often tired and overpriced traditional mountain lodges of Banff. The midcentury modern vintage vibes, the mountain views, and the easy access to epic outdoor adventure—all less than a 90-minute drive from Calgary—make the Moxy Banff an ideal place to stay for a getaway in one of Canada’s most beautiful national parks.
