need info. on lodging
 

Has anyone recently stayed at the Rimrock Resort, Deer Lodge or Muraine Lake Lodge? Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.
Also, is the Fairmont Lake Louise really worth staying at?

My family spent a night at the Rimrock quite a while ago. Did not have dinner there, only breakfast. The general ambience was very nice, and the room was pleasant. There was a large range of options for breakfast. Staff were very professional, polite and friendly. But that experience is not exactly recent.

My husband and I stayed at Deer Lodge recently, and we have eaten there on other occasions. We really like Deer Lodge for its quaintness, friendliness and excellent cuisine. The regular rooms are tiny, and even the so called large rooms in the Tower are only just okay from a size point of view. Yet we find the building so charming, we're willing to compromise on room space. But I would recommend staying in a Tower Room at a minimum.

The folks who own Emerald Lake Lodge also own Deer Lodge (and a hotel in Banff whose name I forget). All three properties get their game meat from the same game ranch. I'm a vegetarian, but last time we were there my husband had the elk tenderloin, and he said it was to die for. The breakfast selection is out of this world. One also can order a picnic lunch for hiking.

My husband and sons stayed at Moraine Lake Lodge for a weekend when I was away visiting my sick father. That was way back before the cabins had been redone and they were more modest than they are now. It was September when most of the tourists were gone, and my family loved staying there. They hiked and canoed to their hearts' content.

Since then the Moraine Lake Lodge accommodations have been revamped, and I understand they now are plush and comfortable. I would not stay there, however.

First of all, Moraine Lake is at the end of a 14 km road off the main road connecting the village of Lake Louise and the lake of Lake Louise. In order to drive anywhere in the mountains, one would first have to drive out on that 14 km road just to get to the main road, before one even started one's journey. Then, when one returned, one would have to drive back along that 14 km road again. It would be okay to do that a couple of times, but I imagine it would start getting old pretty soon.

Secondly there is only one restaurant at Moraine Lake. It's a pleasant enough restaurant, but I would think it too would start getting old after a while. Then, if one wanted to dine in Lake Louise for variety, one would have to drive back and forth along that 14 km road yet again.

Also, Moraine Lake is a very popular place, and its parking lot, which is not all that far from the Lodge accommodations, is choked with cars and tour buses throughout the summer.

The view of Moraine Lake from the top of the terminal moraine is my favourite view in the Canadian Rockies, but I have no desire to stay there.

We stayed at Chateau Lake Louise (the Fairmont property) between Christmas and New Year years ago, and it was magical. The Christmas decorations were enchanting.

But recent reports of the Chateau are underwhelming. Someone posted a trip report here at Fodors just after Christmas 2003 / New Year 2004. She said the hotel was clean, and the staff were friendly. However, the physical condition of the place indicated that it needed some TLC (a broken chair leg here, a sign falling off the wall there, wallpaper looking the worse for wear in spots). She also said, if I recall correctly, that the food was quite ordinary.

If you're looking for a place in Lake Louise that's more upscale than Deer Lodge (which, as I've said, I like), I've heard rave reviews about the Post Hotel.

Hope this helps.

Judy - did you stay at the Rimrock before or after the renovations?
We walked through the hotel just last weekend, and even had coffee at the coffeeshop, but did not stay there.
The hotel has a wonderful setting - it almost seems to "hang" on the side of a mountain, and has lovely views (from all the rooms I think).
I would choose the Rimrock if I wanted a more pampered experience while on vacation; and any one of the many cabins in the Banff and Lake Louise area for a outdoorsy-wilderness mountain experience.

Borealis, we stayed in the Rimrock before the renovations, and we thought it was lovely then, so I can't imagine what it's like now. We haven't been in there recently.

We're more inclined to stay in smaller, quainter places like the Georgetown Inn in Canmore (although I've made a note of the Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge as a result of your review).

We stayed at the Rimrock to humour friends with whom we were travelling, but we did end up enjoying it nonetheless.

We also stayed at Chateau Lake Louise to humour family members with whom we were travelling. We had booked the smallest mountain view room they offered. They messed up our reservation, were not able to give us the room we'd booked, and ended up giving us this big lakeview suite at no extra charge. We lucked out there!

Deer Lodge's prices represent a splurge for us. We went there for a special anniversary, and ended up being very pleased with our choice.

Hi Judy -
I hope that I didn't give you the wrong impression of the Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge. It isn't in the same league as the Rimrock, or Post Hotel, or Chateau Lake Louise. It is quite basic (standard) in terms of amenities (although it apparently does have a sauna - we did not make use of it).
However, it was clean and comfortable and a "steal" in terms of cost of accommodation in the mountains. It makes a great home base for skiers (both downhill and x-country). I'm not sure what it woud be like to stay there in the summer (yes, it does have A/C) because of the location, but that's the same problem most of the hotels/motels etc on Bow Valley Trail have - they are on a busy street and at least a 10 minute walk away from the edge of main street Canmore. In the winter that seems to matter less than in the summer when one spends more time just being outdoors.

We explored the Rimrock because we were curious about the two restaurants there (Eden and Primrose), and now regret choosing Buffalo Mountain Lodge for a special dinner instead of Eden. Not that there was anything wrong with Buffalo Mountain Lodge (service was excellent, ambience was very good, and the food was fine but not as good as I had expected).

Do you know anything about the Kensington Inn in Calgary?

>>>>>>I hope that I didn't give you the wrong impression of the Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge. It isn't in the same league as the Rimrock, or Post Hotel, or Chateau Lake Louise.<<<<<<

:) No, Borealis, you didn't give me the wrong impression. I quite understand the difference. The Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge would be more in line with our normal travelling pattern.

The Rimrock, Chateau Lake Louise and Deer Lodge are places in which we've stayed on specific occasions for specific reasons, but they aren't our usual accommodations.

Even the Georgetown Inn, which is in a very different league from the Rimrock, is not a place in which we stay in the summer, when the rates are higher. We typically go there for a weekend get-away in March, while the shoulder rates are in effect.

I have not stayed at the Kensington Riverside Inn, only passed it. It looks very appealing to me, though. It's a 4 star hotel with only 19 rooms. One of the benefits of it is that it's just across the Bow River from downtown Calgary, and within walking distance of downtown. Yet it's not in downtown, and easier to access if one is just using Calgary as a one night stop between the mountains and an outwardbound flight. One doesn't have to negotiate downtown's one way streets, etc. Also, the neighbourhood of Kengsington has a pleasant ambience, some "different" shops and a great selection of restaurants. Although they aren't quite the same thing, Kensington has some of the feel of Edmonton's Whyte Avenue.

But the Kensington Riverside Inn would be outside of my normal travel budget. I suggest people think about the Kensington Riverside Inn if their travel budget ordinarily would take them downtown to, say, the Westin.

I hope I've answered your question.