By Ed Boitano, “Life After 50” Travel Editor

A hotel is like a person – both are ever evolving dynamic entities with a history of experiences that are uniquely their own. Like a person, some properties age gracefully, while others have facelifts in an attempt to adapt to the styles of the day. Returning to a favorite hotel can be akin to visiting an old friend. As we age, so too does the hotel – and it shows us how we too have changed throughout the years.

THE FAIRMONT BANFF SPRINGS

THE SCENE

Modeled after a Scottish baronial castle, the opulent Fairmont Banff Springs is like its own bustling village, hidden in the spectacular Canadian Rocky Mountains. An adult Disneyland comes to mind with its army of impeccably uniformed staff, mammoth ballrooms, elegant restaurants, stately lounges, designer shops and European-style spa.

BACKSTORY

“If we can’t export the scenery, we will import the tourists,” was the self-fulfilling prophesy of William Van Horne, general manager of the Canadian Pacific Railway, who recognized the tourist potential of the hot springs near the railway station at Banff, Alberta. His vision was to design a luxury hotel amidst the stunning mountain scenery of the Canadian Rockies – and the only way to get there in 1886 would be via a railway.

THE LOOK

Van Horne commissioned Bruce Price of New York to draw up plans for a hotel to be built above the confluence of the Bow and the Spray Rivers overlooking the Bow Valley. They looked to European castles and manor houses for their inspiration. The hotel officially opened on June 1, 1888, and was declared a historical site by the Sites and Monuments Board of Canada in 1992.

MOST UNIQUE AMENITY

Perhaps the only dilemma while staying at the Banff Springs is what to do next. A case can be made for enjoying the property’s endless amenities or for exploring the majesty of the Canadian Rockies. How about a hybrid - the “Cruising the Canadian Rockies” package includes accommodations, rental car and a pack containing road trip with a CD that offers a descriptive narrative of the journey.

IF WALLS COULD TALK

In 1956, Marilyn Monroe was staying at the hotel while filming “River of No Return,” directed by Otto Preminger. During the filming, she sprained her ankle and was on doctor's orders to be transported in a wheelchair. Fierce arguments broke out among the bellmen as to who would get to push Ms. Monroe around the hotel. The dilemma was handled in the only civilized way – each morning the young men drew straws.

For more information click on www.fairmont.com/banffsprings

THE MISSION INN

THE SCENE

The Mission Inn occupies an entire city block in downtown Riverside, California and is a national historic and architectural landmark. The inn offers 239 guest room and suites, many with features such as domed ceilings, wrought iron balconies, stained glass windows and carved pillars. The inn has been a getaway for personalities as diverse as Albert Einstein, Theodore Roosevelt and Charles Chaplin.

BACKSTORY

The Inn began as a 12-room adobe boarding house, built in 1876 by Christopher Columbus Miller. By the turn of the century, Riverside was already a major tourist attraction for wealthy easterners, escaping to warm winter climates and seeking investment opportunities in the new citrus industry. What the city lacked, though, was a major tourist hotel.

THE LOOK

Frank Augustus Miller purchased the property from his father, improved and enlarged it, and by 1903 opened the first wing of the current Mission Inn building. Over the next thirty years Miller added additional wings that included the Music Room, St. Cecilia Chapel, the Catacombs and the Spanish Patio. More than anything, the Mission Inn is an artful and architectural tribute to the vision of Frank Miller.

MOST UNIQUE AMENITY

In 1909, President Howard Taft made plans to visit the hotel. Miller was worried that his chairs would not accommodate Taft's weight, reported at 350 lbs, so he constructed an enormous oak chair, with the overall width of 48 and1/2 inches. Upon seeing the creation, the vain Taft replied, “Did you have to make the chair so large?” The Taft chair is the most famous of the nearly 400 chairs in the Mission Inn collections, and rests in the lobby.

IF WALLS COULD TALK

Paul Newman was a frequent guest at the inn. His room of choice was the Bridal Suite, a large round room with a domed ceiling. Once, upon arrival, he was informed that the room’s plumbing was out. Newman still wanted to stay in the room and agreed to use another bathroom, which would require going outside to reach the other room. Word spread quickly, and a mob of the hotel’s female staff assembled in the courtyard below, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Hollywood heartthrob in his bathrobe.

For further information, click on www.missioninn.com