Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise Hotel Review
The following is a guest post by EA from New York City. The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is a hotel I've had on my wish list for some time so I was excited to see this!
This past winter, I headed to Whistler with a large group of friends for our annual ski trip. A few months earlier, a friend had suggested that I also visit Banff since I had an additional week of vacation after Whistler. I admitted that I never heard of Banff so my friend proceeded to tell me about it and by the end of the conversation, my interest had been piqued. Having now traveled to both Whistler and Banff, I can now say that Sunshine Village (Banff) is my new favorite ski destination…
I began researching Banff immediately after the conversation with my friend and within a few days I was applying for the Chase Fairmont Card so that I could visit the highly acclaimed Fairmont Lake Louise!! It just happened to turn out that Chase was about to stop offering this credit card to new clients so I jumped on the opportunity.
Perks of the Chase Fairmont Card
The main selling point for this card was the two free night certificates. It was just an added bonus that it also came with suite upgrades, 3rd night free, dining certificates and a few other benefits. After giving it some thought and researching the rooms, I decided to go all in! I booked the two free rooms AND applied the suite upgrades at the same time. Man, was I not disappointed!
Note that the Chase Fairmont Visa is no longer available. If you are a current Fairmont Chase cardholder, check out Frequent Miler's post on Rocking Fairmont credit card perks.
Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise – My Arrival Experience
I arrived to the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise a few hours before check in and my room was not ready. The staff was very friendly and they even provided me with snow clamps to add to my boots so that I could walk around the lake and go on the short walk (1 mile or so) to the Fairview Lookout Trail. There were hardly any other people on the trail and the views were very nice – it would have been nicer if it hadn’t been cloudy but it was worthwhile nonetheless. Check out this helpful guide to walks and hikes around Lake Louise.
I was fortunate enough to be visiting the hotel while they were hosting the Lake Louise Pond Hockey tournament. I’m not a big hockey fan but I must admit, I wanted to put on ice skates and join these guys:
Check out this ice castle nestled between the hotel and Lake Louise:
Suite #504
The room was ready about two hours after my arrival but I didn’t mind. The hotel seemed busy and I was told that I would be staying in a very special suite, possibly the most unique one in the house. They did not disappoint! Room 504 is a standard suite with a small nook in the back that overlooks the entire lake.. Over my entire stay, I must have spent about 4 hours reading and relaxing while peering at the frozen lake and giant pine trees. Here's a video of my suite:
The Cost
The entire two night stay ended up costing me about $50 USD total! The suite rate was about $600 USD per night had I not used the certificates:
Have you been to this hotel? What do you think?
I stayed at this hotel this past March. I stayed using the AmEx Fine Hotels and Resorts program, which gave me an upgraded room, 4th free night free, $100 food/beverage credit, free breakfast for two, late checkout, wi-fi. They also gave me free parking even though it wasn’t an official part of the program. And, the room rate was very reasonable (for a Fairmont) at about $175 USD for the three paid nights.
I have been there twice. First to hike the trail up to the higher elevation lakes, and the second time to propose to my wife, because I told myself after my first visit that that would be the place that I would do it if I ever found the right person.
It’s a wonderful property located in one of the most beautiful stretches of land you will see. I’ve never been there during winter, only summer, and it is gorgeous. The hotel is older and has character. Food is good and service impeccable.
We’re heading to Banff and Jasper later this summer. I’m so bummed I missed out on the Fairmont card because that hotel looks gorgeous! But, we are staying at some fun cabin properties, so hopefully it’ll be a unique experience.