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The Best Luxury Hotels
Jasper Park Lodge (tel. 780/540-4454): Amid the grand old railway hotels of the bygone era, it is the most modest of them that remains the most alluring. The Jasper Park Lodge, set on 700 acres of mountain meadow just outside the town of Jasper, with its bend-over-backward service, is the ultimate in civilized wilderness refuges. Guests stay in an array of out-buildings around the Lodge's private lake, in units ranging from a hotel room to a full suite. Canoeing and tennis, horseback riding and swimming, fine dining and cocktails, give the lodge a feeling of bygone-era privilege. The room service delivered on bicycle along the gentle path that runs alongside the lake doesn't hurt, either.
The Kensington Riverside Inn (tel. 403/313-3733): It's a little slice of Malibu along the riverbank in Calgary. The Riverside, with its less than two dozen rooms, is private, intimate, modern, and sleek. Cocktails are served in the inn's comfortable, expansive lobby lounge -- when weather permits, fireside. Warm grays and marble, dark leather and wood define the aesthetic. There is nowhere else in the province where you're likely to feel as much like a Hollywood star on hideaway.
Mount Engadine Lodge (tel. 403/678-4080): This is roughing it in the best possible way. Tiny Mount Engadine Lodge is about a half-hour north of Canmore on a rough gravel road. Off the proverbial beaten track, there are few travelers here; as you pass a network of pristine mountain lakes, you'll surely wonder why. At the lodge, perched on a bluff above moose meadows (well-named, as they meander along the mossy ooze through the valley below, oblivious to your presence), you can enjoy some of the finest home cooking in the Rockies while sipping wine on the patio. On any given day you can hear a pin drop -- or a moose bleat.
The Post Hotel (tel. 800/661-1586): Tucked away in a grove of trees in secluded Lake Louise, the Post is a wonderful antidote to Banff fatigue. Voted the best hotel in Canada by Travel & Leisure magazine in 2007, it's not hard to see why: Private, peaceful, and elegant while remaining homey, the Post has garnered an international reputation for impeccable service (it's part of the prestigious Relais & Chateau network) and easygoing comfort. Its award-winning restaurant doesn't hurt, either: Gourmet magazine recognized it as one of its top-three rustic retreats in the world.
Chateau Lake Louise (tel. 800/540-4413): Dramatic grandeur in the shadow of the Victoria glacier, the Chateau, like its sister property, the Banff Springs, teems with tourists almost every day of the year. Different from the Springs, though, is that here it doesn't seem to matter. Understated where the Springs is overstated, the Chateau has an old-world charm that's at ease in its rugged surroundings. Of course, the view doesn't hurt. On the shores of Lake Louise, the glacier that feeds it suspended high above, is one of the greatest vistas to be seen anywhere.
Banff Springs Hotel (tel. 800/540-4406): The grande dame of the Rocky Mountain hotels, the Springs has been plenty touristed and tarted up over the years, most notably when its grand entrance was built over to provide a more efficient guest-processing experience. But the views of the Bow Valley from the Rundle Room are still near unmatchable, and the service, among the best you'll find anywhere, keeps the Springs an experience worth having.
The Matrix Hotel (tel. 800/465-8150): A brand-new, of-the-moment boutique hotel, the Matrix is the urbanite's choice in downtown Edmonton. Sleek design and a soothing palette of browns and grays provide a perfect minimalist backdrop for whatever urban adventure you care to infuse it with.
Lake O'Hara Lodge (tel. 403/678-4110): Way off the grid -- 12km (7 miles) from the nearest road, to be exact -- Lake O'Hara Lodge is nonetheless hardly roughing it. Rooms in the main lodge, or rustic private cabins set in the midst of pristine mountain wilderness on the shores of Lake O'Hara, are wonderfully comfortable, if not plush, and the dining sublime. Maybe it's the setting that rosies everything up: This is one of the most beautiful places you'll come across.
Moraine Lake Lodge (tel. 800/522-2777): Not far from Lake Louise, Moraine Lake Lodge defines "romantic getaway." Rustic, charming rooms and cabins cluster along Moraine Lake, which is walled in by mountains along its shore. Take a canoe ride, stroll along the shore, have dinner in the arched, glass-roofed dining room and take in the surrounding splendor, or sit by your private fireplace in your room. This is about as romantic as romantic gets.
Hotel MacDonald (tel. 866/540-4468): Perched high on the banks of the Saskatchewan River in Edmonton, the MacDonald surveys the valley with commanding grace. You can, too, from the expansive patio overlooking the river -- or choose to view it from the stately rooms that recall an old-world elegance.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
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