Everything on the menu looked amazing and having the breakfasts display did not make choosing any easier. I decided to go with the Corned Beef Sandwich.

It was so good that I also got it again in the morning of our last day (the third morning) before heading to Kelowna for the night before returning to Vancouver.

After breakfast, we headed to Banff Gondola to do a little hiking and take in the views from atop Sulphur Mountain. Don't worry, it did not smell like sulfur (it is also spelled differently) and I am not quite sure why it is called this, so if this is a concern, don't worry.

We drove from the hotel to the base of the gondola and it took about 10 minutes. Parking was free.

We had purchased our tickets online the night before and it also allows you to reserve the time for which you would like to get on the gondola. As it was not busy this day, reserving the time didn't really matter,

View on the way up the mountain. There were also hiking and biking trails that we could see below the gondola as we went up.

As we reached the peak, the views became more and more spectacular. The river below is the Bow River.

The gift shop.

The main observation deck has many places to sit back and enjoy the view, including a view gas fire pits as the temperature at this altitude was a little cooler.

Here is an aerial shot of the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel with the Bow River running behind it.

There were wooden walkways from summit to summit allowing for easy access for people of all capabilities.

Here is a view of the Gondola Station at the top of Sulphur Mountain.

We saw many chipmunks.

We spent a lot of time enjoying the views before making our way back to the gondola.

We returned to the hotel and decided to spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing by the pool.

There is an outdoor pool at the back of the hotel that provides some great views. There is also an indoor pool located just inside (under the solarium you see in the photo below.

On our second morning, we had breakfast in the main restaurant of the hotel.

As this was during Covid-19 in the summer of 2020, they had placed mannequins at the tables they were using as buffer zones between guests. An interesting idea, but a little creepy without the heads...

After breakfast, we explored the area around the hotel as we had no specific plans.

The hotel offers horseback riding on trails around the area of the hotel.

The hotel also has a private indoor pool and outdoor jacuzzi.

After staying at the Fairmont Banff Springs, we headed back West towards Vancouver. To break up the drive, we decided to stay in a hotel on Lake Okanagan in Kelowna, BC. It was a hotel that we had researched and reserved online a few months before our trip. We had not heard of it before, but the reviews were good and the photos on their site looked wonderful.

The reason we needed to research a hotel we had not heard of previously is that, with Covid-19, hotels were operating with a reduced occupancy rate and the hotels we were interested in were already full. However, we were very happy with our selection of the Manteo at Eldorado Resort.

After a week of being surrounded by trees and mountains, it was refreshing to be right next to the lake. The view from our room was gorgeous.

As you walk along the boardwalk, you move from the Manteo to the Eldorado Resort which are in the same property group.

We had dinner at the Eldorado and were lucky enough to get a table right next to the water.

We had breakfast the next day at the Kelowna Yacht Club. You need a membership, or a be a member of an affiliated club in a global network to gain access.

After breakfast, we headed back to Vancouver.

In total, we spent 9 days and 8 nights on our Western Canada trip in August of 2020. It was a spectacular trip and we likely would not have taken it if it weren't for the Coronavirus. We definitely won't be holding back in exploring Canada more often after learning what is here in our own country to enjoy.

Perhaps Jasper next time... The only real disappointment on this trip was that we did not really see any large wild animals, like bears, moose, etc. We heard that Jasper is is really the place to go for this.

By booking the Fairmont Banff Springs through me, my clients can receive the following amenities in 2021:

• • Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
  • Daily Full breakfast for two guests per bedroom, served in Restaurant
  • $100 USD equivalent Food & Beverage credit to be utilized during stay (not combinable, no cash value if not redeemed in full)
  • Authentically local welcome gift
  • Early check-in/late check-out subject to availability
  • Complimentary Wi-Fi

To book the Fairmont Lake Louise, please contact me through my website here.

The post Fairmont Banff Springs - 2 appeared first on Luxury Experience Travel.

Banff is a beautiful small town nestled in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, surrounded by wonderful nature and mountains.

This beautiful hotel was built in 1928 after a fire had destroyed the original wooden hotel on the same site which had originally been built in 1888.

We stayed here with a 3rd night free promotion, which is not usually available in the high travel season in the summer, but as this was during Covid, the hotel was running the promotion.

Upon arrival, our luggage was collected and we had had our temperatures taken upon entering the hotel. Valet parking is available, but we opted to park our vehicle ourselves as it is in the same lot just across the street from the hotel.

The Fairmont Banff Springs is surrounded by beauty, the mountains, the tree, and the gorgeous flowers that are everywhere.

The lobby was absolutely gorgeous and check-in went very smoothly. The couple in front of us mentioned that they had just driven to Banff from Vancouver non-stop; that would have been about a 9 hour drive. We also later learned that members from our family had been in Banff a few days before us. Seems that everyone in Canada was taken the chance to experience Canadian destinations during Covid.

Our room had a Mountain view.

With the Fairmont Banff Springs being a older hotel, we were happy to see that our room was a good size.

As you can see from the pictures, the room was very simple. After the smaller room in Lake Louise, we were just happy to have more space.

I do feel, however, the rooms at the hotel are in need of a renovation as everything felt very old and worn out. From the chairs, the carpet, the wallpaper, everything could use an upgrade. That being said, we definitely did not spend a lot of time in our room anyway.

Unfortunately, our room was also very close to the bar and we could clearly hear the music late into the night. If you are looking to sleep earlier, make sure to request a room farther away from the bar.

Throughout the property, there are water filling stations that utilize the natural spring waters of the area. This is a great environmentally friendly option to purchasing plastic water bottles.

After freshening up in our room, we headed into the town of Banff to do a little shopping.

The drive from the hotel was less than 10 minutes, and could definitely be walked. Parking in town was free for 1, 2, 0r 3 hours depending on the spot you found.

As this was in 2020, prior to the vaccines, we were required to wear masks the entire time we were in the shopping district, indoors and outdoors. Everyone seemed to comply with this and it was really no big deal.

There was great mix of local shops and some well known retailers as well.

By booking the Fairmont Banff Springs through me, my clients can receive the following amenities in 2021:

• • Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
  • Daily Full breakfast for two guests per bedroom, served in Restaurant
  • $100 USD equivalent Food & Beverage credit to be utilized during stay (not combinable, no cash value if not redeemed in full)
  • Authentically local welcome gift
  • Early check-in/late check-out subject to availability
  • Complimentary Wi-Fi

To book the Fairmont Lake Louise, please contact me through my website here.

The post Fairmont Banff Springs appeared first on Luxury Experience Travel.

The dining room where breakfast is served offers some beautiful views of the lakes and mountains. Unfortunately, as you are not able to make breakfast reservations, we were not able to get a seat at the window, Luckily, they are large enough to offer most guests in the dining room a view nonetheless.

The menu was a la carte and provided some really generous portions.

After a great breakfast we were ready for our hike up to the Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House.

Before setting off, we made sure that we had some essentials, including good hiking shoes, sunscreen, plenty of water (filled at the free glacier water fountains in the hotel), light snacks, hats, and sun glasses to name a few. As it is bear country, we also brought bear spray with us that was supplied by the hotel. We were assured that we would have no need for it, but it was good piece of mind to have it with us anyway.

To get to mountain trails, we need to repeat the short hike around the lake that we did on our first day. That blog can be found here.

This is the start of the new trail that we did not experience yesterday.

On a few occasions, we would pass rock climbers.

Our first wildlife encounter... a chipmunk.

As mentioned in a previous blog, but worth repeating, there is a heavy fine for feeding wild animals in Banff National Park, even groundhogs, chipmunks, and squirrels. The fines can be as high as $25,000 CAD.

As the lake is glacier fed, there is a large river flowing down from the mountains. Here we encountered some smaller streams the cut off from the main river. Platforms have been constructed to provide east access across without disrupting the natural flow of the water.

We took a short break to take in the sounds of the river.

As we made our way closer to the base of the mountain, we were happy to have our sturdy hiking shoes as the terrain became more rocky and uneven. You could do the hike in running shoes, but you would run the risk of twisting an ankle or potentially worse.

Below, you can see Lake Louise in the distance. Overall, it was a gradual climb to this point

The hotel can also set you up with horseback riding should you wish. We often needed to give way to the riders as they passed us along the trail. To be honest, depending upon the timing of meeting them, moving to the side can be rather easy or a little tricky depending on what part of the trail you encounter them. They cannot easily move aside, so it is up to the hikers to provide the right of way.

We had beautiful weather for this hike. As you see below, the terrain does get a little rocky and you do need to watch your step carefully at various times. There was however, no real point where we felt any real danger in falling.

After almost 2 hours of hiking, we could finally see the Tea House in our sites.

The Tea House serves drinks and simple meals such as soup and sandwiches. You are responsible for carrying your garbage back down the mountain.

There are also outhouses located up here should you need a washroom break.

After a quick bite to eat, we explored the area around the Tea House.

The scenery was beautiful. Below is a map of the hike that we did. There are different hikes that you can do and the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise would be happy to provide you with the details for your various options.

Our return to the hotel was only slight shorter than the hike up as we carefully navigated our way down the mountains.

Not sure if I mentioned this previously, but during Covid you need to provide proof that you were a hotel guest in order to enter the property through the back gate by the lake.

For our last evening at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, we decided to have dinner at their German restaurant, Wallise Stube.

As we were a party of 4, we were not able to get a window seat, but again, the windows are so large that views can be enjoyed from every table. We were there for the meal and the company, so we did not mind.

The Wiener Schnitzel was very delicious.

The next morning, we got up a little earlier as it was our last day and there were a few things that we wanted to experience before leaving.

The morning views of the lake and mountains are simply breathtaking and we wanted to make sure we did not miss it.

The sunrise hitting the peaks of the mountains and being reflected on the pristine lake cannot be described in words,

Since we were up so early this morning, we decided to wait to get a seat at the window for our last breakfast.

We had a few more items on our list to accomplish after breakfast, so we headed upstairs to pack all of our things so that we would be ready to go once we returned tot he hotel.

As we got back down to the lake, the scenery was a lot different now that the sun had completely risen.

One of the amenities that guests at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise get by booking through me is a Souvenir personal portrait session with professional photographer during their stay with picture frame. They take several photos and let you choose which one to take home.

Guests of the hotel also receive 1 free hour of canoeing on the lake and we could not wait to experience this. Reservations are not possible, but there is a separate line for the guests of the hotel and the general public. As the hotel guests line was much shorter, we did not have to wait very long.

We rowed the entire length of the lake to the point where we had hiked on our first day.

One of the rules for the canoe is that you are not allowed to row ashore and get out unless there is an emergency. We did see one couple get out of their canoe and the staff came out by boat to make sure that they were not in distress, and luckily they were not. Once they were assured that there was no medical emergency,  the staff instructed them to get back into the canoe.

Sitting in the canoe and silently taking in the sounds and sights was extremely relaxing. Almost too relaxing as we lost track of time and nearly missed the 1 hour deadline to return the canoe. We needed to go back.

We truly enjoyed our experience at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. From the food, the hike, the canoeing, and the spectacular scenery, we would not hesitate to recommend this property and experience to anyone. The staff were all extremely courteous and professional and I am sure that your experience here would be amazing.

By booking the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise through me, my clients can receive the following amenities in 2021:

• • Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
  • Daily full breakfast for two guests per bedroom in restaurant
  • Welcome amenity
  • Souvenir personal portrait session with professional photographer during their stay with picture frame
  • Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
  • Complimentary Wi-Fi

To book the Fairmont Lake Louise, please contact me through my website here.

For more information on this beautiful property or to learn about the special amenities that my clients can receive my booking this hotel through me, please visit my luxury Virtuoso page here

The post Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise - Mountain hike and more appeared first on Luxury Experience Travel.

Day 1

As we wanted to get a quick start on the day, we enjoyed a quick breakfast from the small café in the hotel. We had some breakfast sandwiches that were made fresh and drinks. If we chose, we could have taken out pre-made sandwiches which would be convenient depending on your plans for the day.

Although we got a little later start than we would have liked, mainly thanks to the late dinner and drinks with friends the night before, we had been awakened earlier by voices outside below our room around 6am - our windows were open due to the heat and there is no air conditioning in the older section of the hotel with the the Lake view. We did not investigate this at the time, but did get to see what was happening outside the next day. That photo will be further below.

Here is the rear of the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. The lake is at our back looking up to the hotel. One of those windows is our room.

As you can see, there is some beautiful gardens with seating areas between the hotel and the lake. Where those pillars are at the base of the hotel is the patio for one of the restaurants which will come in really handy after both of our hikes.

Here is a photo in the opposite direction, with the hotel directly behind us. The lake with the mountain backdrop was is just stunning.

The trail around the lake is on the right hand side (when facing the lake at the hotel) and is a flat even surface that makes for a pleasant walk for everybody regardless of their abilities.

All along the path around the lake there are benches available to take a short break and admire the scenery. As you can see, this path does not require hiking shoes, but with the loose gravel I would recommend flat shoes that are comfortable to walk in. Running shoes would be fine.

On the opposite side of the lake from the hotel, the water level was lower and we were able to walk out on to the soft mud. I would make sure your shoes are waterproof if you do this as there are areas of water and depending on the water level, there may be larger puddles to jump or navigate your way though.

Once around the lake, you have a great view of the hotel.

This short walk on our first day was a great way to start our stay at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and to get us excited about our longer hike up to the Tea House tomorrow.

As we made our way through the gardens at the hotel, we were pleasantly surprised to see a groundhog.

We should note that there is a heavy fine for feeding wild animals in Banff National Park, even groundhogs, chipmunks, and squirrels. The fines can be as high as $25,000 CAD.

The picture below was taken around 9:30pm with the sun just setting. The hotel looks great at night as well.

By booking the Fairmont Lake Louise through me, my clients can receive the following amenities in 2021:

• • Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
  • Daily full breakfast for two guests per bedroom in restaurant
  • Welcome amenity
  • Souvenir personal portrait session with professional photographer during their stay with picture frame
  • Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
  • Complimentary Wi-Fi

To book the Fairmont Lake Louise, please contact me through my website here.

For more information on this beautiful property or to learn about the special amenities that my clients can receive my booking this hotel through me, please visit my luxury Virtuoso page here

The post Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise - Hiking around the lake appeared first on Luxury Experience Travel.

With the travel restrictions in place during Covid-19. the options for travel from Vancouver were a little limited, but it was the perfect opportunity for us to take the beautiful drive through the Rocky Mountains. Fortunately. inter-provincial travel was still permitted at the time of our trip.

As it takes approximately 9 hours to drive from Vancouver to Lake Louise, we stayed overnight at Sparkling Hill Resort and Spa, a beautiful resort in Vernon, to make the trip more relaxing.

The spectacular views of the mountains as we drove through the Rockies really made us forget about the length of the drive.

Entering Yoho National Park

Before you drive into Banff National Park, make sure that you purchased the driving permit that is required to be displayed on your dash.

Entering Lake Louise.

The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.

Checking in was very smooth and we were provided with a Covid-19 safety pack that included a mask and hand sanitizer.

During Covid, all the Fairmont Hotels were offering promotions, such as a free third night. This wouls not typically happen during the busy summer months.

The occupancy rate for Covid was 50%, and we were told that they were full and that all the guests were Canadian. A quick survey of the cars in the parking lot showed that the majority of visitors were from Alberta or British Columbia, however there were cars from other provinces as well.

We stayed in a Lake view room. This is the view in the afternoon when we checked in.

This was the early morning view, just beautiful!

As the room we were staying in was in the older part of the hotel, it was a little small, but when you are at the Fairmont Lake Louise, you are really not spending that much time in your room as the abundance of activities and the wonderful wilderness will have you outside all day long.

There was no air conditioning in the room, but the nights cooled down enough to allow for a comfortable sleep. Of course, there was heating, but we did not need it.

There is no water provided in plastic bottles as the hotel has stations throughout the hotel providing fresh glacier water. Such a great idea!

Here are some pictures of what is provided in the room.

The bathroom was also quite small, but the bathroom amenities provided were quite nice.

As part of their Covid safety protocols, housekeeping would only come after 4 days. As we were there for 3, we would call when we needed anything, such as a change of towels.

We were meeting friends for dinner and had a little time to go downstairs to look at the view of the lake and the mountains.

Due to the distancing protocols, we had made our dinner reservations at the time of booking our room to avoid any disappointment.

One of our friends is a sommelier and she ensured that we had a steady supply of some fantastic wine during dinner.

I ordered salad and an Arctic Char. It was very delicious.

The next day, we took a hike up to the one of the Tea Houses in the mountains. I will blog about this soon.

By booking the Fairmont Lake Louise through me, my clients can receive the following amenities in 2021:

• • Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
  • Daily full breakfast for two guests per bedroom in restaurant
  • Welcome amenity
  • Souvenir personal portrait session with professional photographer during their stay with picture frame
  • Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
  • Complimentary Wi-Fi

To book the Fairmont Lake Louise, please contact me through my website here.

For more information on this beautiful property or to learn about the special amenities that my clients can receive my booking this hotel through me, please visit my luxury Virtuoso page here

The post Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise appeared first on Luxury Experience Travel.