The original Canadian Rockies accommodations, the Timberline Hotel, was built on this site in 1955. The long, low-rise structure, with its continuous, clean lines and few decorative elements, evoked a visual connection to speed and technology. It was a perfect match for the influx of cars and tourists that began to arrive on the Trans-Canada Highway in the 1950s initiating huge growth in the Banff, Alberta, Canada hotels and Canadian Rockies accommodations industry.

The recent redesign of The Juniper Hotel and accommodations in 2003-2004 was inspired by the original Canadian Rockies hotel modernist design as well as the long human history on this site. The design team used a palette of materials native to the Bow Valley, such as Rundle stone and fir. The screen behind the restaurant bar, for instance, is made of roughly cut recycled fir timbers. The stacked wood walls that circled the ancient pit dwelling, which once stood on this site, inspire the unique design of this Canadian Rockies Banff, Alberta, Canada hotel.

The art pieces and interpretive exhibit at The Juniper Hotel are also inspired by the history of the hotel's beautiful Canadian Rockies hotel setting. We welcome you to explore our Banff hotel and enjoy the art and design throughout. The interpretive exhibit is located in the Heritage Hallway on the main floor. Like many Banff, Alberta, Canada hotels, we are proud of our displays.

History and Culture

Archaeological surveys have demonstrated large concentrations of ancient sites of human use in the passes of the Rocky Mountains. Among them are a handful of small, round depressions in the ground--the remains of semi-subterranean dwellings, or pit dwellings. It is likely that these dwellings were built by Salishan (Shuswap) peoples from the interior of British Columbia, who may have crossed the mountains on their way to a bison hunt on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains and in the foothills.

According to Banff National Park archaeologist Gwyn Langemann, the entire Juniper leasehold is a site of archaeological importance. Several distinct “sites” have been excavated in the immediate area of The Juniper buildings. Among the artifacts found at the site are stone tool flakes, fire-broken rock from cooking, burnt and mineralized fragments of elk bone, and a McKean point, a stone tool that is about 4,000 years old. These artifacts help shed light on the cooking and hunting practices of the ancient peoples who once stayed at The Juniper site. To view replicas of several of these artifacts, see the exhibit in the hotel's Heritage Hallway, on the main floor of our Canadian Rockies accommodations. Banff, Alberta, Canada hotels offer archeological insights to the past.

The artifacts and stratified layers of soil that archaeologists have discovered at The Juniper site suggest an enduring human relationship with this place, where people returned year after year for millennia. We can only imagine the stories of the ancient peoples who camped at the current site of the Juniper. But when we step out the door of The Juniper and look south across the Bow River Valley, it is easy to understand why people have been enjoying this view for at least 4,000 years. Stay at Banff, Alberta, Canada hotels to experience it yourself during your canadian Rockies mountain getaway.

Today: The Juniper and Juniper Bistro & Lounge

Given the location's rich history, The Juniper and Juniper Bistro & Lounge has incorporated many of these aspects in the design and theme of our Canadian Rockies hotel.

The common Juniper can be found stretched along the slopes and terraces surrounding the hotel. The initial design of the hotel, a horizontal layout hugging the hillside, resembles the form of the juniper plant. Native peoples of the Bow Valley traditionally used the tough wood of these junipers to make bows and utensils, and the aromatic leaves and berries to treat a variety of ailments. Juniper grows in abundance here and is a reminder of the history and traditions of this place. No other name could be more fitting for our Canadian Rockies hotel boutique accommodations.

The reclamation and reuse of wooden beams, slate roof tiles from the Banff Springs Hotel and preservation of Rundlestone fireplaces give a nod to the Juniper's innovative environmental design which is unique to Banff, Alberta, Canada hotels and Canadian Rockies accommodations. Architectural lines similar to the construction appearance of the ancient pit dwellings are echoed throughout The Juniper's interior design details.

In addition, The Muk a Muk (a Chinook word for food and feasting), has folded in the indigenous aspects of the area by featuring organic meats such as bison and rocky mountain whitefish, as well as juniper berry sauces and native plants. The Juniper stands out among other Banff, Alberta, Canada hotels and Canadian Rockies accommodations.