It is undeniably one of the most incredible locations for a hotel! The view is absorbing and the main reason to stay at this hotel. So my starting position for the location alone is to give this hotel a 5 rating. I would strongly recommend paying for a room with a view. Clearly it costs more, but the ability to take in the view whenever you want is priceless (so look elsewhere to save money if need be). We slept with the curtains open and it was amazing to wake up at first light and see the sunrise reflecting off the glacier (head down to the lakeshore for great photos...you won't be alone, no matter how early it is!)

But the hotel has to be more than providing a shelter to see the views and that is where it fell short and hence the lower rating. There was the sense that it doesn't need to try too hard as people will always come to visit and in my mind the Fairmont brand is affected accordingly.

Having come from the the Fairmont Pacific Rim where the hotel was new and the service impeccable, our expectations were high. But over the course of our 5 night stay, we had ample opportunity to see that it was well below that standard. The building is much older and clearly has a different style - not a problem, but there are certainly parts of it that are in need of refurbishment (our room, some of the restaurants, bar and spa). Also, cleanliness did not seem to be a strength - we were lucky enough to have glorious sunshine, which struggled to get through the filthy windows and served to highlight the poor cleaning standards in the communal areas and bedroom.

But this could have been tolerated if the service had been up to scratch. Yes, there are hundreds of visitors passing through every day, including massive tour groups (note that the communal areas are open to non-residents, so you are often treated by staff as if you are any old person off the street). I couldn't work out if the staff were under pressure because of the sheer volumes or that they didn't care because of the revolving door. Wherever we went, the service became acceptable if staff were simply not rude. The concierge was so rude to us, we had to just walk away. The staff in the bar tried to make us sit inside when we requested outside (where there were a number of tables free) because they didn't want to have to clear them and so we just had to insist. The therapies in the spa were definitely below standard.

Would we return? Yes, absolutely, because of the view. Also, it is an ideal location for the lake with the options to hike and go horseriding, and good to visit the area (gondola, Lake Moraine, Bow Lake, Peyto lake, icefields parkway). But my expectations for the hotel would be lower!

Walliser stube - great for fondues with a decor which probably comes into its own in the winter months.
Poppy Brasserie - would recommend the game trio of bison, elk and venison - delicious.
Glacier Saloon - dark and dingy, serving usual diner fare but at inflated prices, but was often the only option if you hadn't made a reservation elsewhere.
Lakeview Lounge - not v clean, with arrogant/rude staff.
Chateau Deli - open 24 hours - great for early morning breakfast after lakeside photography session, as well as sandwiches, hot soup and a v tasty chilli (but if you are heading out anyway, I would stop off at the bakery in the village - much more choice)

We stayed over New Year's at the Fairmont. The hotel has a wonderful history and stunning views in every season. But our stay was marred by something that you would never expect to find. We stayed on the third floor and our room looked right out over the lake. Unfortunately, it was also directly above a major function room. There were wedding receptions with a DJ on two of our five nights. The noise level starting from 10 pm to midnight on both nights was akin to a college dormitory. When I complained to the Front Desk, I was essentially told that it was hotel policy to allow loud music at these functions. When I complained again on the second night, the on-duty manager was sympathetic and gave me a small credit. However, this was really not adequate compensation. Certainly any hotel, particularly one of this quality, is obliged to at least provide a quiet room to its customers at night. Senior management of the hotel, though, has clearly decided otherwise in order to make some extra bucks. Don't stay here if you think you are entitled to a quiet room, or at least don't stay in the room range of about 302-320.