Kananaskis Village Hotel & Nordic Spa

Tuesday, July 7, 2026

From the Takakkaw Falls, it took us about two hours to reach the Kananaskis Mountain Lodge, where we had planned to stay one night. Inna had found an amazing Nordic Spa, and she wanted everyone to rest after so many days of hiking.

We reached the Kananaskis Mountain Lodge at around 16:30, and it took some time to check into room #2013, make a reservation for the Nordic Spa (for a one-time entry between 17:00 and 21:00), and unload and park the car in the hotel's underground garage.

Note that as we approached Kananaskis Village, we ran into a herd of bighorn sheep and mountain goats. One needs to be extra careful when driving, as these animals can cross the road at any time.

At around 17:30, we decided to eat before going to the Nordic Spa (since we could not return after dinner). We had a pre-existing dinner reservation at the Cedar Room for 19:00, but that time no longer works for us. Consequently, we ended up canceling our dinner reservation at the Cedar Room)

We explored the hotel's restaurants and decided to dine at Forte's buffet, as it was reasonably priced (Canadian $ 57 per person) and offered the quickest way to finish dinner.

Luckily, the restaurant was mostly empty, and the buffet was unusually excellent. We did not expect such high-quality salads and entrees, including steak, fried chicken, and fish. The cost was not unreasonable—57 Canadian dollars per person (much cheaper than any restaurant in Banff or Lake Louise).

After dinner, we rushed back to our room #2013 to change into swimwear and headed to the Nordic Spa. The spa had a special twilight session from 17:00 to 21:00, with one entry allowed (If you exit, you cannot return).

We enjoyed all the saunas, thermal pools, and cold plunges in the spa and stayed until the 21:00 closing time.

The Kananaskis Nordic Spa a 50,000-square-foot outdoor wellness sanctuary located adjacent to the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge in Kananaskis Village, Alberta. Surrounded by alpine forest and rugged peaks, it combines Scandinavian wellness practices with a distinctly Canadian mountain setting. 

The Hydrotherapy Circuit

The core experience centers around a multi-step hydrotherapy cycle designed to stimulate the circulatory system and promote deep relaxation:

• Hot Phase: Features large warm and hot outdoor pools (including the large Gathering Pool and the quiet Reflections Pool), alongside multiple distinct steam and sauna facilities. These include a traditional Finnish sauna, a Russian-style Banya sauna, a Forest View sauna, and an essential oil-infused steam cabin.

• Cold Phase: Features a dedicated cold plunge pool and bracing cold cascades designed to shock the system, reduce inflammation, and stimulate endorphins.

• Rest Phase: Includes indoor relaxation lodges, an outdoor "Calm Cabin" built for silent reflection, heavy cauldron fire pits, hammock areas, and comfortable Adirondack chairs.

• Exfoliation Cabin: A unique facility dedicated entirely to self-guided body scrubs and skin rejuvenation.

The Nordic Spa was amazing, and we could have easily spent a few more hours there. It was too bad it closed at 21:00 (there was still plenty of daylight). 

Wednesday, July 8, 2026

Our last day in Canada! We were so sad to leave (and wanted to stay longer)

After waking up at 07:00, we dressed and headed downstairs for breakfast at Forte. We initially considered just getting coffee and pastries at a small coffee shop, but the breakfast at Forte seemed like a better value.

I picked the following items from the buffet:

• plain Greek yogurt with nuts, shredded coconut, and raspberry jam
• scrambled eggs with fried tomatoes
• small pastries
• small cheeses
• coffee

It was an excellent breakfast, and I enjoyed it a lot. It was not a bad value for 31 Canadian dollars.

Our original plans called for driving to Canmore (about 45 minutes away), but Alex and Inna were more enthusiastic about returning to the Nordic Spa for additional relaxation.

After breakfast (and before heading back to the Nordic Spa), we decided to walk around the village to burn off some calories and explore the surroundings.

Initially, we followed the standard Kananskis Village Rim trail, stopping at designated lookouts to take photos of the surrounding mountains (which looked amazing). At some point, Inna and Alex wanted to explore other trails, and we diverged slightly from the normal, circular path around the village.

After we finished the short rim trail hike, we headed back to our room to pack and check out. We loaded all of our suitcases into the Hyundai Kona (parked in the underground garage) and then walked to the Nordic Spa.

At first, we were worried we might not be allowed into the spa, since we hadn't made any additional reservations the day before. Luckily, we were allowed entry and were quickly relaxing in the saunas and thermal pools.

At around 13:00, we decided to grab lunch at the Spa's Two Tree Bistro, where we ordered the following:

• Appetizer: Chickpea Hummus & Naan
• Boris: Two Trees Chicken Club (on pretzel bread) with Cajun chips
• Inna: Poke with Tuna
• Alex: Coconut Curry Bowl

The Chickpea Hummus & Naan appetizer was delicious (and a generous portion). The Chicken Club was also delicious, and Inna liked her tuna poke too. 

After lunch, we spent a few more hours relaxing in the saunas and pools. My favorite sauna so far is the Finnish sauna, as it's the hottest of all the saunas there.

When it was time to leave (around 15:30), we returned to the lockers and changed back into our traveling clothes. We returned to the Hyundai Kona parked in the underground garage and set out on the 90-minute drive back to Calgary. There was a thunderstorm warning, but we didn't see any rain or hear any thunder.

I had to stop by to refuel the Hyundai Kona before dropping it off at Alamo Car Rental. Gasoline was 1.69 Canadian dollars per liter, which translated to U.S. $4.51 / gallon (about $1 USD cheaper than gasoline in California).

Dropping off the Hyundai Kona at the Calgary Airport's Alamo Car Rental was quite easy, and we quickly walked back to the airport, passing through passport control and security. Our WestJet Flight #1504 from Calgary (YYC) to San Francisco (SFO) was scheduled to depart at 19:55. Still, it was delayed by 90 minutes (due to runway construction in San Francisco—apparently only 2 runways were operating, which limited the number of flights).

While waiting for our flight, we decided to dine at The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck. The restaurant had a high 4.0 rating on Google Maps, and our waitress was fast and efficient. However, the following items were all mediocre:

• Appetizer: Mezze with Hummus
• Boris: Salmon with quinoa
• Alex: Salmon with quinoa 
• Inna: Shrimp Kabobs

I didn't really like my Salmon entree, but it was edible. The mezze appetizer was also bland. I don't recommend dining here again.

The Calgary Airport is quite nice inside, but a lot of the restaurants and coffee shops close early.

Our WestJet Flight #1504 took off at 21:30, and we landed in San Francisco at 23:30. We had to wait about 10 minutes on the ground because our gate was occupied by another Delta jet. Once we deplaned, we quickly ordered Lyft.com (UberX was $20 more expensive) and arrived home at 0:30.

We were very tired from the long flight and the drive.

Kananaskis Trip Review

Highlights

• Relaxing at the Kananaskis Nordic Spa
• Walking around the Kananaskis village, surrounded by beautiful mountains
• Eating breakfast and dinner at Forte (usually, buffets are of low quality, but Forte was excellent)
• Lots of paved trails for bicycles; it's a great area for cycling
• Encountering wild sheep and mountain goats on the road to and from Kananaskis
• The Kananaskis Mountain Lodge is a very nice hotel (better than Google ratings indicate)

Lowlights

• Kananaskis Nordic Spa usually requires prior reservations (3 weeks in advance)
• Reservations are mandatory during the busy ski season
• High prices (150 Canadian dollars per person per day) for a one-time entry
• No re-entrance to the spa is allowed
• WestJet airline delays (due to SFO runway repairs)

Links

• Kananaskis Mountain Lodge
• Kananaskis Nordic Spa
• Two Trees Bistro Menu