Moraine Lake Lodge

OMG what a location and view. It was our 2nd trip from Australia and we had previously stayed at the Fairmont at Lake Louise. Moraine Lake Lodge has everything and more, it is also a lot quieter (I do know others have stated it is really busy here too, but what can you expect from a location like this). The staff from booking to arrival were very helpful, informative and accommodating. The rooms are beautiful - we did not stay in the lodge but had a room seperate. The room itself was luxurious and the sunken seating area with a log fire was always nice to come back too! The resort offers a lot of complimentary items including breakfast, lunch (soup/sandwiches), afternoon tea, guided hikes (on set days), free canoe rides and nature talks. There are no laundry facilities provided on site and the room does not have a fridge or tv (items we did not miss, especially with the view from the room ). I loved that at any point of our 2 night stay we had the ability to walk down and around the lake, visit the rockpile at anytime or just sit and take in those amazing views. The restaurant is open for dinner but we did not eat there. It is expensive (still cheaper than the Fairmont), but well worth it for the accommodation, amenities and of cause those bucket lists views.

This was our third visit and sad to say we will not return. Let’s start with the positives! Ross at check in was a delight! Friendly, helpful and very service oriented. We were able to drive in early on the day of arrival and stay till 2 on check out day. We spent 2 nights at the Lodge. The room was spacious and bathroom lovely. Great amenities and bathtub perfect! Great cookies at teatime were a treat for sure! Now, for the negatives….breakfast was okay, but not great. First day, at our 9 am time, the buffet of pastries was paltry. It was better the second day, but on that day we were completely ignored by the staff member who had befriended another guest! Biggest problem is not the problem of the Lodge! It is the problem of too many people clambering to see this incredible UNESCO site. I picked up trash on the trail each time I walked outside! The rockpile looked like a mountain of ants from 6 am until 6 pm. Up there, I carried down a half filled cup of hot chocolate! Disgusting! People came to gawk and take their Instagram photo. They go off trail! They are loud! Buses kept discharging more people! So very sad to see this magnificent area overrun by so many people.

The Moraine Lake Lodge has everything needed to be a really great small hotel- lovely rooms, an exclusive location and nice amenities. But , for us, it just didn't measure up to its $1000+ per night tariff. Reception was friendly, but afterwards you kind of feel on your own. We asked about arranging private transportation to get to Lake Louise just down the road and were told the name of a company. They said we could look up their number and come down to use their "emergency" phone to phone them. A hotel at this price range should be a bit more accommodating. Our room was great, with a view of Lake Moraine and a fireplace that worked beautifully. Unfortunately we were anxious to try our steam shower which we had never experienced. It was broken- a detail that had not been pointed out to us. So I got to experience standing naked in the shower trying to figure out how to get the darn thing to work. The room could also be a bit noisy with all the day visitors lined up outside for the cafe and guests in the library below our room. So it wasn't a good place for a nap, but that is a small complaint. The high price tag did come with some perks. Breakfast was good and complimentary. There were free cold meat and cheese sandwiches around lunchtime and tea and cookies in the afternoon. Canoes were also free to guests of the hotel- not a small advantage since down the road at the Fairmont they were over $100 an hour. The hotel also had nice walks and hikes to take up your day. Perhaps the biggest disappointment was the dinners. We ate there both evenings (quite inconvenient to go anywhere else). The food was good enough but not great. Dishes lacked any depth of flavors or uniqueness to make them stand out in your memory. I asked about how my venison should be cooked and was told the chef always recommended medium rare. I said let's do that. It came medium and was a bit tough. Just not as good as we expected. I wanted to really, really like this hotel. But in the end, I can't say it was that memorable, save for being situated on Lake Moraine which is pretty spectacular.

We stayed at the very end of the season. The staff were fantastic and really kind. The room itself we expected to be truly ‘rustic’ but felt really luxurious - the sunken seating area with a log fire was so lovely to come back to after being out in the cold! We’d considered staying at Lake Louise but after a trip there we felt entirely justified to recommend anyone to stay here - Moraine Lake was quiet and felt much more intimate. We can’t recommend this hotel enough - the food was lovely (though breakfast was a little small, dinner was gorgeous and worth the money) and the privilege of being on the lake for all hours is well worth it. There were some lovely touches which just made this a great stay, from the complimentary afternoon tea, to the presentation from Joel, a local nature and hiking expert who puts on a brilliant presentation 3 evenings a week at the lodge. We really hope we can return one day.

Absolutely unbeatable location, we stayed in cabin 15 which had a great view of the lake. The cabins are comfortable (especially the bed) with a seating area beside a large window and log fire. There is also a small but perfectly placed balcony. The bathroom has all you need, The cabins have no telephones or tv’s but this adds to the charm. Also there is no mobile signal but panic not there is Wi-Fi, The main lodge has a great restaurant plus a cafe & gift shop, The staff are all warm & friendly. Not the cheapest option to visit the lake but certainly worth the money. Highly recommend.

We had a beautiful stay here where we woke up each morning and wished we never had to leave. Its such a cozy lodge and the staff all provided great service. We got married at the top of the rock pile and were met with a great dinner afterwards. Breakfast was really nice too! Cant wait to return one day.

Words can't express how uniquely beautiful this place is. The gorgeous blue of the lake, the imposing yet comforting jagged mountain peaks, the smell of fresh sweet spruce, and the stillness of the air at dusk create a magical setting. Daytime brings a steady throng of people, but the lodge is set back amid a meadow and so it is easy to join the admirering crowds or return to your room for privacy. And the rooms! Rustic yet exquisite with no detail undone: a super comfortable bed adorned with high quality bedding and chocolates to greet you, lovely views from your balcony to relax and enjoy your coffee, fragrant bath items....even your in-room wood fireplace is carefully and decoratively stacked for you to enjoy each day. The staff is always available to assist and, though all are young, very professional, and personable. Communications both before and during our stay were quickly responded to and informative. The on-site restaurant offers tasty meals, though the prices are higher than others in the area for the same quality. Yes, the price to stay here is high, but with the incredible setting and free canoe rentals, breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and programs in the evening, it is the quintessential mountain lake experience! Truly unforgettable and worth every penny!

We stayed here for one night last week to be able to spend more time at Moraine Lake. I am SO glad we did. Every room has some type of view of the lake. Breakfast/lunch included. Complimentary one hour boat ride also included. Also, a massive bonus is that you basically have sunset at the lake to yourself as all the tour buses are gone. That in and of itself is worth booking. My only complaint is we only stayed one night. Definitely recommend staying here when visiting!

I saw the Moraine Lake Lodge cabins when we visited Banff for the first time in 2018. I knew I wanted to return one day and stay in a cabin on the lake, and this year was the year! I figured we would be paying a lot for a fantastic location (which was not wrong), but every detail of our stay was absolutely wonderful. We have stayed in a lot of park hotels, but our experience here was next level amazing. The staff was so friendly and accommodating, the food was exceptional (I have never had such a delicious complimentary breakfast in any hotel, the afternoon cookies were divine, and our dinner was great too!), and the cabin was spotless and adorable. We could not have had a better stay and can't wait to return again in the future. It was most definitely the highlight of our trip!