Post Hotel Lake Louise: New management, old charm

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[Translate to en:] Post Hotel & Spa

There are many top hotels in Canada, fewer top hotels with gourmet restaurants and very few top hotels with gourmet restaurants and first-class wine cellars. The Post Hotel in Lake Louise is one of these rare gems. And it also has a fabulous location in the middle of Banff National Park. Ever since I started traveling to the Rocky Mountains, the Post has always been my first choice. So I was all the more worried when I heard that the boutique hotel, which is part of the Relais & Châteaux association, was to come into new hands.

I admit it openly, I was a little skeptical when I made my way from Banff to the Post Office in Lake Louise in December 2024 for the start of the ski season. Would the Post Office still be the Post Office? Yes, it is!

Children still skate around the romantic ice rink in the garden, guests sit together in the lobby over coffee and cake and people still like to toast with a glass of champagne in the legendary Sir Norman Bar for après-ski.
The traditional hotel is located in the middle of Lake Louise with a view of the ski resort. Compared to other hotels in North American ski resorts, it is downright tiny. It is the personal touch that guests appreciate here. And the Swiss charm of the hotel, which is thanks to the two expats André and George Schwarz. Over many years, the two brothers from Switzerland have turned the Post into one of the most beautiful hotels in the Canadian mountains.

Fortunately, the two, who started out as ski instructors in Lake Louise, have handed over their life's work into good hands. Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts (CRMR) has bought the traditional hotel. CRMR has been operating a number of charming hotels and top restaurants in the Rockies for many years. The group appreciates individuality. That is why CRMR has changed virtually nothing in the Post - not even the whitewashed branches strewn with lights under the ceiling in the restaurant and bar, although this lighting design does take some getting used to.

The wine cellar with more than 22,000 bottles and over 3,800 labels is still the hotel's flagship. No compromises have been made in the restaurant either. On the contrary! The long-standing head chef Hans Sauter has now been awarded a Michelin star. The Swiss-born chef's four-course menu offers a sumptuous selection in every course. I would come back for every single dish. Sauter's Arctic char and the tuna tartare were great. The mushroom risotto was delicious, his classic black cod marinated in miso was terrific and the Cariboo fillet melted in the mouth.

As an alternative to fine dining, there is the "Outpost", a cozy sports bar with a long bar and open fireplace at the back of the hotel. The luxurious rooms are furnished in a classic alpine design. Many have open fireplaces for a cozy evening in the suite.

Posthotel
More about ski hotels, ski resorts and heliskiing in Canada in Bernhard Krieger's magazine SKI KANADA.