Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
Originally built as a base for mountaineers over 100 years ago, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is one of the most recognisable hotels in all Canada: a storybook castle on the milky-blue shores of magical Lake Louise, surrounded by soaring mountain peaks and the wild expanse of Banff National Park.
The vast lobby and public spaces recall an opulent and oversized hunting lodge, hung with ornate chandeliers and furnished with sturdy yet elegant armchairs and sofas. Guestrooms are spacious and comfortable, decorated in a lavish alpine-colonial style and packed with modern luxuries. It’s worth springing for the lakeside rooms and suites if you can – the views up the hillside behind the hotel are certainly dramatic, but they can’t compete with the picture-postcard scenery of Lake Louise itself.
Should the weather close in there’s an indoor pool and health club, but given that some of the best skiing and hiking in North America are right on your doorstep, chances are you’ll want to head outside. To help, the hotel offers summer and winter programmes for hiking, canoeing (summer only), snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. And what better reward for a day of adventure than relaxing with a treatment at the excellent spa before joining friends for dinner at one of the standout restaurants. Perhaps an Alberta beef steak at the Fairview Bar & Restaurant, or an authentic Swiss fondue at Walliser Stube?
