Lake Louise Customer Reviews

We weren't sure whether to go to Banff, Sunshine Village or Lake Louise or whether it would be a hassle to go to the ski area from the Fairmont Chateau, but it all worked out really well. The locals all said Lake Louise is the best ski area with the longest runs. The snow was amazing for the time of year, didn't go slushy at the bottom at all. There's a free bus from the hotel every hour and you can store your ski stuff at the bell desk overnight. All the facilities on the mountain were well run and very clean. The food is a bit samey (burgers, fried chicken, chips) but there are always salads and soups as well and there's a new proper restaurant on the slopes with a bit more choice. The hotel also has a deli to take packed lunches which you can keep in a locker at the base of the ski hill and there's also a ski rental shop and a retail shop. It was really quiet on the slopes midweek, we had runs in the back bowls completely to ourselves. There were no queues for the lifts. There are volunteer "ski friends" to give advice on the slopes at every lift and everyone is really friendly and approachable. It's a long way to come for a week's skiing but it was totally worth it. The hotel was excellent too, pricey obviously, but well worth it, we ate at a different restaurant within the hotel every night and they ranged from simple burgers and steaks in the saloon to fine dining in the Fairmont. The steam room, pool and hot tub were very welcome after a day on the slopes (full of kids though). All the staff were super friendly and dealt with any small issues very efficiently. We didn't take advantage of any other activities but there are lots on offer (snowmobiling, husky sled rides, guided walks etc). Highly recommend the hotel and the resort.

We'd certainly fly with Transat again, the staff were great. The flight was less crowded on the way out and we had an extra seat to ourselves, packed on the return but it was a newer plane than on the outgoing journey, which had individual entertainment screens. For future travellers you might like to mention that Transat doesn't take any currency on board, everything must be paid for by credit card. Also everything other than soft drinks, breakfast, lunch and dinner must be paid for, even ear phones for the entertainment, $3. As most people have ear phones, it's probably worth telling travellers to take their own. Wish we'd booked for longer, knew I'd feel that way, but at least we came home to sunshine!

Lake Louise is truly beautiful - The Chateau is expensive to say in but worth it for a special occasion (our honeymoon). The service is excellent, we particularly appreciated the coffee machine in our room, and the view from a lakeside room stunning. The Lakeview Lounge evening menu was good value but the wine expensive, the Walliser Strube expensive but worth experiencing. Away from the Chateau the food at the Deer Lodge was excellent; bar menu reasonably priced, restaurant more expensive but very good. In Lake Louise itself the 'Outpost' at the Post Hotel cosy with good bar food. Skiing at Lake Louise is outstanding with a variety of different runs - early April we still had good snow. Twice a week there is a bus to Sunshine Village which is worth taking for a change of scene. Be aware that you will need to budget extra for tipping (food 15-20%, ski lessons 10%). Enjoy, we did!