clekkas

Hi everyone,
I am sure that this post is very common, but I may have not found something specific that answered my questions.

I am arriving from Toronto. I plan to stay a weekend in early december. The purpose of the visit is scenary and to set the stage for me to propose.

I am looking for a romantic, quiet place. We wont be staying for long thus we don't need to explore a lot but a few places of interest around the area accessible in winter would be nice. We don't want a hotel feel thus we want some resort/lodge that is not that big.

I am considering Emerald Lake Lodge and Stephen Creek Guest Cabin. I have heard great things about Emerald Lake but not much about Stephen Creek.

The exact location is not that important to me as long as it is picturesque.

Any recomendations will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

thelady

Hi
The Emerald Lake lodge is a wonderful spot and has gorgeous scenery for pictures. You may want to check out the helicopter tour in Canmore Alberta as well, they have great tours to "the mountain top" for that mountain top experince

moneygirl

Check out the Post Inn at Lake Louise. I have done extensive research on the Banff area over the past two months and this resort looks incredible.

poss

If you're at all "noise sensitive" (as we are), I think Post Hotel may not be a good choice: a not-infrequent train goes by the hotel and can be heard from pretty much anywhere on the property. For folks not noise sensitive, the place is no doubt lovely.

LindainOhio

We stayed in the least expensive rooms at Emerald Lake Lodge and loved it there. It does not really have resort amenities though, if you are looking for those--no spa, special activities.

Our room was quite small but had been updated and was cozy and charming. It had a view of the lake that was slightly obscured by the trees. A real woodburning fireplace was stoked and ready to light each evening when we returned from hiking. We would get our wine off the balcony and have a little happy hour before dinner.

We enjoyed breakfast and dinner in the dining room overlooking the lake. We also had a dinner at their more casual restaurant. We thought the food was good--loved the bumbleberry pie.

Emerald Lake Lodge has a spectacular setting but it is isolated. It was our favorite place on our visit to the area--we also stayed at Baker Creek and Beckers on our last trip.

We did visit one winter and stayed in Banff. I don't like to stay in Banff in the summer but in the winter, I think it is more apppealing. We skiied during the day so it was nice to be able to walk around the town and try out a few of the bars and restaurants in the evening. We stayed in a hotel though so I can't help you with lodging in Banff.

If you are looking for romance, I don't think you can go wrong with Emerald Lake Lodge.

Chris_Erica

I would recommend Thea's House B&B in Banff
http://www.theashouse.com/
Fantastic rooms and breakfast, and plenty of privacy. We stayed here on our honeymoon and I'd certainly recommend it highly for a place to propose! Off the main street in Banff so no noise from traffic, but near enough to be a few mins walk away.
Good luck!

teensy

The Emerald Lake Lodge is a beautiful place, but in Dec. the lake will be frozen and the view will be quite different. It is remote and not much to do closer than Lake Louise. The top of Sulphur Mt gondola is a beautiful place for a proposal and it operates, weather permitting, during the winter. Check out Baker's Creek Chalets outside of Lake Louise. The Rimrock in Banff is a large resort, but has a beautful view yearround and great package deals. The staff is very
accomodating and the rooms very nice.
It is located on the side of a mountain
outside of Banff away from hustle and bustle. Also, sleigh rides on Lake Lousie are very nice to set the mood.

poss

I've heard some reports that the heating system (or maybe it was the plumbing?) at Rimrock is very noisy. Would apreicate feedback from folks who've stayed there. Thanks-- and apologies for jumping in.

WanderingRose

So where did you decide to do it??
Please share!

Btw, have been to the Rockies 3x & Emerald Lake each time, as it was our absolute favorite spot from our first trip. Have stayed in varying rooms w/varying views.

If you need particular advice re: room locations, could possibly help if I dig up my old notes. I do recall that the room they upgraded us to was the esp nice...might have been a suite. It had a full wraparound porch which made it exceptionally neat vs. the smaller decks of the regular rooms.

But, like someone else said here...I assume the lake will be covered w/snow/ice & then, some of the beauty would be quite different...the green of the lake when it's thawed is just wonderful.

WanderingRose

I also feel Lake Louise during the off-season could be a 'find'...utterly different from during the hectic pace of high season. I think a sleigh ride would be very cool!

Dining would be nice at either Emerald Lake or Lake Louise...good options.
Btw, have also been to Banff Springs when snow started falling & it too was much more charming than during the high season.

But if you want a more intimate feel...clearly the big resorts can't offer that.