Visit Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
(24 Reviews)
96% Recommended
Lia Pontarelli
Cedar Rapids, IA
Vacation Travel Specialist
Anthony Bourdain said, "Travel is not reward for working, it's education for living."
Beach Lover
For more than half of my life I have spent time in the summer going to the beaches of North Carolina. While I'll tak...
Anthony Bourdain said, "Travel is not reward for working, it's education for living."
Beach Lover
For more than half of my life I have spent time in the summer going to the beaches of North Carolina. While I'll take any beach, any time, there is something wonderful about the OBX (and I'm not talking about the TV show)! While you can spend all day if you wish on the beach, you can also go see the wild horses, try deep sea fishing, float high above while parasailing, explore historical lighthouses, and eat some amazing food!! Any time you're on the beach you give your soul a chance to relax and recharge! Other great beaches in the states I love are in Southern California, Florida and Maine! And don't get me started on the beaches in Mexico or on any one of the amazing islands around the Caribbean!
Animal Lover
I am a huge lover of wildlife! You can only imagine what kind of paradise I was in when I went on safari for the first time in Africa! To see animals roaming free gives you a whole different perspective. To see baby lions and zebras to a very old African buffalo, they're all amazing! Visiting Churchill gave us another amazing chance to see wildlife in its natural habitat! Spending time out on the tundra patiently hoping you'll come across a polar bear taking a nap, or, if you're lucky sparing with another bear! And going far enough out in the water that you can no longer see land and jumping in to swim with whale sharks is not only an adrenaline rush, but such a unique experience with these gentle giants!
Multi-Generational Travel
Many times when you hear "family travel" you think of traveling with children. However, it can also be classified as multi-generational travel. While I am no longer a kid, I do still love to travel with my mother. In fact, she's my favorite travel buddy! That's multi-generational as well! When we get to travel with my nieces, that adds in the children layer, but can also be incredibly amazing. Traveling with various family members can be stressful though. That's why it's important to find the right kind of trip, ensuring everyone isn't just happy, but truly enjoying the trip!
Can Be Reached At
1-319-393-1359
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!