Originally Posted by
CanadianConnection33
I think the answer to the question is: It depends on the Fairmont.
I was very recently a guest at the Chateau Frontenac and would answer 'yes' to this question.
The Frontenac has now returned to full gold benefits - the style is a bit different (still now restaurant-style service in the lounge, mask wearing, etc.).
But housekeeping and turndown are back and service is excellent. Of course you get the high level rooms.
In July, we were at the Lake Louise. There, my answer would be, "Only in July or August". The Gold rooms are better air conditioned. This feature only matters for maybe a week or two through the whole year. Outside of that benefit, I would say I thought the Gold benefits were nice but not justified by the cost. Yes the higher floors are nicer but one or two floors difference won't matter. It IS worth it to pay for a lake view.
For me, we paid about a 100% premium at Lake Louise but about a 40% premium at the Chateau Frontenac to access the Gold benefits so that difference contributes a lot to my expectations. The Frontenac's lounge is heads and shoulders above that at Lake Louise.
At no time is there a 100% rate premium for a Gold room at Lake Louise, if you're comparing like-for-like room categories. Gold Lakeview Rooms are pretty consistently ~30% to ~35% more than Fairmont Lakeview Rooms in the summer months. I've seen it over 40% in winter. Same with the Gold Lakeview Jr Suite vs. the non-Gold Lakeview Junior Suite, with about a 35% premium. For non-Lakeview rooms, the premium can be sub-20%, but there aren't many non-Lakeview rooms on Gold. To get a 100% premium, you would have to be comparing something like a Mountain View Room to a Gold Lakeview Junior Suite, which isn't really a comparison at all.
Also note that at Lake Louise, you get more than air conditioning on Gold. The Gold rooms are double the size of the Fairmont rooms. I couldn't care less about A/C in Lake Louise. I've spent north of 100 nights at the CLL, can't ever recall needing A/C. But if it is something you want, there are non-Gold rooms that have A/C. 7th and 8th floors (less than 50% of the 8th floor is part of Gold) in the main building, any room in the Mt. Temple Wing, and some rooms in the Glacier Wing on the lower floors. The rest just have ceiling fans.
I wouldn't pay a 100% premium for Gold at any time, and fortunately, you most certainly do not have to! If you really did see a 100% premium on like-for-like rooms, then somebody messed up loading rates at the time you booked.