What to Expect From The Top Three Hotels in Alberta (Road trip with Fairmont Hotels Canada)
If you’ve ever travelled across Western Canada, you know that the Fairmont hotels by far, have the best reputation for their unique stays, 5-star service, as well as the best access to Canada’s top national parks! We knew that if we were going to do Alberta right, we had to check out the world famous Jasper Park Lodge, Chateau Lake Louise and of course, the Banff Fairmont Springs. Each of these resorts offered unique experiences, dining options, scenery and things to do in the area. We tried to soak up each moment of our time in Alberta by taking full advantage of everything these top-rated hotels had to offer.
If you’re thinking about visiting some of the most celebrated sites in Alberta such as Lake Louise, Jasper Park, or the beautiful town of Banff, keep reading to learn everything you need to know about these awesome Canadian destinations and what our experience was like staying at the top hotels in the province!
JASPER PARK LODGE
Our first stop in Alberta was the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, which is positioned right in the heart of Jasper National Park. Jasper gives you the classic Canadian experience including bears, lakes, hiking trails, and of course, the famous rocky mountains. This resort was the perfect place to kick off our Western Canadian adventure and experience everything that Jasper has to offer. The resort is essentially a small village, made up of spacious, upscale log cabins that give you a cozy cottage feel, without sacrificing any of the 5 star treatment that you expect from a Fairmont hotel.
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Outside of our personal log cabin, we were greeted with stunning views of a calm lake surrounded by the impressive rocky mountains. Although we could have been happy curling up in our charming cottage with some of the hotel’s amazing room service all day, there are way too many things to do on and off the resort and we did not want to miss out on the fun.
In the centre of the resort, you have a gorgeous swimming pool where you can relax and enjoy the mountain views. This massive property also features a trail that runs all the way around the lake, which we decided to explore by bike. The Fairmont makes this super easy for guests as they offer rental bicycles, paddle boards, canoes and other equipment for guests to use on the resort. After speaking to the staff, we were told that we might be able to spot some grizzly bears on the property if we were lucky. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to find any bears on this trip but the staff assured us that the family of bears on the property is friendly and nothing to be afraid of if you do encounter one.
One of our favourite experiences on the resort was a romantic, gourmet picnic by the lake. All of the food we’ve had at the Fairmont hotels has been incredible, and there’s nothing like a view of the rocky mountains to top it off. If picnics are not your thing, the resort also offers upscale restaurants like Orso Trattoria, where we enjoyed some of the best Italian food in Jasper. Don’t forget to skip out on the morning breakfasts- we could not get enough of their mouth-watering, fluffy pancakes!
If you decide to venture off the resort, the hotel staff will happily help you organize exciting excursions such as horseback riding or cross-country skiing. Nearby, you can also reach the Jasper Planetarium which is definitely worth a visit. If you plan on renting a car in Alberta, Jasper is just a three hour drive from Edmonton, where you can explore one of Canada’s most popular cities.
The town of Banff is also easily accessible in the summer by the scenic Icefields Parkway. On our way to Banff, we stopped at Athabasca falls for some stunning views and iconic photo opportunities. There’s a great view from the bridge overlooking the falls where travellers often take pictures standing on a large rock that juts out into the water.
CHATEAU LAKE LOUISE
After our time in Jasper, we drove down to the beautiful Lake Louise to see what it was all about. This is one of Canada’s most famous national parks with crystal clear blue water surrounded by mountains. After our visit, it was easy for us to understand why tourists flock to this incredible site every year. We were lucky enough to stay at the stunning Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise which sits right along the edge of the lake; I had been dreaming about staying here from the moment we started planning our Canadian adventure, and it did not disappoint! This hotel offers luxurious rooms with breathtaking views of the national park. We rented a canoe from the hotel and explored Lake Louise like true Canadians!
A few hours from Lake Louise is the mesmerizing Columbia Icefield. Walking around this area was like stepping back in time, where we saw glaciers that were formed as far back as 200,000 years ago (during the Ice Age). The icefield stretches across 325 kilometers, with an incredible 300 meters in depth! After a day of exploring, we relaxed at the trendy, upscale Fairview restaurant right on our resort where we were blown away by another incredible view of Lake Louise and the surrounding mountains just outside the window. Chateau Lake Louise is a traveller’s dream, especially if you are short on time and looking for upscale accommodation with convenient access to the national park.
FAIRMONT BANFF SPRINGS
The Fairmont Banff Springs was the final stop on our tour around this beautiful province. This was a major highlight of our time in Alberta and has without a doubt, become one of my favourite hotels in the world. In fact, even if you are not staying at the Fairmont, I highly recommend spending an afternoon exploring the property and having a coffee at one of their amazing restaurants. When we arrived at the Fairmont Banff Springs, I immediately felt like I had stepped into Hogwarts from Harry Potter. The striking architecture gives this resort a secluded, castle-like feel, which ascends out of the heavily forested Banff National Park.
WATCH OUR HOTEL VIDEO TOUR BELOW
Once we checked into this magical place, we made our way up to a luxurious room with incredible views of Banff National Park. Breathtaking views seem to be a theme throughout all of the Fairmont hotels we’ve stayed in! Depending on your choice of excursions, you have access to all the same Canadian sports and activities that we enjoyed in Jasper and Lake Louise, however this is also a great place to enjoy a more leisurely stay with relaxing hotel amenities such as the renowned Willow Stream Spa. We booked a much needed massage here after all of our biking, canoeing and searching for bears!
Around the resort, we also had fun exploring the diverse range of dining options nearby such as The Waldhaus, which is a quaint, german-inspired pub that looks like it’s been pulled straight out of Deutschland. This was a great place to enjoy some german-style pretzels, giant steins of beer, and other goodies after a day of exploring the area. The hotel also features a newly renovated library lounge called Rundle Bar, where you can relax with a handcrafted cocktail in their sleek lounge and enjoy the mountain views.
I had a highly instagrammable pink martini topped with homemade cotton candy! If you want to check out Rundle Bar during the daytime, you can also try their high tea, which features plenty of delicious pastries and small bites, all made by the talented chefs in-house. In the charming town of Banff, you can also find some classic Canadian treats like Beaver Tails, which in my opinion, are a must-try while you’re in Canada! They’re basically giant pieces of fried dough in the shape of a beaver tail with sweet toppings like reese’s pieces or lemon and cinnamon sugar (my favourite). Trust me, you don’t want to leave Canada without trying one!
If you prefer to relax outside and breathe in Banff’s fresh mountain air, this resort also features a swimming pool and a scenic golf course. We opted for a quick five minute drive from Banff where you can visit the famous Banff gondola, which takes you to the top of Sulphur mountain. This gives you the best view of the stunning rocky mountains, where you can venture off into some great hiking trails, have a glass of wine in their restaurant or simply take in the sights before heading back into town. This was a really fun experience, and I highly recommend checking out the on-site museum while you’re at the top of the mountain!
Finally, I couldn’t leave Banff without living my dream of horseback riding through the rocky mountains. The Fairmont Banff Springs offers horseback riding adventures which they organize through a company called Banff Trail Riders. We had such a memorable experience trotting along the river with stunning views of the mountains everywhere we looked!
Overall, we could not have had a more amazing experience in Alberta, and the Fairmont hotels gave us direct access to all of the famous Canadian sites and activities that were on our list. The experienced staff working on each of these resorts were able to help us organize some great excursions, and point us in the direction of a few must-see sites that we may have otherwise missed. On top of that, the Fairmont hotels in Alberta provided luxury accommodations, amenities, and fine dining right in the center of some of the most world famous national parks, which was such a treat to come back to after long days of outdoor activities and sightseeing. I would highly recommend these hotels to anyone who plans on visiting Alberta; we can’t wait to come back!
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