Visit Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

(34 Reviews)
94% Recommended

Lia Pontarelli

Cedar Rapids, IA

European Travel Specialist

I'm enjoy being a travel agent with a strong focus on creating exceptional travel experiences throughout Europe. With an in-depth understanding of the diverse cultures and breathtaking destinations that Europe has to offer, I take great pride in c...

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Getting to Lake Louise we flew into Calgary, rented a car, and drove up into the mountains. We were a little nervous about driving into the mountains in November, but the weather was great. From someone who has driven from Denver up into the mountains many times, this route was nothing like that! The roads were better and wider, and we were never really driving along a cliff! Banff We made a quick stop in Banff on our way and loved the cute little town!

We continued on our trek and suddenly we seemed to enter into a little valley, and it started snowing! It hadn't been the entire drive, but suddenly, there it was! And it snowed pretty much the entire time we were up there. When we left it was the same, once we left this little area, there was no more snow! To me, the greatest things about the drive up to Lake Louise were the sign saying "Attention Elk Crossing".

Pulling up to the Chateau was an amazing feeling. The building alone is breathtaking, let alone the scenery around it! Some low clouds were blocking the views of the tops of the mountains, but you could tell it was gorgeous! Our room was lake-facing so it was wonderful, even with clouds, to just open the curtains and look out!

On our first night at Lake Louise, we ate at the Alpine Social. We had eaten when we stopped in Banff, but we had to go to one of the amazing restaurants at the hotel! We got an order of the Social Nachos. They had Gouda, Cheddar, Monterey Jack, scallions, tomatoes, sour cream, queso, and guacamole (it came with jalapenos and salsa too, but I'm not a huge fan of that so we ordered without). It was SO good! The next morning we had room service because you can't go to a place like this and NOT get room service once! It just adds to the luxury of it!

We walked around inside the hotel (I can tell you there was so much of it that we never saw), strolled around the lake, and had tea! One of the things high on our list when visiting Lake Louise was high tea. I honestly can't remember which tea we had, but I feel like it might have been the IceWine. The finger food with it was awesome! There were fresh berries, mini lobster croissants, smoked salmon roulade, lemon thyme and cucumber sandwiches, scones, and desserts! The chocolate one was my favorite (of course!).

The hotel is situated right on the lustrous emerald lake facing the Victoria Glacier. With it being at the beginning of winter, the lake wasn't frozen yet. It would have a thin layer occasionally attempting to cover it, but it didn't fully succeed while we were there. The lake is so clear and the reflections in it are astounding! There is a path that goes around the lake. Looking back to the hotel over the lake was amazing!

During our stay, we never left the hotel grounds, and yet there is still so much to see there that we never got to. The time we were there was too short, and I definitely wouldn't mind going back again! However, I am very happy my mother got to make the visit and check it off her bucket list. It's always a great joy when you see how happy someone is, and this trip made her very happy (same with me).

There were adorable shops in the hotel, more restaurants than we visited, and there are more trails and other things off the property, that would be a great joy to experience I'm sure! I mean, we didn't even make it to the spa! If you love beautiful nature and luxury, I HIGHLY recommend visiting Lake Louise!