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Lady Macdonald Country Inn

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  • 1201 Bow Valley Trail
     Canmore, Alberta T1W 1P5
    (403) 678-3665Website
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callen60
callen60
First Reviewer
5 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
1
Review
6
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Editor Pick

Our Home in the Rockies

  • February 5, 2009
  • Rated 5 of 5 by callen60 from Ozarks, Missouri
Our Home in the Rockies

Our stay here reduced winter to an abstraction (at least while we were indoors). Despite the subzero temperatures, there were no drafts, no cool pockets, nothing but comfort, giving us a chance to enjoy this wonderful place run by tremendously friendly and gracious hosts. This small, 12-room inn is housed in a building that’s roughly 12 years old, constructed on the site of an old farm whose cattle grazed to the east where Canada 1 now runs. Nicely decorated for Christmas, we enjoyed our one-night stay so much that we cancelled our reservations at a perfectly decent spot in Banff to return here for three more nights.

Tammy and Peter have run the Lady MacDonald for the better part of a decade. They previously owned a ‘soft adventures’ outfit, taking guests through the marvelous surrounding country, but gave up guiding to concentrate on the hotel. We constantly drew on Peter’s suggestions for local hiking and activities; Tammy, a culinary graduate, is responsible for the excellent breakfasts.

There are tons of special touches that make this a wonderful place to stay. Each night, something tasty is set out on the coffee table in front of the two-way fireplace: homemade chocolate popcorn, a plate of meats and cheeses, or perhaps a tray of chocolates, always accompanied by nuts and other goodies. Beers and wines (in generous servings, at modest prices) are also available, each one a personal favorite of the hosts.

The breakfasts were fantastic. They’re served in the rooms on either side of the fireplace, each with a view south across the roadway to the mountains on Canmore’s southern border. The cold buffet includes fresh fruit, cereals, pastries, and homemade granola (which is not to be missed), augmented by a freshly cooked entry. During our four mornings, that included waffles made from scratch with a berry topping, a breakfast wrap, and French toast. Eggs Benedict were also in the mix, but we missed them. Each plate is tastefully decorated, often with tiny coquitos, (a small, coconut-like favorite of Tammy’s that became one of ours; when we missed them on our last morning, a small dish of them quickly appeared).

We stayed in two of the 12 rooms, spending our first night in the Three Sisters, the premier room on the second floor under the main turret in the southeast corner. Despite all the windows, it was warm and cozy, and had a terrific view of its mountainous namesakes out the turret windows. The large king bed, in a wrought iron frame, was the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in. A gas fireplace faced the bed, which was flanked on either side by end tables. The room was spacious, with a sitting area between the bed and the windows along the north side. The large bathroom held a Jacuzzi tub large enough for two.

On our second stay, we spent three nights in the Vermillion Room. This first floor room was on the north side of the inn along the Bow Valley Trail, and again was quiet and warm. It was here that we figured out that the building was heated by radiant elements in the floor. This queen bed was also really, really cozy. A pair of chairs flanked the chest of drawers along the north wall; the ample bathroom was at the south end. Both rooms held plenty of space for coats, suitcase, and clothes.

We loved this place, and would return in a minute. It’s only 20 minutes from Banff, and makes a great base for explorations all over this area. Combine its comfort, terrific food and very fair prices (our one night in the Three Sisters was $207 in high holiday season with AAA discount; the Vermillion was $130 post-holiday prices), and it’s easy to understand why they have a large number of returning guests. We hope to be among them.

From journal Culinary Canmore

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