CanadaDH

Canoe usage is not a status benefit. Actually, I'm not sure anything at the hotel is status based, beyond the standard Accor published benefits. Canoe usage is standard this year on the Gold floor. I've also always been given comped vouchers in the past, when not on the Gold floor, just in a regular 1 Bed Lakeview Suite. Gold floor attracts additional benefits at the hotel. Suite bookings attracts additional benefits at the hotel.

There are no reservations. You just show up at the canoe dock. There is a line for hotel guests, and a line for the general public. Pick a time when it's not too busy. There will be a lineup right around opening, but other times in the day, there won't be much line at all.

CanadaDH

I don't know if this should be posted in the Chateau Lake Louise or the Banff Springs thread, but the CLL now has a new GM.

Tracy Lowe taken over from Gregor Resch, who has been as the GM of the Chateau Lake Louise for the past 13 years.

David Roberts has retired from Fairmont, and Gregor Resch has been appointed to Roberts' former role, as GM of the Banff Springs Hotel and Regional VP of the Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper and Whistler properties.

https://www.hoteliermagazine.com/gre...banff-springs/

JCFans

Hey guys, staying at this property for a week and was upgraded thanks to Accor Plat to a 1-bedroom suite. Does this entitle me to complimentary breakfast and free parking as part of the suite offering? Or not because I was upgraded?

Thank you.

escape4

Wow, a suite for a full week! Great upgrade. What room type had you booked?

I do not think you will get breakfast since you are not Diamond. The upgrade is most likely just for the room itself.

CanadaDH

I think it's a case of YMMV. Technically, anyone booking a suite, enjoys "suite life benefits", which include parking and breakfast and some other benefits. In the old days of the FPC, you could book a Deluxe Room and use a Suite Upgrade Cert to confirm a 1 Bedroom Suite. Officially, that didn't entitle you to those benefits, but you would sometimes get it included and sometimes not. Let us know how it goes.

I heard they had a metre of snow last week, and the LL ski resort opens tomorrow, a week ahead of schedule! If you're skiing, let me know how the conditions are.

Maybe also report on the condition of the suite. The CLL has been doing a lot of guest room renovations in recent years, and all Gold rooms are done, all 2 Bed Lakeview Rooms are done, many Junior Suites and regular rooms. But, the last I heard, the 1 Bedroom Lakeview Suites hadn't been touched yet. I've been wondering if the downturn from COVID has presented them with an opportunity to finish needed renos, or if it had the opposite effect, causing them to halt additional spending while revenue is still down.

zwkchong

Sorry to dig up an old post but I can't find much on the Mount Temple suite online... I'm deciding between a Gold Lakeview room and the Mt Temple suite.

Based on your review, would it be safe to say the pictures on the website (attached) are baloney then? I understand if not all units are corners (I could only imagine there's one corner unit) but did your third floor suite have the large windows at least?

zwkchong

Hi CanadaDH,

After an amazing stay in the summer, the wife and I are thinking of heading back in January for the ice... With our discount program, we have quite a few room choices in our price range:

Gold Lakeview 2 Queens - we picked this last time and the room was spacious and fantastic
Gold Lakeview King - are these available in the larger room size?
Junior Suite Lakeview
One Bedroom Suite (non-lake view)
Partial Lakeview Mt Temple Suite

What would be your pick? Sadly the signature suites are not a choice

CanadaDH

The right choice depends on what you value most? Views? Space? Newly renovated? Lounge access? Depending on what you personally value most, might provide the answer.

I love great lake views, so for me, I wouldn't ever choose a non-lake view. On the other hand, in January, daylight hours are short, and if you're not planning on being in your room at all during the day, that fantastic view might become less important.

I really don't know if the Gold King and the Gold Q-Q room are of a different size. The website booking screen suggests that might be the case, but I wouldn't put a lot of trust in that. After they added part of the 8th floor to the Gold offering, they adjusted the description on the Gold King rooms to start at a lower size, to reflect the smaller rooms on the 8th floor. The fact that they never updated the size of the Gold Queen might have been an oversight, or maybe they really do use the larger versions of Gold rooms for Q-Q configurations. You'd have to e-mail the hotel to know for sure. If there are larger versions of the Gold King Lakeview, and you specifically request one, they'll probably honour that. It's not high season, so special requests like that should be easier to grant.

CanadaDH

I've never stayed in the Mount Temple Wing, however, from simply looking at the building from the outside, I can say with certainty that those large windows with the big arches are only on the top floor. The lower floor windows would be smaller. See photo below:

JordanWalker

If you're not booking a lakeview room, any downside to Mount Temple Wing?

CanadaDH

Probably not. It might even be better in some respects. Not that you really need A/C in Lake Louise, but all Mt. Temple rooms are air conditioned. The main building only has A/C in some areas/floors.

If you would have asked this question a couple of years ago, I would have said it might get you a more updated room. However, they have done a lot of renos in the main building recently. Main building renovated rooms are likely to be nicer that Mt. Temple rooms, but Mt. Temple rooms are likely to be nicer than the remaining non-renovated Main Building rooms.

It would also get you slightly more space, as Deluxe Mt. Temple Rooms are larger than Deluxe Main Building Rooms. There are no rooms in the Mt. Temple wing below a Deluxe Room. The Main Building Fairmont rooms are the smallest rooms in the hotel, but non-lakeview Fairmont rooms are also priced cheaper than Mt. Temple deluxe rooms.

If a lake view isn't important to you, I think it would be perfectly fine in the Mount Temple wing, although I've never personally stayed in it.

gcashin

Just as an FYI, the hotel has quietly increased their parking charge to $30/day within the past week or so. I'd stayed there last week and the pre-arrival e-mail from a week earlier had mentioned self parking charges of $20, but it was $30/day on the bill when I checked out.

The Lake Louise area is amazing, but the extra charges at the hotel seem to be very steadily creeping up ($30 a day self parking, $15 a day resort fee). I'm not even sure what the resort fee covers as the pool is closed, and many of the attractions in the area are outdoor attractions open to the public as part of the park.

CanadaDH

The resort fee has been $15/day for at least the past half-dozen years. I suppose you could make an argument that it should be lowered during COVID closures, as some of the included services are not currently permitted. I'm currently at the CLL for my annual 11-day ski trip, and I took advantage of the ski shuttle most days, so at least that service is still running. Actually, it's even been a private bus ride on a few of the days. I think the service fee also covers the ski valet services. It's also meant to cover any staff gratuities (aside from restaurant servers), which is why bell staff and parking valets will always refuse any tips.

I don't know about the parking fee, as it's always been included in my booking. The website currently says $30, but if you have an e-mail saying $20, can you not ask to pay $20 based on that e-mail?

gcashin

Good to know about the ski shuttle, so I guess there are some actual benefits for the resort fee despite many of the on-property amenities not being available.

For the parking, it was moreso a note to others to check your bill if the amount had changed since your pre-arrival email (likely just the case for this week). I'd noticed the discrepancy after they'd processed the payment at check-out and unfortunately the front desk agent didn't seem to be able to adjust the difference on the spot once the payment was processed, so it had to go to the back office to be adjusted.

Hope you're enjoying the milder weather for some skiing!

CanadaDH

It was nice, but I actually prefer the colder weather. Warm weather brings out the crowds. The lines on Monday, even after everyone supposedly went back to school/work, were worse than on the weekend, and even the holiday long weekend before that when we first arrived. A dump of snow and warm weather makes for nice skiing, but if it creates a 20+ minute lift line, I'll take the cold instead. Besides, I have electric boots and gloves, so I'm fine with the cold!

The hotel was certainly quiet mid-week. No issue getting a great table at any restaurant at any time. On a couple of the nights mid-week, the lounge staff indicated there were only about 3 other occupied rooms on the Gold floor. Weekends were a bit more lively, but still not full or crowded at the hotel (just at the ski hill or on the ice skating rink).