Paul_H

After ten days’ solid skiing and snowboarding at Fernie in Feb/March of this year, my wife Esther and I were looking forward to kicking around the Post Hotel at Lake Louise, having a bit of a look around, basically not doing much of anything for a couple of days. A couple of solid sleeps in were an essential part of that plan.

Unfortunately, this was not to be. On the first morning, my wife was woken up at 5.30am with the day’s first light streaming through the window, This was because the hotel has paper-thin curtains, instead of the proper, block-out curtains that most hotels, even the Quality Inns and Motel 6’s of the world, seem to view as an entry-level requirement.

The hotel staff did move us onto the other side of the hotel, away from the morning light, into an upgraded room. This was all very good until it transpired that that side of the hotel faces the car park, which is lit up like Disneyland all night. Plus there is a very noisy train line on that side of the hotel. So while my wife wasn’t woken up at 5.30 the next morning, that was because she never got to sleep in the first place.

Turn-down services, chocolates on pillows, etc are all very nice, but for all of its high-end cues, the Post failed to deliver on the most basic and fundamental task a hotel is meant to perform – the provision of a decent night’s sleep.

At time of posting, our two complaints – one in writing when checking out (manager absent at time of complaint), the other by phone from back home in Australia (manager absent at time of complaint) – both remain unanswered by management at the Post.

Another more minor but frustrating annoyance with is that you have to be in a certain grade room before you warrant a tea and coffee-making facilities.

ltt

i'm very sorry you did not enjoy your stay there. i'm quite surprised as your' is the first negative review i've ever heard about this hotel. 99% of the people on tripadvisor.com rate it as excellant.
for people who are sensitive to light and noise, i recommending investing $10 and buying a good set of ear plugs and one of those masks for your eyes. they take up almost no room in your suitecase. then, if you happen to end up at a hotel that doesn't suit you, at least you can get a good nights sleep.

poss

Paul H: thanks very much for your report. It's exactly the kind of detailed info I always hope to get on these boards. Sorry your time at Post wasn't perfectly pleasant-- but I really do appreciate your taking the time to spell things out here.

Paul_H

In reply to itt, I do know of the existence of earplugs and eyemasks, the unfortunate thing is that some people - particularly light sleepers - have trouble sleeping in them.
The thing is, regardless of whether they work or not, should you really have to wear an eyemask in a hotel? Surely - especially given the tariffs they charge - a hotel of the Post's supposed standing really could invest in some decent curtains?
I do know that the Post gets lots of favourable reviews. In fact, my staying there was on the strength of the reviews in this forum.
Unfortunately, in this instance the hotel failed to live up to those reviews.

herself

Even the best of hotels can not satisfy everyone. My experience at the Post was excellent. It is the best hotel I have ever stayed in. The beds were the fantastic, the heated floor in the bathrooms was a pleasant surprise. Food was A one. Service without glitch. This is the first negative I have heard of.

poss

The poster did not say he didn't enjoy the food or heated floor, etc, etc. He mentioned several very specific details-- for which I (and I assume others) are grateful. He has done a service to the Fodor talk board. (If folks have stayed at the Post and found that the particular details are NOT correct, it would be impt to say so, in order that the hotel not be falsely "accused." Otherwise, his criticism is well-taken.)
I so much appreciate everyone who takes the time to report on these boards. I love reading the positive reviews, and I greatly appreciate folks who detail whatever negatives they experience. Everyone has diferent "need, different "druthers." It's great to be able to see mixed reviews and pick and choose what would work best for oneself. Thanks to all!

bob_brown

If the Post is so bad a place, why is it that it consistently gets high praise and frequently books solid?

I had heard nothing good comments until I read this posting. Be interesting to know the originator's history of enjoyment at other hotels.

All I can say is that we stayed in a motel right in Lake Louise village, much closer to the CP tracks and I don't recall any train noise.

In Field, where we have stayed many times, the main line of the CP is within a couple of hundred yards of the apartment. I don't recall ever being disturbed by trains, and they were constantly going by.

I suspect this is a troll, or all the cards are not on the table.

starfish1

No he's not a troll, just an unhappy customer. Paul, sorry your time at The Post wasn't what you had hoped. I remember you planning for this trip a while back. You picked an awesome year for snow in the west. How did you enjoy Fernie - it sounds like you scrapped the plan to split your time between it and Silver Star. Fernie is my all time favourite and you must have felt right at home with your fellow countryfolk. I hope it was everything you had hoped for!

Paul_H

In reply to Starfish 1,

Thanks, you're absolutely right. Fernie is awesome. Great snow, great terrain, great ski/boarding school (do the snow week if you can, and if you're a boarder hopefully you'll get Anouk as your instructor), great food. Go to The Wood at least twice. Once for the Alberta tenderloin, once for the duck. I know I will.

In reply to Bob Brown,

I do have a pretty rough-looking head, but I don't know if I'd go as far as calling myself a troll. I'm not the manager at Chateau Lake Louise, either. I'm merely a person posting my experience of a hotel. That's what this forum is about, Bob. People post their experiences - both positive and negative, for the benefit of those who might be contemplating a trip there. And as I said in my reply to itt, I know I'm something of a lone voice in my negative report on The Post. The thing is, that was my experience, and it is up to the readers to decide whether or not the issues I had will be an issue for them.
As far as your not being woken up by the train at Field, I'm absolutely delighted for you. Sounds like you're a fairly sound sleeper, as am I. The thing is, my wife is not. And I'm not married to you. I'm married to her.
By the way, at time of this posting, our complaint to The Post remains ignored.

puffinx

Dear Paul,

Is the Post Hotel the concrete monster smacked right at the Lake Louise?
I was there two years ago and almost cried when I saw that structure. Who in the world could build anything so ugly?

I am a light sleeper too and stayed in just too many convention hotels when I had to, on business. I do not think I enjoyed any of them much. But when I want a vacation in the mountains, a cabin in the woods is just fine with me. I know it is not for everyone but……..

Judy_in_Calgary

>>>>>>Is the Post Hotel the concrete monster smacked right at the Lake Louise?<<<<<<

No, that would be Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.

Here is a photo of the Post Hotel:

http://www.posthotel.com/

puffinx

Judy, I made a horrible mistake. Sorry to all.

laurelee

The Post Hotel has been one of my favorite places to stay-ever. AND, I have done a far amount of traveling and stayed at some nice places. That being said, I did make special requests because I had read about them on this site. I specifically asked for a "preferred" side room (so I wouldn't be on the train side and the parking lot side). Other than that, we had a pretty basic room on the creek side and we loved it. At night, we could open our sliding glass deck door and hear the creek below, and sit out on the deck and enjoy ourselves. I do remember saying to each other, however, that if we had a room on the train/parking lot side-it would have made all the difference in the world.
As far as the lighting is concerned, that didn't bother me--I'm a very light sleeper-my husband is not.
Just thought I'd add my two cents since I may have been one who talkd highly of the Post. Sorry your experience wasn't as good there.

Paul_H

Just to keep everyone informed, it is now April 12, and our complaints to Post Hotel management- the first of which was in writing on March 5 - remain unacknowledged.

herself

What do you want the Post to say?? "Gee, we're sorry the sun was shinning during your stay?
If you are the only complain the Post has ever received about this why would they respond? They moved you to a better room and you still complained. What else are they to do? Everyone in the hospitality business knows that there are some people you just can not please. You simply put them on a list and you do not take any more reservations from them.
This experience simply gives you another thing to specify for your next trip. Don't take a room without darkening shades.

Intrepid1

Herself, do get over YOURself on this...I can see why you aren't running any hotels as you invite discrimination lawsuits for not taking reservations from someone who had the absolute temerity ot lodge a compalint.

Paul_H

Dear herself,

What I would like the Post to say, is, er, lets see now ... something.

As opposed to nothing, which is what they've said so far. Responding to a complaint - whether you agree with the complainant or not - is a fairly stock-standard practise in any category, and, you'd think, even more important in one that's commonly referred to as the "hospitality" industry.

laurafromtexas

Paul, you're absolutely right. I would expect an acknowledgement too with perhaps an explanation of things they're considering to aleviate similar problems in the future. I ate at a local coffeehouse 4 or 5 years ago and had REALLY bad service. I took the time to fill out a comment form but never received any response. I have never gone back -- not because of the food or service, but because of the management's lack of follow-through.

stanbr

As an Albertan I have watched this posting for some time and have been waiting for someone to point out the flaw in the original posting.

I guess it falls to me.

Here is a quote from Paul H.

"On the first morning, my wife was woken up at 5.30am with the day’s first light streaming through the window"


You see, I live in Calgary and it is my daily routine to soak in my hot tub every morning at 6 AM and I have never seen the sun in Feb early March before 7:30. In fact on Feb 28, the official sunrise in CALGARY, was 7:28, which is a full two hours after the 5:30 sun rise Paul H was complaining about.

Interestingly enough Calgary is in the prairies 200 kilometers east of Lake Louise. The sun does not rise in Lake Louise until it passes the mountain peaks which is at least 15 to 20 minutes later than Calgary.

I cannot dispute that something bothered the poster enough for him to make a complaint here, however, the sun rising and disturbing his wife's sleep at 5:30AM is not possible in late Feb or early March.

amack

I am currently sitting at the Post Hotel and I can tell you that the comments from Paul H are quite hard to believe. I believe that perhaps the staff at the Post have not returned his call or request because there are some people who you just cannot please. The Post Hotel is probably the best Hotel my husband and I have ever stayed at. We have been all through Europe often staying at five star hotels and find that nowhere can you find the personal attention and wonderful atmosphere like the Post Hotel in Lake Louise. It is worth every penny of the cost and more. Each and every room has sheers and drapes which block out the light. The hotel upgraded this couple and they still were not happy. I have owned and operated a business which involved service to people and there are some who will never never never be happy.