Luxury Winter Vacation to Fairmont Château Lake Louise
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Looking for a room with a magnificent mountain view? Then, look no further than Fairmont Château Lake Louise!
Located in the heart of pristine Banff National Park and within a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the luxurious hotel offers breathtaking views of Lake Louise and the Victoria Glacier. This winter, Kev and I ventured into the wilderness of Banff National Park, home of the beautiful Johnston Canyon, and stayed at Fairmont Château Lake Louise. Until today, I still can’t forget the stunning view of the lake from our hotel window!
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The Hotel
Just steps away from an abundance of outdoor activities, this historic hotel is the dream destination for any adventure seeker. In the summer, you can paddle a canoe on the lake; in winter, you can hit the ski slopes at the Lake Louise ski area that is just minutes away. At Fairmont Château Lake Louise, you are promised luxurious comfort and gracious hospitality, that will be much needed after a full day of outdoor adventure.
The hotel features 550 well-appointed rooms and 7 restaurants and lounges to satisfy your culinary cravings. On top of that, the year-round hotel has all the amenities under one roof, including fitness center, indoor heated pool, full-service spa and hair salon, equipment rental and repair shop, gift shops, and concierge that arranges dining reservations and outdoor activities. The highlight of our stay was participating in the guided Johnston Canyon ice walk and dog sled tour, which we booked through the concierge pre-arrival. Both were wonderful ways to explore the winter wilderness!
The Rooms
The hotel has a mix of standard and deluxe rooms, overlooking either the Château grounds, Bow Valley mountain range, or Lake Louise and the Victoria Glacier. We stayed at the Fairmont Lakeview room, which, despite its small size and old decor, provided absolute comfort and included all the modern essentials such as flat screen television, coffee machine and high speed wireless internet.
Activities
The hotel’s close proximity to mountain peaks, crystal lakes and forests of trees gives you easy access to all sorts of outdoor activities.
In the winter, you can explore the Rockies by participating in the hotel’s mountain adventure program and taking part in the guided ice walk, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing tours. Johnston Canyon in winter offers stunning views of frozen waterfalls and it a completely different experience than you would find in the summer. Looking for something more adrenaline inducing? Why not check out ice climbing, snowmobiling, or helicopter tours? The hotel partners with local tour companies to bring a full range of winter sports to its guests, reservations available through the concierge. Completely hassle-free!
In the summer, hiking Mount Fairview to the historic tea house and canoeing in the breathtaking Lake Louise are something you absolutely can’t miss. If this one hike is not enough for you, don’t worry, there are many other easy hikes in Banff for you to enjoy! Also check out horseback riding, white water rafting, and wildlife tours to fully experience the beauty of the Canadian Rocky Mountains!
In the spring and fall, the hotel runs wellness and meditation retreats to help you reconnect with your mind and body.
Helpful tip: free rental of GoPro is available to hotel guests. Given its limited availability, make sure you contact the concierge in advance and reserve the equipment!
Dining
Various dining options are available inside the hotel. From 24-hour deli, sports bar, to fine dining restaurants, you can always find a place that meets your needs.
The authentic Swiss cheese and meat fondues at Walliser Stube is a popular option that requires advance reservations. Poppy Brasserie is the all-time favourite breakfast spot for à la carte or buffet dining.
My personal favourite was the Lakeview Lounge, overlooking the best views of Lake Louise. Not only did it serve golden-y delicious French onion soup, it offered delectable pastries and finger sandwiches for afternoon tea. You can’t say your Lake Louise experience is completed without having an afternoon tea at the Château! As always, advance reservations are required.
Conclusion
Fairmont Château Lake Louise is truly a little piece of paradise. The stunning views and the incredible variety of activities make it a fantastic destination for a romantic getaway or an adventure-packed holiday! Even if you travel with kids (or pets!), their babysitting and pet sitting services, as well as supervised children activities, will ensure the little ones are enjoying themselves?
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Wow – the Fairmont and Lake Louise are just so beautiful. This place has long been on my travel bucket list. I think it just moved up a few notches 🙂
Totally agreed, Lyndall! It’s one of the places you have to visit if you ever come to Canada 🙂
Going to Banff and including a stay at the Fairmont is high on our travel bucket list! Your review confirms my impressions of the hotel! We can’t decide whether to experience Banff in summer or winter for the first time. Your gorgeous snow-covered photos have me leaning towards winter. Great perk that they offer Go-Pro rentals to guests! Thank you for linking up with #WeekendWanderlust!
Thank you, Amanda & Brian! Summer and winter are both beautiful, but I strongly suggested checking it out during the winter (it is so much quieter that you can completely enjoy the serenity) 😀
Why does the addition of snow always make a place look even more appealing? Thank you for linking up with #TheWeeklyPostcard
Right? It looked like a movie poster!
looks super great!#weekend wanderlust
Thank you, Tanja! It was a fun vacation, even though it was freezing cold!
Hi Cat, That looks like a place to be! Stunning. I’d love to stay in Fairmont Château Lake Louise #TPThursday
Hope you get to visit one day, Marcella 🙂
I visited the Fairmont in summer a few years ago. It was heavenly beautiful, but I see winter as also charming there. I’m sure you had a great time in this luxurious hotel. We did too.
I never visited Lake Louise until this year. Like you said, it was as beautiful as it was in the summer!
We walked to the tea house in early spring when snow still barred some of the track. It is a gorgeous place and we were impressed with the Chateau from the outside. We had an RV and stayed at a camp ground!
Lovely! Our next goal is to hike the nearby track and visit the tea house!
Very luxurious looking rooms.
Thank you, Marcia! It was a little small, but manageable 🙂
That view is a killer! The food looks delicious too. No doubts this would be a perfect place to stay (and it is inside the park!).
I know, right? I loved it too!
Coming to Banff in July and was going to book a room here until I found out it was $1k/night… tears…
Hung Thai, ya, unfortunately it is super expensive in the summer because that is their peak season. Winter costs about $230 a night, a huge difference!
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