From historic ski lodges to rustic backcountry cabins and a mock-Scottish castle, we pick the stays in Canada’s Rocky Mountains that make the most of their setting...
Bar view inside the Fairmont (Fairmont Hotels & Resorts)
This hulking, 539-room hotel commands one of Canada’s knockout locations: on the edge of the Rockies’ most famous lake, with a horizon filled by spiky summits. In winter, you can even walk out of the door, strap on your skates and glide straight out onto the ice. And while the building looks curiously incongruous in this setting – more Las Vegas casino than mountain hotel – there’s no denying the luxury level or the grandstand mountain view from the rooms. There are several restaurants to choose from, as well as an impressive spa, and staff can arrange activities ranging from canoeing to horseback treks. A new wellness centre is also in the works.
More information: Rooms from around £210 per night, excluding breakfast; fairmont.com/lake-louise
Kananaskis Mountain Lodge as a 1970s-inspired feel (Alamy)
A part of the Marriott’s upmarket Autograph Collection, this is as close as the Rockies gets to a boutique resort. There is an undeniably retro, 1970s-inspired feel to the design, which seems more metropolitan-modern than mountain resort, and you’re certainly getting a unique setting for your money. It’s located way out in the sticks of Kananaskis Country, about an hour’s drive from Canmore; as such, there is ample opportunity for outdoor adventures nearby. Alternatively, simply head over to the hotel’s Nordic Spa, explore the indoor waterpark or hit a few holes on the golf course.
More information: Rooms from around £299 per night, excluding breakfast; marriott.com
A beautiful winter scene at the Post Hotel (Erik McRitchie/Post Hotel)
Established in 1942 as a ski lodge by renowned local guide Jim Boyce, the Post Hotel ranks as one of Lake Louise’s most enticing stays, and now operates under the prestigious Relais & Châteaux banner. Set in the middle of Lake Louise’s busy service town, the hotel has retained much of its original 1940s ambience, with walls crafted from local stone and hand-hewn logs, giving it the appearance of a more rustic escape. But this is an upmarket affair these days, and few could quibble with its 20,000-bottle wine cellar, saltwater pool, excellent restaurant and classy spa. Main lodge rooms are pleasant enough, but the waterfront cabins on the Bow River are quieter and have more character.
More information: Rooms from around £275 per night, excluding breakfast; posthotel.com
Skoki Lodge was Canada's first ski lodge (Alamy)
This log-built backcountry stay was Canada’s first commercial ski lodge, raised in the remote Skoki Valley in the early 1930s by members of the Ski Club of the Canadian Rockies. At an altitude of 2,164m, it’s seriously remote and is only accessible by hiking or skiing in via the 11km trail from Lake Louise. Once you arrive, it’s like stepping back in time: there’s no running water or electricity, the only light comes from candles and kerosene lamps, and it’s heated by wood-burning stoves. Meals are served communally, so you’ll be on first-name terms with everyone by the end of the day. And if you’re a stargazer, the night-time skies are out of this world.
More information: Rooms from around £200 per night, including all meals; skoki.com
Epic scenery surrounds the Prince of Wales Hotel (Prince of Wales Hotel/Colin Way)
In the early days of Canadian mountaineering, guides were shipped over from Switzerland to blaze the trails and cajole guests up to the summits, so there’s often an Alpine feel to the region’s old hotels. Nowhere is this more obvious than the Prince of Wales, which overlooks Upper Waterton Lake. Thanks to its gables, green-tiled roof and timber cladding, it appears as if torn straight from a Swiss chocolate box. From the uniformed bell-hops to the traditional afternoon teas, you’ll find an old-fashioned refinement here not common in the Rockies. Don’t miss dinner in the Royal Stewart Dining Room, which has a floor-to-ceiling window looking onto the water.
More information: Rooms from around £150 per night, excluding breakfast; glacierparkcollection.com
Lake O'Hara Lodge is the ultimate off-grid Rockies refuge (Alamy)
Hidden in the backcountry of Yoho National Park, beside a photogenic lake that requires a permit to visit in summer, this is the ultimate off-grid Rockies refuge. The only way in or out is via a rough 11km access road, which is closed to public traffic; guests are ferried up from the parking lot aboard a shuttle bus in summer (Jun–Oct), or ski in during winter. The old lodge was built in 1926 and its eight rooms are still furnished in 1920s style, but it has since been bolstered by the addition of lakeside cabins built from local cedar wood. The location offers access to many trails off the tourist radar, and the lodge is a fun place to share tales of your adventures. There’s no wifi, no phone reception and no distractions – just silence and hikes galore.
More information: Rooms from around £500 per night, including all meals; lakeohara.com
Tekarra Lodge is charmingly old school (Alamy)
For something more traditional than Jasper’s modern hotels, Tekarra Lodge is the ticket. It’s charmingly old school, with each of its small cabins having been furnished in a rustic, frontier style: cosy lounges, log fires, self-catering kitchenettes and a cute gabled porch for watching the sunset. Its setting, on the banks of the Athabasca River, means that it’s a little removed from the bustle of Jasper Town, but that hasn’t stopped its restaurant from becoming a local favourite – the house special of meatloaf made with elk, bison, wild boar and forest mushrooms is well worth trying. Look out for evening craft sessions, talks and marshmallow cookouts by the campfire.
More information: Rooms from around £170 per night, including breakfast; tekarralodge.com
One of the premier cabins at Cathedral Mountain Lodge (Calgary Photos/Cathedral Mountain Lodge)
If it’s timber cabins you’re daydreaming of, then it’s hard to top the ones at Cathedral Mountain. Flung up on the less-touristed slopes of Yoho National Park, the cabins here feature all kinds of spoils: stone fireplaces, wood burners, polished timber floors and private verandas offering majestic vistas of Mount Stephen, Field Mountain and Cathedral Mountain. Better still, there are no TVs in any of the rooms, helping you to cut down on screen time. Meals are served in the main lodge, designed by Vancouver architect Brad Lamoureux, or if you want to take in the outdoors, ask for a picnic to eat on the banks of the Kicking Horse River.
More information: Rooms from around £320 per night, including breakfast; cathedralmountainlodge.com
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge is even more magical when the northern lights put on a display (Fairmont Hotels & Resorts)
Dating back to the 1920s, this is the oldest and grandest of Jasper’s resorts, located on a sprawling 283-hectare estate surrounded by forests, peaks and the glittering expanse of Lake Beauvert. Originally built for railway tourists, it’s by far the plushest place to stay in the national park, with lodge rooms, suites and signature cabins set among trimmed lawns and pine trees. This is definitely not a place where you’ll be roughing it: take a dip in the heated outdoor pool, relax in the spa or dine out in one of the five restaurants. The hotel even has its own boathouse, where you can hire a canoe for the day and go exploring on the lake.
More information: Rooms from around £214 per night, excluding breakfast; fairmont.com/jasper
Mount Engadine Lodge is the only place to stay in Spray Valley Provincial Park (Nick Fitshardinge)
While the crowds flock to Banff and Lake Louise, the quieter, wilder, emptier valleys of Kananaskis Country feel gloriously peaceful by comparison, even in the peak months of summer. This small cabin complex is the only place to stay in Spray Valley Provincial Park, and it’s a favourite for hikers and bikers looking to explore the trails in blissful peace and quiet. There’s a choice of comfortable cabins or rooms in the lodge, or you can go wild in one of the canvas glamping tents – or even a Mongolian-style yurt. Canmore-based Skala Adventures (skala.ca) leads guided treks to top trails nearby, including Commonwealth Creek, Rummel Lake and Tent Ridge.
More information: Rooms from around £200 per night, including breakfast, packed lunch and dinner; mountengadine.com
Moraine Lake Lodge are a set of modern cabins in Banff National Park (Moraine Lake Lodge)
Located 15km south of Lake Louise, Moraine Lake Lodge offers a glimpse of another equally celebrated panorama: the Valley of the Ten Peaks, which features on the back of the Canadian $20 bill. It’s a setting that the lodge makes good use of. This collection of modern cabins in Banff National Park is the only place to stay on Moraine Lake proper, with its well-equipped, private lodges set among peaceful forests of pine and larch. It’s also a great excuse to get out on the water. Slip away before breakfast, borrow one of the hotel’s canoes and paddle out onto the lake long before the day trippers arrive. The only downside is that the hotel is only open from mid-June to mid-September, so it sells out fast.
More information: Rooms from around £825 per night, including breakfast; morainelake.com
Fairmont Banff Springs is built in Scottish Baronial Style (Fairmont Hotels & Resorts)
This landmark Rockies hotel is a surreal sight, given that it looks like a Highland castle has been picked up, transported across the Atlantic and plonked down on the Canadian mountainside. Built in the 1880s as part of the Canadian Pacific Railway’s campaign to attract tourists to the Rockies, its extravagant, turreted edifice has been designed in Scottish Baronial style, and it affords a commanding view over Banff Town and the Bow Valley. Now owned by the Fairmont chain, it’s the epitome of mountain indulgence: huge rooms, a championship-level golf course and a 3,700 sqm spa fuelled by Banff’s famous hot springs. The Rundle Bar makes a fine spot for a sundowner, too.
More information: Rooms from around £353 per night, excluding breakfast; fairmont.com/banff-springs
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