Lake Louise
Canada


The Experience

Surrounded by Banff National Park and sitting directly on the banks of a peacock-colored lake that stretches to the base of jagged Canadian Rockies peaks, the Fairmont Lake Louise is all about location. The peach-colored, crescent-shaped, turreted 12-story hotel leans toward generic, with myriad renovations and additions having diluted the original 1911 feel. But it does attempt to hark back to those glory days with deep wood accents, huge framed windows, and an Old World graciousness in its service. Despite the busloads of nonguests who crowd in to gawk at the view (mainly in summer), the place still feels mostly untouched.

The Rooms

Don't expect much from standard rooms, which clock in at a tiny 165 square feet and are decked out in uninspired Alpine wood motifs on the painted doors, bland beige walls, basic Old World furniture and marble-tiled bathrooms. And be warned: Some rooms don't have AC (just ceiling fans), which can be a problem in the heat of summer. Again, though, it's all about the view, and large windows help with the inevitable cramped feeling, especially if you reserve a larger deluxe lakeview room (and you should). Still, the suites -- with separate living room, ornamental fireplace and canopy bed -- are the only way to truly stretch out.

The Service

Due to the vast train-station feel of the hotel, you can't blame the front desk staff for looking a bit glazed at the crowds. The young waiters, bell captains and concierges can seem a bit overwhelmed and uninformed, but all employees are attentive and talkative, creating a cozy feel.

The Highlights

There's a well-stocked health club and small spa (featuring somewhat out-of-place Caribbean-plant treatments), but the outdoors is where to get your exercise. Paddle a canoe out on Lake Louise, or embark on a three-hour round-trip hike to Lake Agnes, where you can have a civilized tea on the terrace of a log cabin. Then return to one of the hotel's nine restaurants, which naturally take advantage of the lake vistas. Sit down to a fondue dinner at Walliser Stube, where ladders stretch up to wine racks, mimicking the pine forests outside that climb from the edges of Lake Louise toward the wild intermingling of glaciers and peaks high above.

-- Matthew Link

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