john_g

i am planning to go to the banff-jasper parks at the end of sept-early oct. and with the wildly conflicting reviews of the hotels am considering just going and figuring out lodging when i arrive. any advice on the prudence of this plan would be greatly appreciated.

Judy_in_Calgary

You should be able to wing it at that time of year.

ltt

i agree, at that time of year you should be fine.

john_g

thanks for the advice. having never been to the parks and with the contradictory reviews on trip advisor and fodor it's difficult to make an informed decision. any other tips you have on lodging would be great as, unfairly or not, i tend to put a little more trust in the opinions of residents. thanks again, john

Judy_in_Calgary

>>>>>>any other tips you have on lodging would be great as, unfairly or not, i tend to put a little more trust in the opinions of residents.<<<<<<

I don't see the logic in trusting the opinions of residents. Take the city in which I live, Calgary, as an example. Over the thirty years that I've lived here, I've stayed in three hotels in Calgary. There are other people who visit Calgary with some regularity who have stayed in far more of this city's hotels than I have.

I can tell you which Calgary hotels are well located for different purposes. I can also tell you comments that friends and business associates have made about various Calgary hotels.

But, in most cases, I cannot report what it is actually like to stay at this or that hotel.

I think other factors that influence people's hotel reviews on travel discussion forums are those people's travel styles, whether they prefer big or small hotels, whether they prefer urban or rustic enviornments, what their travel budgets are, etc. It really helps to know the reviewer's bias so that one can weigh his/her review accordingly.

I think that, if a poster wants useful information, it helps if he/she provides forum members with a lot of information about him/herself. It helps to know what their interests are (whether they are the hiking type, the town-and-spa type or a combination of the two), what their budget is, whether they like large hotels, small inns, self-catering chalets, B&Bs or whatever.

Knowing the time of year at which they'll be travelling also helps. For example, I personally do not like staying in Banff townsite in July and August. It's too busy for my taste. At that time of year, I prefer being closer to nature, as I feel one can be in the Lake Louise area.

In winter Lake Louise can hold my attention for a couple of days, but after that it's too quiet. So in winter my tastes are the opposite. I prefer Banff townsite.

In the autumn the competition between Banff and Lake Louise starts evening out in my opinion. Either of them is acceptable to me at that point. Banff has quietened down enough for me to be comfortable. But I still prefer Lake Louise, even if it's ever so slightly.

I find Jasper good at any time of year. I have often said that, if Goldilocks were to choose a resort town in the Canadian Rockies, she would choose Jasper. It is neither too big nor too small, neither too busy nor too quiet. It is just right.

john_g

hi, and thanks again. by residents i refer to those who live near and have visited these places more than once, as you seem to have done. you are right about personal preferences which is what makes reviews so uncertain and of course any property can have an off week or even month. don't know if you have traveled in the u.s. but in our parks only the old lodges are inside the parks so if you want to stay inside the park choices are limited and in some cases only one exists. the jasper-banff parks are so much larger and have so many more choices it does seem a bit bewildering. for example, i prefer quiet as opposed to the crowds of the big resorts but would like to limit driving time as much as possible so location is as or more important than cost(thats why i have ruled out the sunwapta and num-ti-jah and am considering pat.lake or alpine village in jasper-- paradise or baker creek in louise) although hiking is my primary planned activity, the gondola views and the icefields are enticing which is why i am concentrating on lake louise and jasper and just plan to make the township of banff a day trip. i have 7 days(9/28-10/4) and would like to split the time 3-4 days at lake louise then 3-4 days in jasper. i don't have a specific itinerary as i know plans and mountain weather aren't always compatible. looking forward to your recommendations. john (also please excuse me if this is a bit long winded i'm grateful for your time and insight)

Judy_in_Calgary

Thanks for the additional context, John. It helps a lot.

If you like hiking, I think you are spot on in aiming for Lake Louise and Jasper. In addition to that, the specific properties you are considering are good ones.

You are wise to go to the Lake Louise area first and Jasper next. Jasper’s fall colour peaks a little later than Lake Louise’s. This is counter-intuitive. I normally would expect a place that was further north to peak earlier. However, Jasper is at a lower elevation than Lake Louise, and that’s what accounts for it. Lake Louise’s fall colour tends to peak in the second half of September, whereas Jasper tends to peak around the first week of October.

Also, the road to Moraine Lake (9 miles from Lake Louise) can close for the winter any time from the beginning of October onwards. The same is true of the road to Takakkaw Falls in Yoho National Park.

I would recommend that you weigh your time slightly in favour of Lake Louise. That is, if you have 7 nights, spend 4 of them in Lake Louise and 3 of them in Jasper.

Hikes that are fabulous for fall colour in Banff and Yoho National Parks include the following:

• Larch Valley -- a half day hike that departs from Moraine Lake

• Plain of Six Glaciers -- a half day hike or more that departs from the lake of Lake Louise – can be combined with the Beehives and Lake Agnes to make a full day circuit that starts and ends at the lake of Lake Louise

• Lake O’Hara -- requires a reservation on a bus that has to be booked at least 3 months in advance

• Sunshine Meadows -- also requires a bus ride, but has the advantage of not requiring such an advanced reservation and so would allow you to see what the weather was going to be like before you committed yourself to it

While you’re in Jasper National Park, be sure to visit Maligne Canyon. If you like to see fewer places in depth rather than paying shallow visits to many places, seriously consider spending a full day in Maligne Canyon.

Hope that helps.

john_g

yes,judy,good advice. i had marked all but the lake ohara trek so thanks for the affirmation. i guessed from info i got from the parks that maligne canyon would be a place to spend some time as i have a fondness for waterfalls and mountain streams. thanks again for your help and i may be soliciting your advice in the future. also a quick thanks to ITT

newretiree

Hi, John.

As Judy stated, you can't go wrong with any of the 4 accommodations you mentioned. But I thought I would provide our experience, in case it would be helpful to you.

My husband and I have been to the area 3 times in the last 2 years, and have stayed in a variety of accommodations in Banff, Lake Louise, and Jasper. In Lake Louise, we have stayed in both Baker Creek Chalets and Paradise Lodge & Bungalows. Of the 2, we found Paradise more comfortable. We stayed in a Fairview Suite, which had a full kitchen (no dishwasher), separate living area, nice sized bathroom, and a deck off the living area. It was on the second floor facing the middle of the property, but the building backed to the woods. At Baker Creek, the creek and railroad tracks backing up to the property were very nice as well, but the accommodations weren't quite as comfortable to us. Without going back through my notes, I'm not sure of the price comparison, but I think the two were quite close. You would probably be comfortable in either. I think Paradise closes for the season around the end of Sept, but I think Baker Creek is open year round (not sure).

In Jasper, we have stayed at Patricia Lake twice - once with friends (Sept 05), so had the Premium 2 bedroom suite - the next time (Sept 06), just my husband and I stayed in one of their new suites. Neither time were we right on the lake, but we were out and about so much, that didn't matter to us. Both types of accommodations were quite comfortable. The new suites are very modern, and VERY comfortable. We would definitely stay there again. Since we had my mom with us the last time we went (May 07), we stayed in Alpine Village in one of their deluxe family cabins. It was very comfortable, and the area is wonderful. Right across the road from the river and the adirondack chairs. I also had the opportunity to visit a single historic cabin - looked to be quite comfortable also. The property is very nice, and conducive to being outside. We even had elk at the back of our cabin most days, eating both morning and evening. We would definitely stay here again also. I think we liked the location somewhat better than Patricia Lake. But both are terrific.

Enjoy your trip. It's a wonderful place to explore! And to return to again, and again, and again...........

john_g

newretiree,thanks for the critique. it always helps to hear from someone who has stayed at a property. even though it is still a couple of months away am really looking forward to the mountains.