Deer Lodge
- March 20, 2006
- Rated 3 of 5 by
dch46 from Sleepy Hollow, New York
We had what was billed as a better room in Deer Lodge, one of the so-called Tower Rooms. The accommodations were comfortable, clean, well-maintained, and spacious enough for two. The lodge is a bit of a retreat, which means no television except for the one way below in the basement, and one computer available for guests, also in the basement. We didn’t mind these restrictions since we were there mostly to hike. The rooftop hot tub was very nice. The real issues I had with the lodge had to do with dining. The location, up very near to Lake Louise, means that the only dining places available are either in the lodge itself or a short walk down to the Chateau Lake Louise. One look at the prices in the latter convinced me that we would not use that option. The menu at the Deer Lodge is tired. A couple of fish dishes, lots of meat, and game dishes with various sauces. No pasta dishes, no vegetarian dishes, nothing for anyone seeking something interesting or original. We did eat there one night, and found the food well-prepared, but uninspiring, and expensive. Breakfast was actually bad: in two tries, a scorched omelet, burnt toast, and charred bacon (after ordering it lightly cooked). And expensive.
Dining in the village is not a lot better. The hotels have fairly boring menus, and the couple of other restaurants are not much better. In our 6 nights, we drove the 70-mile round trip to Banff three times. There was a much better selection there, better restaurants, and better prices.
However, the lodge does have a great location for hiking and skiing.
From journal Snowshoeing Near Lake Louise