ashley1245

Hello everyone,
My husband and I and our 2 year old will be going to Banff/Lake Louise/Jasper for 8 nights in mid June. Obviously, I can't find any availability with my free certs. I have 2 and my husband has 2. I have booked other lodging that is cancellable. However, I have heard that last minute availability can be good, after the tour groups do last minute cancellations. So, I'm willing to wait until the bitter end to see if something opens up. That being said, which of the properties would the certificate be the best use of? Keep in mind that I have a 2 year old, so space/separate sleeping space for her is key. Just to keep things fun, I'll also be 6 months pregnant. We are primarily interested in hiking easy/moderate trails and wildlife viewing.
So, we are happy to save our certs and use them in Hawaii or San Diego, if the Fairmont properties don't sound like a good fit for this trip. Our current accommodations have kitchens and a separate room for my daughter, so that's a consideration before hopping over to the Fairmont properties. However, it would save some serious money to use the certs and forgo our current accommodations. Any thoughts on which property might be the best fit for us? Was thinking Lake Louise for two nights so that we are there and can hike early before the masses of people arrive? And then maybe 2 in Jasper, as the Banff property looks like it might be a bit too bustling/crowded?
Thanks so much for any tips!
Ashley

Jasper2009

Do you have any room/suite upgrade certs (which are combinable with free night certs - case you weren't aware)?

The Fairmont rooms at both Lake Louise and Banff Springs are tiny, the ones at Jasper Park Lodge are marginally larger, but certainly not huge.

If it were me, I'd probably spend 2 nights at CLL, 2-3 nights at the BSH and 3-4 nights at JPL.

ashley1245

Hi Japser! Yes, I have the suite upgrades and the room upgrades--I should've mentioned that. Does that change things? Thanks so much!

Jasper2009

Well, it changes things in the sense that you can get a larger room or suite without paying for it.

CanadaDH

Do be aware that Lake Louise hasn't been accepting free night certs against a room with a lake view for the past year or so. So if the lake view is important, it could still be a great property to use your upgrade certs, but probably not in combination with the free night.

ashley1245

Ok, so I was able to get two nights, using my free certs plus a room and suite upgrade for a lake view junior suite at CLL. Sounds good, right?
Newbie question-does the fact I'm staying in a suite allow access to the Gold lounge? If not, can I pay for access? Thanks so much everyone!

Jasper2009

The Lakeview Jr. Suite indeed is quite nice, especially if you're not paying anything for it.

No, access to the Gold lounge is not included; you'd need to book (pay for) a Gold room/suite.

Regarding paying for lounge access: Generally, the answer is no. Occasionally the hotel allows guests to pay for lounge access, but expect at least $150/night.

Brendan

Both free night certs + one suite upgrade should be enough. Save the room upgrade for elsewhere.

BTW, there is very little to do in Lake Louise besides look at the lovely frigid lake or hike around it, and eat a meal. In fact, when I went to both Banff & Jasper, I just stopped in LL for an hour, then drove onward on Highway 93.

CanadaDH

I would disagree with you there. As someone who spends up to 10 nights at a time at this property, visits multiple times per year, and never gets bored, I find plenty to do in Lake Louise. In the winter, there is alpine and cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and ice climbing. In the summer, some of the best hiking trails anywhere are in the area. I'm not talking about the lakeshore trail filled with windshield tourists and bus visitors, but the real hiking and scrambling trails beyond it that go up thousands of feet in the surrounding mountains and neighbouring valleys. But if you're not into such outdoor activities, or if you make the mistake of going there in November or May, then I suppose one could run out of things to do.

There are enough trails around Lake Louise, Moraine Lake and Lake O'Hara area to keep a hiker occupied for decades. And by staying right at Lake Louise, it's easy to be up and on the trails before sunrise.

But if you use only a suite upgrade, you will only (officially) get the Mountain View Jr. Suite when upgrading from the base Fairmont Mountain View Room. If you pay for the Fairmont Lake View Room, your suite upgrade cert will get you the Lakeview Jr. Suite. Presumably, in this case, the basic Fairmont Mountain View Room was booked, the Room Upgrade was used to get the Lake View, and the suite upgrade to get the Junior Suite. That seems like a good deal. Personally, I don't see that as a waste. As I only ever stay in suites and gold floor rooms, I very rarely have a use for room upgrade certs, and I suspect many others are in the same situation.

Brendan

Touche', CanadaDH! I forgot about winter sports because Ashley (OP) posted that she will go in summer. As for hiking, I do it one afternoon for a change, but I can't envision doing it for 10 solid days! And hunting is forbidden inside National Parks.
The main thing I enjoy about nature is beaches & swimming (in water of 79F/ 26C.)

Also, after my daytime activities, I need someplace like Banff with things to do at night.

Finally, I'm surprised that a Suite Upgrade can be stacked on top of a Room Upgrade, or that there was any advantage to doing so. I always thought that Suite Upgrades booked into a certain type of suite, no matter which type of room was booked/ paid for underneath. Since you know this & I don't, is this just at a few Fairmonts such as LL, or at many or all of them?

Jasper2009

You are generally correct that a room upgrade cert and a suite upgrade cert cannot usually be stacked.

There are a few properties which (sometimes) allow this and/or have a more flexible upgrade policy in general (e.g. pay for a higher room category and use asuite upgrade cert. The Fairmont Lake Louise is one of these properties.

CanadaDH

Fishing isn't banned in the park? You have to buy a permit (not just a provincial fishing license), and there are additional restrictions (like, no natural bait, can't fish after dark, and a number of other rules), but you can fish within the national parks. I'm not really into fishing.

If you ever need some reading material to help you sleep, here is a link to the official regulations...

http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/PDF/C.R.C.,_c._1120.pdf

I avoid starting out hiking in the afternoon. Afternoons are when the clouds often roll in, so to maximize the good weather, I start out before sunrise so that I'm up in the high alpine areas during the best part of the day. I plan my route to be back by 2 hours before sunset, so I can have a bit of cushion for delays or problems, and still make it out while I can see (and if that fails, I always carry a headlamp and emergency supplies if I have to spend a cold night on a mountain).

I might hike consecutive days if the hikes aren't particularly strenuous (say, up to 12 miles or 3,000 feet of elevation gain). For bigger hikes, I will have a rest/spa day or two in between. After turning 40, my knees don't quite handle it like they used to. Besides, the weather in the mountains doesn't always allow plans to unfold as desired. The longer stay increases the chances of getting a good weather day.

Brendan

"Fairmont Rooms" and therefore cert. usage are available as of now for next week: July 19, 20, 21, 22, Aug. 2, 3, 30, 31! But Suite Upgrade availability is poor/ gone for most of these dates!

MSPeconomist

I would disagree about there being nothing to do at Lake Louise. The view is mesmerizing and the walk around the lake can easily be done more than once. For the kid, there's a small beach on the lake, although the water is likely to be cold. IIRC the property has indoor and outdoor pools, but both are old fashioned. The iconic hotel building is fascinating with its antlers hanging on the walk, shops, and variety of very different restaurants. Very nearby you find Lake Louise village and another very pretty lake (Emerald Lake?) that's different from Lake Louise.

If you go a bit farther and especially drive the back road toward Banff, you're likely to see wildlife and "bear jams." Driving up the "mountain" to the ski area means that your vehicle is likely to be surrounded by a herd (?) of big/curly horned sheep. However, moose sightings are unlikely, even at Moose Lake.

The easiest place to see elk is in Banff, either right on the streets and sidewalks or on the golf course next to the Banff Springs Fairmont. Another good spot is the conference center above Banff which has hiking trails, including one down the hill to Banff village.

The two year old should love the animal sightings, but don't let her get too close to the seemingly tame elk. Attempting to pet one can be a bad mistake.

CanadaDH

I don't ever recall seeing an outdoor pool at the Chateau Lake Louise. Indoor, yes. Outdoor, it was filled in years ago. And don't go swimming in the lake; it's glacial meltwater. At the height of summer, it might reach 5 degrees above freezing.

It looked like this in the 1950s...



The old walls surrounding the pool are still there, but it looks rather sad. I wish they would just tear it out and turn it back into nature.

Emerald Lake is actually next door in British Columbia, about 25 miles west on the Trans-Canada highway from Lake Louise. But, yes, there are numerous beautiful lakes in the area, many of which can be reached by car, and many you need to hike a ways to get to.