where to stay?
 

Going to the Banff/Lake Louise area for 5 days in August. Am looking at Rimrock Hotel, Chateau Lake Louise, and Post Hotel as possible hotels. Want to stay 1 place all nites. Understand it's a 45 min. drive into Banff from Lake Louise. So, what is your recommendation for hotels? Thanks a lot.

I tried to get into both of these places, but they were booked in July - check out www.bakercreek.com or
www.cathedralmountain.com -- they look beautiful & are pretty reasonable rates.

I see that a lot of people talk about Rimrock for hotel in Banff, but my personal favourite is the Buffalo Mountain Lodge, not the regular rooms or suites, but the Premiere room! They don't look any different from the outside, but wait til you get in! The bathroom is the best, it's almost as big as the bedroom area itself. It has heated slate floor in the bathroom and foyer area, clawfoot tub and separate shower. The queen / king bed has down comforter, and balcony, and a woodburning fireplace. Try to get the upstairs (2nd floor) room, then you'll have the vaulted ceiling. It has a real cozy log cabin feel to it, rather than just another hotel room. I always try to stay there when I'm in Banff. it's CAD $180 a night in the offseason, so maybe $250 in the summer? But if you can afford it, check it out.

I just returned from a trip where I spent 2 nites at the Rimrock and 2 nites at the Post. I loved both of them. However I had reservations 6 months in advance. I would recommend which ever one you can get into.

We've been there several times. Beckers Chalets are great - you even get to put your thoughts in a journal. We've also stayed in Sept. at the Post Hotel - off season rates - it was wonderful. In the Lake Louise area, be sure to eat at the restaurant that looks like a train - very affordable for the area and great food!

Just got back from Banff/LL/Jasper. Stayed at Rimrock for 7 nights. Wonderful modern hotel with all of the luxuries. Amazingly quite and fantastic views. You could step out on your balcony (if you have one; very few do) and hear nothing but the wind blowing. Seemed like you were in the middle of nowhere. Visited the Post Hotel - Grounds look like Disney - Perfectly manicured. However, my wife and I enjoy Banff because there was also a beautiful small town there with lots of shops and restaurants. The Rimrock was less than 5 minutes away from the main street, but you felt a world away once inside the hotel. LL was not much of anything as far as a town goes. It was more of a truck stop type place. I'm sure the Post and Chataeu are wonderful, but I wouldn't want to stay in LL unless you don't want to be near a town of any sorts. LL has one shopping center and that's it. Banff to LL is around 40 minutes or less.
Don't miss Moraine Lake; MUCH nicer than Lake Louise in my opinion.

We, too, recently returned from Banff where we stayed at the Buffalo Mtn Lodge. It was very clean (again- get the "newer" rooms - I think ours was called a "premier" room) and very comfortable. The clawfoot tub was great after hiking all day. The outdoor hottub was great, too. Wish I could go back tomorrow.

I adored the Rimrock, can't wait to go back. We almost booked at the Buffalo Mountain Lodge, but as we like to dine in the hotel, go to the lobby/bar for drinks (Rimrock has an AMAZING one, huge windows and fireplace), we didn't want to have to walk in the open air to get to it, like you do at Buffalo (brrrr...cold at night!). We looked into Lake Louise, but what I read is that you're pretty much limited to your hotel since there's nothing else around there. We did visit however, and it was a lovely area...but I would have gotten antsy at night. It was a very easy drive there from Banff, BTW.

Stayed at the Post in 1999 and loved it. Make sure you do Lake Moraine and Emerald Lake. They are better than Lake Lousie. They both have beautiful properties on the water where we stayed a few nights. We did a couple of nights in each area. Great trip!!! Oops...just noticed you said in Aug., so you have probably already gone. Maybe this will help the next person.