Review: Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

Situated against the backdrop of the Canadian Rockies, the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise invites visitors with the promise of a luxurious retreat in a breathtaking natural setting. As the only hotel nestled right next to Lake Louise itself, I was grateful for the opportunity to stay at this majestic property with my significant other in September 2023.

In this review, I’ll take you through what you can expect from the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, whether you’re an adventure enthusiast, a foodie, or just looking to unwind in a beautiful setting. 

Booking & Check-in as an Accor Gold Member

I made this booking about a month in advance for two nights in a Fairmont Queen room at a favorable industry rate of $262 CAD per night, which I thought was a great deal for a Fairmont property. Of note, there were additional taxes of $58.58 and resort experience fees of $88.94 so the total came out to about $336 CAD per night.

As an Accor Gold Member (acquired via the now devalued Ibis Business Card), I decided to reach out to the hotel in advance to request an upgrade if any suites were available. At the time they informed me that they would not be able to upgrade the room in advance, but did add my request to the reservation.

Fortunately, when we went to check in, they had already upgraded us to a king room, the ‘Fairmont Lakeview King’.

Check-in was a smooth operation. After a long walk through the massive property, we found the spacious lobby on the main floor. 

I usually find Fairmont decor to be rather dated, but the blue theme here worked well and gave an allure of royalty.

The desk agent, Alex, was extremely pleasant as he provided us with our typical Fairmont welcome package, including a map of the property and a pamphlet outlining the numerous restaurants.

We were pleasantly surprised to be given a complimentary voucher for a canoe ride (retail $100), in addition to two complimentary cocktail vouchers.

The check-in agent was extremely helpful and inviting, more so than I’ve experienced at Fairmonts prior. He was happy to answer all of our questions (particularly regarding where to eat, as we were famished upon arrival).

Location 

The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise hotel is nestled in a remarkable location, surrounded by the stunning Canadian Rockies. Situated at 111 Lake Louise Drive on the shores of the iconic Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada, the hotel boasts unparalleled panoramic views of turquoise waters and towering mountain peaks. This natural wonderland offers a serene escape for outdoor enthusiasts, with direct access to hiking trails, canoeing, and winter sports. 

The Fairmont Lake Louise’s location presents a unique opportunity for guests to immerse themselves in the pristine beauty of Banff National Park as well as the nearby Yoho National Park, making it a sought-after destination for those seeking both relaxation and adventure in a truly awe-inspiring setting. It is approximately a 4.5-hour drive from Edmonton, Alberta, 2 hours from Calgary, Alberta, and 50 minutes from the town of Banff.

Parking

Underground parking for the property was available, with the entrance to the lot on the right-hand side at the beginning of the lane leading up to the property. Self-park is $30 CAD per day while valet parking is also available for $45 CAD per day. 

To be frugal, we opted for self-park during our stay.

Things To Do Around Lake Louise

While this review is of course about the Fairmont Lake Louise property, I thought it would be helpful to mention some of the unique activities and landmarks near Lake Louise. 

Only 10 minutes from Lake Louise, Yoho National Park is a picturesque wilderness paradise known for its dramatic waterfalls, towering peaks, and pristine alpine lakes. Home to iconic attractions like Takakkaw Falls and the emerald waters of Emerald Lake, the park offers breathtaking scenery and abundant outdoor activities, including hiking, wildlife viewing, and more. 

Field is a charming village located within Yoho National Park. with a population of only around 200 people. Truffle Pigs is a popular gourmet restaurant located in Field which, as implied by the name, serves many dishes made with Truffles.

If you’re willing to drive through Yoho to Golden, White Tooth Brewing is a fantastic brewery I often visit when I ski at Kickinghorse. I highly recommend trying some of their craft stouts while enjoying a pizza delivered from nearby Red Tomato Pies (White Tooth doesn’t serve its own food).

It was my girlfriend’s idea to visit Truffle Pigs in Field on this trip, and it was one of the highlights. Fantastic drinks and food were had. 

I’d also note that in the Winter the hotel would make a great home base for a ski trip to the nearby Lake Louise ski resort (an 11 minute drive), if you’re someone who is into snow sports.

The Room – Fairmont Lakeview King

I’ll be honest, for a brief moment upon stepping into our Fairmont Lakeview King we were a tad bit surprised at the smaller size of the room. The hallway was quite narrow with the entrance to the bathroom resembling a closet. 

However, this was almost immediately overshadowed by the fantastic lake view we had from our window of Lake Louise and the surrounding terrace.

Staff brought us two different welcome amenities for the price of one, which included a nice bottle of red wine and a charcuterie plate, as well as a wooden Fairmont Lake Louise keychain. I mentioned earlier how hungry we were, so this was both appreciated and promptly devoured.

Aside from the view, the room had a simple setup, with the king bed in the center and two nightstands on either side.

Across from the bed was a TV and credenza, as well as a small desk and chair (perfect for writing down trip notes on your laptop).

Thankfully, the TV was newer and functional, including Chromecasting abilities (in stark contrast to the television at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge).

Beneath the TV, the credenza housed a Nespresso machine, as well as a bar and mini fridge.

The bathroom was clean and adequate, but quite small with minimal counter space. We had to keep most of our toiletries in the main room instead.

Overall, the room was modern and updated which is nice to see with a Fairmont brand hotel. What made this room so special in particular was the view, which I cannot rave enough about.

Restaurants & Bars

The Fairmont Lake Louise had more dining options than I’ve seen at a hotel before (including the Carton House), which speaks to the sheer size of the property. 

We had a chance to dine for dinner at Alpine Social and Fairview restaurant, and breakfast at Fairview and Louiza, so I will speak to our experiences at those.

Overall, dining options across the board were rather pricey, even by Fairmont standards. We paid more for food than we did for the room rate for the entire stay 😅. For the most part, the cuisine was delicious so I still feel we got good value overall.

Alpine Social

On our first night at Fairmont Lake Louise, we went for dinner at Alpine Social, as per recommendation from the front desk agent, Alex. Located on the lower floor of the hotel, it was a more casual venue, which is just what we were looking for.  

We started with some cocktails which included an Old Fashioned made with Fairmont’s in-house whiskey collaboration, called Untamed.

For dinner, we had the Smash Burger & Fries along with BBQ Sockeye Salmon. Both were delectable. 

Fairview Bar and Restaurant

The Fairview Bar and Restaurant is located on the main level of the hotel, next to the Lakeview Lounge.

We visited here both for continental breakfast and for dinner (the ‘Fine Dining Experience’).

Continental Breakfast

The continental breakfast was rather underwhelming and the service quality was unacceptably low. I am not normally one to complain about dining or service, but at $26 I had at least minimal expectations which were not met. 

Our server greeted us with the response of ‘tired’ when asked ‘How are you?’, which summarized the experience here. 

Some notable disappointments:

• When we went to start on the buffet, there were no plates to be seen. We had to ask for from one of the serving staff standing around.  Meanwhile, many other customers were seen standing around confused about what they were supposed to plate their food onto.
• We waited for our requested coffee for about 10 minutes. When we finally did receive our coffees, we realized that we didn’t have any spoons, and so we had to go up to the buffet again and ask another staff member.

The food itself was mostly acceptable, on par with what you would expect from any average hotel continental breakfast. Most of the baked goods were quite dry, so I stuck to cereal and fruit.

When it came time for the bill, the manager came and pre-emptively gave us a 50% discount ‘due to service’, which was at least something.

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend the continental breakfast at the Fairmont Lake Louise. See below for our breakfast experience at Louiza, which was much more favorable. 

Fine Dining Experience

Dinner at the Fairview was another highlight of our stay and did not disappoint. 

The cocktail menu as well as the gourmet dishes available for appetizer and main were enticing and difficult to choose between.

Ironically, I was cocktailed out by this point of the trip and so opted for a simple beer, but my girlfriend started with the Wildflower cocktail which was as delicious as it was pleasant to look at.

For the main course, I had beef tenderloin with potato puree, parsnip chip, and veal jus. It was exquisite, the mashed potatoes were almost as delicious as the steak itself.

Overall we had a fantastic meal here and it was definitely with the price, albeit heavily subsidized by Fairmont gift cards thanks to the RBC Rewards program.

Louiza 

Louiza is another dining experience located on the lower level of the hotel. For the last day of our stay, we opted to try out the breakfast here, after being unenthused about the idea of going back to the Fairview for continental.

Louiza is set up as both an ala carte menu along a breakfast buffet. The buffet was quite extensive and not limited to just dry foods.

From the al a la carte menu I enjoyed the brioche french toast which was fantastic.

Louiza was a great experience and the perfect way to cap the trip off before heading back home.

Guides Pantry

While we didn’t take advantage of it during our stay, the Guides Pantry is a small grab-and-go shop if you’re looking for some quick snacks.

Facilities

Pool & Fitness Center

The pool and fitness center were both updated and modern. The fitness center was minimal but had a nice array of cardio equipment, machines, and free weights.

The aquatic pool was below the fitness center and was a nice space, with plenty of natural light to both the main pool and hot tub. 

The pool and fitness center were empty when I visited and I regretted not having a bit more time to enjoy them. 

Fairmont Spa

As with other Fairmont properties, there are on-site spa and salon services available. Check out the Fairmont Lake Louise website for more information.

Coming Soon: Thermal Wellness Facility

During our stay there was construction happening on a portion of the hotel and front terrace, which had me curious. I learned that the development is for a new Thermal Wellness Facility.

This is a rather exciting development, which I believe is slated to open in late 2024!

Surrounding Activities

There is quite a lot to do in and around Fairmont Lake Louise, but two highlights you’ll want to check out in the spring/summer are canoeing and hiking! 

Canoe Rental from the Boathouse

As mentioned, we were given a complimentary canoe voucher at check-in, which was appreciated as we were planning to do the canoe experience regardless. 

Canoes can be rented from the Boathouse at the following rates:

For hotel guests:

• $95+GST per hour
• $85+GST per half hour

For non-hotel guests:

• $155+GST per hour
• $145+GST per half hour

As hotel guests, we also got to skip the length non-hotel guest line, and so didn’t have to wait long at all for our ride.

The canoe ride was definitely a highlight of this stay.

Lake Agnes Trail

Near the Fairmont is the trailhead for a very popular hiking trail called Lake Agnes. While we didn’t do this hike on this visit, I’ve done it in the past and highly recommend it. Along the way to Lake Agnes, you’ll see Mirror Lake and the Big Beehive (a rock formation). 

At Lake Agnes, you can visit the Lake Agnes tea house to quench your thirst and even grab a snack!

There are several other trails that can be accessed as well from the lakeshore, including the Plain of Six Glaciers trail for the more seasoned hikers.

Conclusion

The Fairmont Lake Louise offered a luxurious retreat for myself and my significant other in the stunning backdrop of the Canadian Rockies and the isolated Lake Louise. The hotel’s room, though cozy, featured modern amenities and breathtaking views. Dining options were diverse, but prices were relatively high even when comparing to other Fairmont properties. 

Despite some service issues, particularly with the continental breakfast, the fine dining experience at Fairview was exceptional. The hotel’s facilities, including the pool, fitness center, and upcoming Thermal Wellness Facility, add to the overall appeal. 

With numerous activities like canoeing and nearby hiking trails, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise should definitely be a hotel experience on your bucket list. I fully intend to return to experience the property in the cold winter months at some point in the future!