Hotel Review – The Post Hotel Lake Louise
April 14, 2010
View from our balcony at the Post Hotel
A recent drive between Calgary and Vancouver was modestly shortened to include a night at the Post Hotel Lake Louise in Banff National Park. The Post Hotel is a member of the Relais and Châteaux group which bills itself as a collection of the ”world’s finest hotels and restaurants.” Members of the Relais and Chateaux group are supposed to uphold the 5C’s -- courtesy, charm, character, calm and cuisine.
Courtesy was definitely in abundance. Energetic twenty somethings from around the world were employed in a variety of positions but were especially noticeable as doormen and dining servers. All were engaging, friendly and courteous. Sometimes the level of service is a bit over the top but I suspect that the majority of guests staying in this sort of hotel expect it. The two Swiss brothers who run the place were in evidence and were quick to engage in conversation.
View of the Lake Louise Ski Area From the Post Hotel
The Post Hotel itself certainly exudes charm. Upon entering you find yourself in a bright and airy lobby. Comfortable chairs look out to the mountains and are set up so you can enjoy private conversations with your partner or friend. If it’s mid to late afternoon you can watch the comings and goings of guests while you enjoy tea, coffee and delicious pastries. There is a full service spa which according to my friend who visits often, is wonderful. There is a library and a bar area too with more reasonably priced food. Look for a pool and a decent sized exercise room for people who want to maintain their workout regime.
Our room was a standard king. It was well appointed in a European style with white duvets, good pillows and a small seating area in front of a fireplace. The bathroom was fine, but not over the top in its size and it seemed a tad dated. Aveda bath products were provided. Robes were also available. A small balcony overlooked the parking lot but it’s not a place I would want to spend much time; views of the mountains from the balcony though were excellent.
Calm is the one word I would take issue with and full disclosure on the part of the hotel is in order. Nowhere on the website did I see mention of the frequent passing of trains, and hence the noise associated with their passing. I booked the hotel via a real person and she also didn’t mention trains. My husband and I were both woken many times during the night by the trains. All standard rooms facing the parking lot are going to be subject to train noise. Disclose and provide earplugs.
Our calm was also interrupted at 6:20am by the bloody alarm clock. Although turndown service was provided (complete with a decent sized Easter bunny -- thank you) I and the people doing the turn down neglected to check the alarm clock which had obviously been preset. Perhaps a note by the side of the bed asking if one would like the alarm set or turned off would be worthwhile in a hotel of this caliber.
The Post Hotel is known for its fine dining and it lived up to its name. The menu was interesting though not inexpensive …the sort of place that’s an occasional treat. The wine list was the size of a small book and was fun to read. A few interesting wines could be ordered by the glass as well as an assortment of half bottles. I would have loved to try many of the wines on the list but they were out of our price range. Dinner was excellent and very filling since portion sizes are large. You really don’t need a full appetizer or salad unless you’ve burned about 4000 calories. I found the dining room to be very accommodating with friends who were late because of road delays due to avalanche blasting. Breakfast was also very good and daylight views from the table were particularly lovely.
The Post Hotel is in Lake Louise but not on Lake Louise. It doesn’t enjoy the amazing setting of the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. They are about 5 kilometers apart -- just so you know.
Post Hotel cabin
Would I go again? Yes, but probably in summer if I planned to do a lot of day hikes and for a real splurge I’d pick one of the cabins on the river so I wouldn’t have to deal with train noise. If you’re a skier though you’re only minutes away from the Lake Louise ski area and so it’s winter time location for some is first rate. At any time if you’re not traveling on a budget and you are planning to visit Banff National Park, then it would be a real treat to spend a few nights in a room on the quieter side of the Post Hotel.
Leigh McAdam
This Weeks Travel Tips From Blogs Around the World
March 18, 2010
Take a look at some of the blog articles and video I’ve discovered this week.
5 Reasons to take an Organized Tour - for the single traveler
Dancing Matt Goes Local - Matt’s got the locals dancing too; a must see video
7 Unconventional Budget Ski Destinations in Europe
5 Approaches to Exploring a New City
Deep Survival - a book review worth reading
and from magazines and newspapers (as opposed to blogs)
5 Things to do with your Old Guide Books
China to Connect its High Speed Rail All the Way to Europe
The Rental Car Squeeze
Leigh McAdam
9 Things to do in the Pacific Northwest in March
March 1, 2010
Climbing Stawamus Chief in Squamish in late March
It hasn’t been a hard winter in the Pacific Northwest but it doesn’t mean we aren’t all looking forward to longer days, especially now that we have a hint of spring in the air. It continues to rain alot in March so this list includes indoor and outdoor activities. Sometimes it’s the simple act of changing your scenery for a day or a long weekend that makes you feel that all is right in the world again. Also remember that accommodation rates are particularly low in March or April.
- Pick a hike you’ve never done before. This year hikes that might not normally be available till late April or even May could be open now. I did the Grouse Grind (still officially closed) twice in February and snow and ice was an issue only on the last 25 feet of the trail. These conditions are similar to what I’ve seen in May in other years. There are websites covering the Vancouver area, Seattle area , Washington State, and Oregon that should provide some inspiration.
- Take a surfing lesson in Tofino on the west coast of V ancouver Island named last week as the best surfing town in North America.
- Head to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival , 60 miles north of Seattle. It will be open at the end of March, a week earlier than usual. You”ll find over 300 acres of blooming tulips.
- Skiing isn’t over yet especially if you hit the higher elevations. Head to Whistler for some downhill skiing, the Callahan area for cross country or find tickets to see the Paralympic Games running from March 12-21st.
- Try biking from inn to inn through British Columbia’s Gulf Islands or Washington State’s San Juan Islands. Download your free guide from my website for both of these trips. Dress in layers and surprise yourself with how enjoyable it feels to be on a bike in March.
- Spend a weekend in Seattle. Visit Pikes Peak Market and the Seattle Art Museum. Check the Seattle Events site before you leave home. You’ll find five festivals occurring in the month of March including the Seattle Jewish Film Festival.
- Head to Ashland, Oregon, 285 miles south of Portland. Here the Oregon Shakespeare Festival has already opened for the season and you’ll have the town to yourself. The 6th annual choclate festival begins this weekend too.
- Tofino and Ucluelet celebrate the return of the Gray Whale during its annual migration. Head to the Pacific Rim Whale Festival from March 6th-14th.
- Take a culinary tour of Vancouver’s Chinatown every Saturday through March and end with a lunch.
Also for those of you with a twitter account, consider following me @hikebiketravel where I post travel deals as soon as I hear of them.
Leigh McAdam
My Personal Top 5 Places to Revisit
January 11, 2010
I admit it. I count countries. I tick off places in the book – 1000 Best Places to see Before you Die. But I do have some favourites that I return to again and again despite the lure of a new country. In no particular order they include:
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Tofino, British Columbia. Go at any time of the year for long walks on the beach, great restaurants and superb sea kayaking, excellent places to stay (which I might add have amazing deals if you subscribe to them online e.g. Long Beach Lodge, Middle Beach Lodge and Pacifc Sands Resort)and plenty of other traditional northwest activities like fishing and whale watching.
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Moab, Utah. Spring and fall are my favourite times to visit. You can’t help but enjoy the mountain biking, road biking and the unbeatable red rock hiking. I love to stay at the Sunflower Inn B&B.
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Baja, Mexico for the sea kayaking. It can be windy in December and January but February and March are pretty much the ideal time to go. I’ve kayaked out of Loreto on three locations and would set my sights on a Loreto to La Paz trip or a week in the La Paz area. Expect fantastic desert scenery, abundant bird and sea life with probable whale and dolphin sightings.
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The back country huts of Colorado. Although many of the huts are open in the summer as a hiking destination I prefer the challenge of skiing in. Hut favourites include the 10th Mountain Division Hut, Jackal Hut and Betty Bear. I don’t like Vance’s Cabin (too easy to get to) or Janet’s Cabin (too many people there).
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Hiking the Rockies between Banff and Jasper. You can’t beat the scenery and it doesn’t usually take much climbing to get a good view. It’s a bit of a toss up because the Colorado high country is also very appealing. You’ll have to choose between the danger of bears in Alberta and the probability of severe lightening storms in Colorado.
On the White Rim Trail near Moab, Utah
What are your personal favourites? I’d love to hear from you.
Leigh McAdam
founder, www.hikebiketravel.com
Whistler-Blackcomb Skiing
December 22, 2009
- Christmas Season skiing on Blackcomb Mountain
If you’re getting this blog and you’re a skier and you live close to Whistler then I highly recommend including Whistler-Blackcomb in your Christmas holiday plans, even for a day. The skiing is truly outstanding this year, putting the fun back into the sport.
Yesterday it was pouring rain in Vancouver but snowing hard up in Whistler for most of the day. Some hills had accumulations of over 15 inches of powder. What a treat! I just wish I’d been one of those first tracks skiers.
Views from Whistler - Blackcomb
You’ll help keep the winter blahs at bay with a healthy dose of exercise and fresh air. So forget the shopping and get yourself to the mountain. You’ll put a smile on your face!
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and safe travels.
Leigh McAdam
Some Winter and Spring Travel Ideas
December 17, 2009
If you’re a committed traveller then it doesn’t matter if the economy is sinking and your finances are faltering and the world as you know it is changing. Well, it does up to a point, but you’ll likely still find some way to travel somewhere out of the ordinary or do something out of the ordinary, somehow. Here are some ideas if you just want to go, though much better articulated by the famous Robert Louis Stevenson.
For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.”
- If you have about a month, $3000 (including airfare!!) and a good pair of walking shoes then head to St. Jean Pied du Port in France, the official start of the Camino de Santiago. Start walking and all your problems will disappear – except the pain of blisters and packs.
- Georgia O’Keefe’s big open sky country in New Mexico always beckons. Hike, cycle, ski and enjoy the galleries.
- Moab, Utah is another spot that calls me back time and again. Cold and sunny in the winter, uncomfortably hot in the summer but perfect in spring and fall. Hike or bike magnificent red rock country. Camp, stay at cheap hotels or at one of my favourite inns.
- Baja, Mexico is one of the few places on the planet that I would happily return to every year for a weeks worth of sun and sea kayaking.
- Hop in your car, outfitted with snow tires and shovels, grab your downhill and crosscountry skis and plan on 1-4 weeks away depending on where you live and how great the snow is. Drive from town to town, wherever the snow blows you, and try some of those ski hills you’ve only heard about on the Weather Network. A western Canada version was recently profiled though this would also be fun to do in eastern Canada and the eastern US (think Mt. Tremblant, Mont Ste. Anne, Sutton, Stowe, Jay Peak…) or in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Idaho (think Steamboat, Copper, Vail, Aspen, Telluride, Jackson Hole, Park City, Alta, Sun Valley…)
Contact me if you need more ideas but assuming you enjoy some physical activity you won’t go wrong with any of the ones mentioned.
Leigh McAdam
Beat the November Blues
October 28, 2009
The Vancouver forecast is suggesting two weeks of rain with the sun perhaps peeking out on only one of those days. I must stop looking at the weather channel as I just get depressed. However, it is the perfect time of year to start planning your winter adventure, a spring break or a summer vacation.
I am constantly amazed by people who have no idea what to do for a getaway, perhaps because they’ve been on one too many prepackaged affairs where they end up bored by the third day. So here are some ideas to chew on with today’s focus on winter adventures.
Cold weather trips
- Plan a ski trip to a locale where the sun shines more often than not. Places to consider are resorts in the British Columbia interior, Colorado, Idaho and Utah. Try Alta, Utah for amazing powder and Steamboat, Colorado for a friendly atmosphere. Silver Star Resort in the Okanagan offers some of the best early cross country skiing.
- Look for deals and head to Europe for a mix of skiing and culture. Enjoy the 2 hour slopeside lunches with a bottle of wine and hire the cute ski guide to take you off the beaten path.
- Sign up for the Canadian Ski Marathon, held in Quebec, in the second week of February. It is North America’s longest and oldest ski tour. It is a 2 day, 160 kilometre event where everyone’s a winner!
- Ski the Birkebeiner in Wisconsin over the last weekend in February. It is a 50 km course and the biggest ski race in the US.
- Head to Ottawa, Ontario and skate on the Rideau Canal the world’s longest skating rink. It has a cleared length of 4.8 miles.
Warm weather trips
- Travel to Palm Springs but without the golf clubs. Enjoy the daily sunshine as you hike on one of the 140 trails in the area. You can hire Phillip, the author of the book, to take you off the beaten track. (and my downloadable itinerary will be up by Christmas!)
- If it’s cold in North America then it’s time to visit South America. Try a backpacking trip in Patagonia, tour Argentina where great values are to be had or head to Brazil and the beaches. Airfares are high to get there but the rest of your expenses will be low
- Sea kayak in the Sea of Cortez in the Baja region of Mexico. A week of exercise, sun, beach and great sea and bird life should put a smile on your face. Try Baja Kayak Adventures for a reasonably priced trip.
- Head to New Zealand for biking and hiking tours. Throw in some wine, great beaches, sunshine and some of the friendliest people on the planet for an unforgettable experience.
- Asia offers value. Think about a trip to one of the following countries.
- Lombok, Indonesia with superb beaches and the possibility of a 2 day trek to the volcano, Gunung Rinjani
- Kuantan, Malayasia, 30 minutes by air from Kuala Lumpur where you’ll find both developed and undeveloped beaches
- Palawan, Phillipines for super clear waters and unspoiled corals
- Hua Hin, Thailand for beaches and golf though it is still a traditional fishing port
Stay active and stay tuned for more ideas.
Leigh McAdam
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