Accor‘s Fairmont brand is not only expanding around the globe, its existing hotels are enjoying a significant upgrade, with 20% of the portfolio in a transformation programme.
Leading the way in the comprehensive refurbishment programme were upgrades recently completed, in Alberta and Hawaii. The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge is now fully refreshed, following a multi-phase repositioning of a property that first opened in 1915. Its early days were as a series of luxury tents – the “glamping” of more than a century ago – established by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway on the shores of Lac Beauvert. The finishing touch was the relaunch in June 2026 of the hotels’s upgraded main lodge.
A Strong Base in Canada
And Canada continues to be one key country where the brand is focused on growth, having a major presence. In Vancouver alone, the brand has three hotels, with an upgrade under way at the Fairmont Waterfront to the north. The 489 room property is undergoing a rolling refit, staying open while works continue. A carefully planned programme will operate in stages, through to completion in 2029. At the city’s Fairmont Pacific Rim, works are nearing completion on an upgraded wellness offering, including a Himalayan salt sauna, and couples lounge.
At Fairmont Chateau Laurier in Ottawa, guest room and bathroom upgrades are under way, with a lobby reinvigoration planned for completion by the year end. In the ski resort of Mont Tremblant, north of Montreal, the destination’s Fairmont hotel is completing a comprehensive makeover, which will include the creation of a presidential suite. The upgrade matches a broader expansion of the resort’s appeal, with investments in the mountain’s ski facilities.
Towards the east of Canada, in the country’s French speaking region, another landmark property will receive a refresh. Fairmont Le Château Frontenac is one of the famed railroad hotels, and planned renovations will add 34 more Gold guest rooms, with a complete renovation of all other rooms that will be completed in 2028.
Expansion is also on the cards, with Fairmont Calgary Stampede Park in the planning stage. A 225 room luxury hotel will be part of a broader new development in Canada’s famous oil city, opening in 2031.
A Major Makeover in Geneva
In Europe, a more fundamental restructuring of the Fairmont Grand Hotel Geneva has necessitated its full closure. Externally, the facade is receiving a makeover that will include more outside guest spaces for enjoying great views across Lake Geneva. Internally, more than 400 rooms are being given a makeover. If you are a traveller who loves a luxury hotel stay, stand by for the hotel’s reopening sometime in 2027.
Another European landmark in the brand portfolio is the Savoy hotel in London. Further upgrades at the historic property are under way, honouring the property’s Art Deco style, and following on from room refurbishments completed in 2025.
