Christina

The summer of 2002 I plan to go to the Canadian Rockies. I need to get some recommendations on hotels . . . I plan to stay in either Banf or Lake Louise, and then head on over to Jasper. I'm looking at more of the mid to upper level hotels . . . any advice? Now matter what, though, it has to have atmosphere. Please advise. <BR>Thanks!

John Pass

Christina- <BR>My wife and myself went to the Rockies <BR>for the first time this past July.We <BR>visited Banff and Jasper as well. <BR>We stayed at the Rundlestone Lodge in <BR>Banff.I would consider this to be a <BR>mid to upper mid level Hotel.The Hotel <BR>next to ours was the Caribou Lodge and <BR>honestly I think I would have stayed there if I had the chance,simply because <BR>the restaurant at the Caribou was very <BR>good.The Hotels in the Banff area are about the same in my opinion with the exception of the Banff Springs Hotel <BR>which is really like a castle.Banff has <BR>a lot to offer for the tourist,many hotels with restaurants,stand alone dining,plenty of sidewalks with shopping,and unique sights within the <BR>general downtown area.We went to the Lake Louise area twice in our visit,2 <BR>ways to get there from Banff-1 is via <BR>hwy 1 and the other is the more scenic <BR>Bow Valley Parkway,same distance but the BVP is very,very pretty-with wildlife also,I know my wife and I wore <BR>the tires off looking for those hidden <BR>roadside bears.Travel time to Lake Louise is about 45 minutes.Lake Louise is beautiful and is rustic outside of the Chateau Lake Louise (same property <BR>as the Banff Springs Hotel)we walked the <BR>path along the lake ,it is so pretty.We <BR>stayed around the paths and etc for a good part of the day then headed down to Moraine Lake,the drive to this lake is great and the Lake does not disapoint.We did a day trip to Lake O'hara in Yoho NP.This was our gem of the whole trip to Canada.Yoho is breathtaking and Lake O'hara is stunningly pretty.You have to make reservations to visit on day trips and <BR>you are on your own in the woods.The trails around Lake O'hara are plenty- <BR>easy,moderate,difficult-your choice.well <BR>marked.We left Banff via the Icefields <BR>Parkway for Jasper and this drive is a <BR>beautiful drive,very,very scenic.Peyto <BR>Lake is a must look at.This is a all day drive and could be stretched over a few days if you experienced all the marked stops,I feel confident we hit the highlights in a long day.Jasper was <BR>ok,I was a little disapointed with our choice in accomidations,the picture on the brochure did not match reality,and the parking was bad.The name of the hotel is the Amethyst Lodge.The town is <BR>a smaller version of Banff with shops, <BR>eateries etc.The drive to Maligne Lake is awesome.Just dont know what we expected out of Jasper(the town) we were <BR>a little let down in general.Some people may say that you go to the mountains for rustic living and yes you can find that ,but my wife and myself are casual dayhikers ,we enjoy scenic driving and for my half of the bargain - <BR>walking the sidewalks so she can shop for gifts -it is a nice tradeoff.That is why we chose Banff.One more tip-we <BR>could not afford the Banff Springs Hotel <BR>or the Chateau Lake Louise -but we did tour the properties and ate a meal in one of the many dining choices they have to offer-well worth it.I would suggest you take a look at the Moon guide to the Canadian Roockies -it is very helpful and about the best $14.00 <BR>you could spend.As you can see I enjoy talking about our trip,we had a blast and will go back ,the only thing I will do different next time is focus on more dayhikes and explore Yoho in more detail.You will enjoy yourself and bring lots of film!goodluck- <BR>Jp <BR>

Prue

Christina, <BR>We spent two nights at the Banff Springs Hotel in September this year. <BR>I certainly would not recommend it, and am sure there are plenty of better options in the town. <BR>It is picturesque, and certainly worth a visit, but that is all. <BR>Admittedly the second day/night of our stay cooincided with Sep 11, but the service even allowing for this was not good.

sheila seagrove

My husband and myself travelled through the rockies last year. We stayed at both the Banff Springs and the chateau at Lake Louise. We found both enchanting and the service excellent. However, our favourite was the Chateau whistler. Yoho Nat. Park is beautiful. We did not take to Jasper although we were only there one day. Banff town is well worth a visit.

Jim

I much prefer Jasper to Banff, which is very overcrowded and overpriced in the summer (Jasper is too, but not quite as bad). <BR>In Banff, you coud try the Buffalo Mountain Lodge or Douglas Fir resort for Midrange. Upper range is the Banff Springs (I dont recommend it- overpriced and not worth what you pay). <BR>In Jasper, the Jasper Park Lodge is the "class" of Jasper, but VERY expensive in the summer. For Mid-range, try the Pyramid Lake Lodge, or the Sawridge. I've stayed in both and they are fine.

Susan

Look at the Post Hotel in Lake Louise. On the high end most definitely. The best advice I can give you is too visit the prime tourist areas before 11 am or after 4 pm. A lot of the parking areas are small and fill up fast. You are then hiking from where you parked on the side of the road. Moraine Lake, Lake Louise, and Mt. Edith Cavell in Jasper are on that list. Hitting the Gondolas early also makes them much more enjoyable. We also enjoyed Pyramid Lake Lodge.

Nanci

My husband & I took our first trip to the Canadian Rockies this Sept. We are not big on "touristy" places. We absolutely loved Emerald Lake Lodge in Yoho Nat'l Park. I read other postings we tried to get to Lake O'Hara, but it was booked...call ahead. We were disappointed in Pyramid Lake Lodge in Jasper. OK, but not right on the lake like we were at Emerald Lake. In Banff we stayed at Buffalo Mtn Lodge (same resort as Emerald Lake Lodge). Found the accomodations very nice & service at both Emerald & Buffalo Mtn wonderful with very nice restaurants as well. Enjoy!