 Poster: A snowHead
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Morning All,
I'm starting to piece together some ideas for the family trip to Canada. We'll be travelling with two children, aged 6 and 9, both competent skiers for their age. We are trying to decide on starying in Banff or Lake Louise, so looking for accommodation that is child friendly and preferably not eye-wateringly expensive. The Fairmont in Banff ticks many boxes, lots for the kids to do beyond skiing, ski bus to the door etc etc, but of course if comes with a BIG price tag. I've looked at the Rimrock, however there is no ski stop nearby and it sounds a bit of a pain when managing children plus their skis to get the shuttle bus to the Mt Royal hotel then wait on the coach going out to Lake Louise or Sunshine. I'd appreciate thoughts from anybody that has stayed there however.
The other option is to stay in Lake Louise itself, the Post House Hotel looks to be the most suited towards children, again if anybody has any feedback, I'd appreciate it. It has the advantage of short hop to LL in the mornings, however I'm not sure if we would get cabin fever staying in LL for 10 days...
Thanks!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@ac505, You will get cabin fever in LL for 10 days! I would stay in Banff, it will give the kids more variety in the evening and more options for you in terms of accommodation and food each evening. Normal (Non Fairmont) hotels in Banff are pretty reasonable in the winter as it is their off season.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@ac505, we stayed at the Charltons Cedar Court with our boys. No restaurant, but our room had a small kitchenette which was useful and the Caribou Lodge is right next door. If you need kids to have separate beds do ask before arrival. What we thought was double plus twin (the family rooms are two separate bedroom with kitchen in between) was just two small double beds.
It was right on the bus stop although we hired a car as it meant we weren't stressed getting ready for a set time for a bus, although they did run regularly. There's also a pool there.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Our room was a Kitchenette Suite.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Anywhere on the main drag should be near the stops for the shuttles to all three hills. We've stayed in Banff Park Lodge and Rundle Manor apartments. BPL was room only, so we had to find breakfast each day, which can be a pain if you're also trying to get out for an early bus - we ended up buying some paper plates and instant oatmeal to eat in the room (I think breakfast in the hotel was pretty expensive for what we had). Rundle Manor apartments are linked to the Ptarmigan - they were getting a little run down last time we stayed (about 6-7 years ago, so they should have been refurbished by now!); you get a reasonable kitchen and 1 or 2 actual bedrooms.
With a 6 year old, I would definitely look for somewhere where you could cook, or at least has crockery for a take-away, in case you don't feel like schlepping out for dinner.
If you're driving, and don't mind doing so out there, on our last trip we stayed in Canmore, which saved a bit compared to Banff, but with a good selection of apartments; it was a little extra driving up to the skiing, though, so might not suit. We still ate in Banff a couple of evenings.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Cedar Court does complimentary continental breakfast apparently. Wasn't an option when we stayed, but I just had to look. There's also a pizza service on weekends.
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I've stayed at the Banff Aspen Lodge 3 times in the past and the Caribou once - the Aspen has a great breakfast but beyond that is a relatively basic (but nice) hotel so wouldn't suit the kids. In fact, I don't think I have ever seen any relatively young children there. A pool will be the key alongside some space for the children to play to ensure a successful holiday!
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We stayed in the Rocky Mountain Resort, which is a couple of miles outside Banff with a 5yr old. It was a full apartment, rather than a hotel, so living/dining room (with sofa bed) and a couple of bedrooms. It was only a five minute drive into town and there was a shuttle bus from the resort (and only a few dollars in a taxi). Ideal with children, as we could cook in the apartment, eat in the onsite restaurant if we wanted or go into town. Good swimming pool and outdoor hot tub. They also put on kids activities like games and campfire at the weekends.
We mostly used the car to the slopes but the ski bus stopped right outside the reception so was fine. We often had just a snack in the room and then ate breakfast on the slopes when we arrived
If relying on the ski bus its much better to stay in Banff than LL. There are buses from Banff to LL ski area every day but from LL village to Sunshine only a couple of times a week.
There's a definite lack of self catering apartments in Banff, something to do with the national park and subletting apparently. There are more up on Tunnel Mountain, again a couple of miles out of town - on the local bus route but not the ski bus
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Hells Bells wrote: |
@ac505, we stayed at the Charltons Cedar Court with our boys. No restaurant, but our room had a small kitchenette which was useful and the Caribou Lodge is right next door. If you need kids to have separate beds do ask before arrival. What we thought was double plus twin (the family rooms are two separate bedroom with kitchen in between) was just two small double beds.
It was right on the bus stop although we hired a car as it meant we weren't stressed getting ready for a set time for a bus, although they did run regularly. There's also a pool there. |
Avoid Ceder Court. Might try Caribou Lodge if that location suits.
But it's a quite a few blocks away from the main part of Banff. Personally, I found that location the worst of both world: too far from eatery & shops, not far enough for quiet and saving.
For just a 10 day trip, you maybe better off hiring a car. That gives you freedom to stay anywhere. And the car can come in handy for driving around sightseeing when you want a break from skiing.
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I'd stay somewhere downtown in Banff - lots of the hotels have pools and you are walking distance to places to eat and the Safeway etc. Though be aware it can be VERY cold in Banff especially at night so you might not be doing too much wandering if it's Jan/Feb. I remember being there one day when the ski hills were closed and you had to dash store to store as your nostrils and eyelashes began to freeze after 30 seconds.
Alternately Lake Louise remains an option if you're not fussed about eating somewhere different every night etc. Again hotels have pools, you can order in pizza and go up to the Lake and ice skate/ play in the ice castle at least one evening. You can always take the ski bus into Banff a couple of evenings and take a taxi back if you want shopping and a change of scene.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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What @Dave of the Marmottes, said. When I was there it was -40. Got up to a barmy -25 during the afternoon. We needed face masks and well fitting goggles, and 7 layers. We stayed in Banff which was nice and did day trips to LL. Visited the fairmont which was very impressive.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I don't know anything about kids, although Canadian ski schools seem to look after them very well.
| ac505 wrote: |
| ... stay in Lake Louise itself, the Post House Hotel looks to be the most suited towards children, again if anybody has any feedback, I'd appreciate it. It has the advantage of short hop to LL in the mornings, however I'm not sure if we would get cabin fever staying in LL for 10 days... |
If you mean the Post Hotel (not the Post House Hotel, which I've not heard of)... well I've never really noticed kids there, which could just mean that they're well behaved. It's Canada, so that's possible.
The whole point is that they have the best food around, for some guests at least. It's not the sort of place you'd go and then wander out looking for fast food, if you see what I mean. If you want that then go to Banff.
The Post Hotel is all very civilized, I'd really rather it wasn't talked about here 
Even though that's a great hotel, I think I'd need some more variety to keep me entertained for 10 days.
The Banff Springs is a huge ship but worth staying in once. Join the Fairmont "Club" and you get a slightly better deal sometimes.
As with all these places, it is what it is, and you can see that with a bit of research. I like Lake Louise mostly because of the Post Hotel. The hill's ok and in a good season you can get some great powder right by the piste, but overall Banff does get a lot of tourists, and none of the resorts (including Lake Louise) are ski-in/ski-out. It all depends what you want. I don't understand the kids thing, but the Banff side of the mountains gets pretty cold and kids may not like that. Places like Silver Star etc are hugely family friendly (lots of non-ski things to do in a safe car free environment) and have fewer tourists/ are cheaper/ get great snow. They are harder to get to - although the "getting to" is part of the amusement, if you do it right.
Banff is a tourist town and there's plenty of stuff if you like offline retail and a range of mediocre restaurants. I'd not worry too much about distance of hotels from the bus stop - it's not a big place and it's flat, so walking around's no big issue. The whole bus thing doesn't bother me, but it may bother kids. You can always rent a car.
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What time are you going? We've stayed at various hotels in Banff and they are all much of a muchness. We've also stayed at the Aspen that someone mentioned and we found it quite good for kids as we got a room that was sort of two rooms at once. Douglas Fir is a bit run down but it is good for kids. Its on tunnel mountain, so a bit of a way out.
Never stayed at the Post, but eaten in both the restaurant and the pub. I have heard their pool is nice. it is however the priciest of the lot. There are other nice places to eat in LL too, kids always like to food at the hostel, Deer Lodge has nice food and the chateau has a couple of options.
If you get a car, then staying at Emerald lake becomes an option for a couple of nights. Also if you get a car, Canmore may become a decent option. There are way more nice condo blocks, reasonably priced, nice pools, water slides etc and Canmore has loads of restaurants. its outside the park gates which is how come there are more condos and there is more development.
With kids in tow, I would come for two weeks and do a two centre trip. Maybe Banff /Lake Louise and one other, maybe fernie or Panorama which is great for kids, or Golden or Jasper.
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You know it makes sense.
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I've just come back (26.9.16) from a trip to Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff. We were in the Fairmont Lake Louise, and it actually snowed quite heavily overnight on 19th., although it was gone at lower altitude by the next day. On the basis of a non-skiing visit, I'd make a couple of points:
It's a 7-8 hour flight from Heathrow to Calgary and a 7-hour time shift, then a 1½-hour drive to Banff, 2 hours to Lake Louise. We travelled business class and so we slept OK, but even so, this was still quite a journey and a significant time difference. You need to be sure that you and your children can cope with the journey and the resultant jet lag. I'd echo the suggestion that 2-weeks is a minimum duration to make the journey worthwhile, and that a dual-site (e.g. Lake Louise + Banff) would work well.
The Fairmont is a self-contained luxury hotel. Its facilities are good but you are pretty much confined to the hotel complex, unless you want to trek into town, which I imagine isn't really worth the effort. It has a small Bistro (think Starbucks) but even so, you would probably end up dining at one of the bars/restaurants most of the time, which could be expensive, and not necessarily appealing to the kids.
Banff is a typical ski town, with lots of apartment and apart'hotel accommodation, which would give you more physical space per $ than the Fairmont. This might work better with kids - if the winter price differential is similar, you'd get a lounge and kitchenette for less than a small room at the Fairmont. It also struck me that there seemed to be more skiing area around Banff, but I'll stand corrected by anyone who's skied there. It's also very diverse and lively, which again might appeal more to the kids than the confines of a hotel.
If you did go for the Fairmont LL or Banff, sign-up to the Loyalty scheme. We got a bottle of wine and lake view as well as fast-track checkin.
Overall - and I know this is personal preference - I don't think that I'd do North america until the kids were a bit older and perhaps (a) better able to handle the flight and time shift and (b) appreciate the extra cost. But I know that a lot of people would disagree. Having been there, I can see the potential as a winter destination and I'd definitely echo how friendly and welcoming the Canadians are. Being able to converse in English is also a big advantage over The Alps, especially if the children are in ski school.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Luckily I keep ending up in the Caribou Lodge in Banff, its a great hotel and you get the best deal if you ring them up and book directly.
They have a small pool which children seem to love.
Good buffet Breakfast, ask about a deal on that for the kids when you book.
Its a cold 10 minute walk to the centre of town, where all the pizzas and bars are.
You can get a free bus down & back till about 10:30 at night.
The bus to Lake Louise I believe picks up from the hotel a couple of times in the morning, but I would consider renting a car from Calgary.
The Caribou has an underground car park so you can leave the kit in the car overnight and not have to rush for a bus.
I know that the Ski School at Lake Louise is very child oriented, and of course if you can ski you can get taken out by ski hosts who will guide you around the best skiing in the resort.
Nearly all Canadian resorts offer this guiding service ... make sure you use it, the same service would cost you about £100 per day in Europe. Enjoy your trip ..
If you like Canada which I'm sure you will try staying another year in Kicking Horse at my mates Holiday Home .. see link below.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@ac505, a bit late as well as you are probably sorted by now, but to answer your question about The Rimrock Hotel...it is excellent and personally I much prefer it to The Fairmont. We have stayed there on several occasions at various times during the season and it has never let us down, always a high standard. It is obviously much easier if you have a car as LL, Sunshine and Norquay are easily accessible and night skiing at Norquay with kids is always fun. We took our little one to Canada when he was 5 and 6 and it was no problem. The taxi ride into town in the evenings is quick and cheap and Banff itself is a cool town with lots of kid friendly restaurants. Hope this helps.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I would echo the idea to stay in one of the hotels along Banff Avenue as it will give you lots more evening options to keep the kids amused. The Ptarmigan Inn always looked nice to me as I walked past and it's not far from the centre. There's not much life in LL. You can use any savings to hire a 4x4 for a few days from one of the rental offices in Banff, you could do some trips up the Icefields Parkway (take some hired snowshoes and hike out onto a frozen Bow Lake, you will really feel the emptiness here), there's Johnston Canyon (take spiked soles) with its frozen waterfalls, there's walks/horse-sleds around the lake and ice skating on Lake Louise (hire skates from the sports shop in the basement of the Chateau), a trip to ski Kicking Horse Resort nr Golden or the cross-country trails around Emerald Lake (hire kit from the shop there).
There used to be an inclusive daytrip shuttle to Panorama that didn't cost hardly any more than a lift ticket, that could be a diversion for another day, the 90min journey through the empty Kootenay National park was eerily empty & quiet. Snowmobiling & dog-sledding daytrips weren't too pricey either. Night ski at Norquay was a different experience with all the local kids playing on the snowpark, nice lodge there too.
The shuttles buses are super-efficient, so no worries getting to Sunshine or LL for a day's skiing. Look into buying passes for the first few days in advance through your TO, they often are discounted. I seem to remember getting a 4day Tri-area pass for £120, but that was 8 yrs ago.
Be prepared for the awesome emptiness of the place and the distances, but the Canadian welcome is very warm and there's plenty of opportunity to mix it up a bit for kids and make the trip truly memorable, 10/11 days solid skiing at LL might not be fun!
I would suggest 4/5 days alternating skiing Sunshine/LL/nightski at Norquay, then get a 4x4 for 3/4 days to do some exploring inc a trip to ski KH & some of those other places I mentioned, then finish the holiday with a shuttle daytrip to Panorama and your last day snowmobiling/dogsledding.
As others have said, your biggest obstacle would be if you hit on some deep frostbite-inducing Arctic cold weather that sometimes drops down in mid-Winter! 
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