OVERVIEW
Winter Season: November – April
Summer Season: May – October
Province: Alberta
Accommodation: Yes, on site
Min Age: 19
Jobs: Bellperson, Concierge Agent, Cook, Dishwasher, Servers, Bartenders, Baristas, Front Desk Agent, Resort Activities Attendant, Room Attendant
Interview Locations: Online visa Zoom or in person in Australia in March or June
Ski Pass: A free season lift pass is not provided by The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. However, the Hotel provides a payment plan – where they will purchase your ski pass from Lake Louise upfront and you can have this cost deducted from your wages (payroll deduction). As the hotel offers higher wages than working directly for the Ski Resort you will find this more than covers the cost of your pass being deducted.
Nestled on the shores of the turquoise waters of Lake Louise, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is an iconic Canadian hotel located in the heart of Banff National Park.
Lake Louise is an adventure lover’s dream. In winters, colleagues spend their days snowshoeing, ice skating and skiing at the award winning Lake Louise Ski Resort, a local’s favourite hill for its massive ski area and “Champagne Powder”. Lake Louise is also a quick 45 minute drive to Banff’s Sunshine Village & Mt. Norquay ski resorts. Summers are filled with hiking (Lake Louise has been dubbed the ‘Hiking Capital of Canada’), camping, biking and of course, canoeing on the Lake.
Lake Louise is a small community that goes above and beyond to ensure their colleagues are comfortable. This includes offering subsidized staff accommodation, one complimentary daily meal in our staff cafeteria, discounts at hotel restaurants, our spa and the Banff Springs golf course, discounted travel at Fairmont and Accor properties in Canada and around the globe and much more.
STAFF ACCOMMODATION
Double Occupancy Apartments
These four person units consist of two bedrooms that share a kitchen, one common room area with two sofas and a coffee table, and one bathroom. Each person will have a twin bed, dresser and closet. There are also loft-style units which host two people in the upper area and three people below. These units consists of two shared bedrooms and have a balcony feature.
Cost: $9.50/day per person
Colleague Facilities:
- Colleagues Pub
- Colleague Convenience Store
- Basketball Court
- Laundry Facilities
- Staff Gym
STAFF BENEFITS
Subsidised Staff Housing
Subsidised on-site, furnished accommodations are available for as little as $9.50/day.
Ski Hill Transportation
Daily colleague shuttles to the Lake Louise Ski Resort.
Complimentary Canoe Vouchers
During the summer months, colleagues can paddle on Lake Louise for free! Subject to availability.
Wellness Gym Package
Rockies Gym is our fitness facility includes a great selection of cardio equipment, free weights, and cable and weight machines. ($35 per month membership fee, or $135 per year).
Colleague Pub
Lake Louise has its own colleague pub located in the Colleague Services building. Staff events are frequently hosted here like Name That Tune, Bingo, Trivia and more!
Staff Cafeteria
One complimentary meal each working day. Hot meals can be purchased for as little as $5.00.
Destination Travel Program
Discounted stays and experiences at all Fairmont and Accor properties around the globe.
Free Outdoor Gear Rental
We offer free outdoor sport rentals to our colleagues from colleague services, these include: bikes and helmets, volleyballs and basketballs, paddleboards, camping equipment and more!
Food & Beverage Discount
Employees enjoy a 30% discount in our hotel dining outlets.
Colleague Events
To celebrate the hard work of our employees, the hotel will organise a series of colleague events throughout the year including festive galas, holiday events and barbeques.
Ski Pass
A free season lift pass is not provided by The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. However, the Hotel provides a payment plan – where they will purchase your ski pass from Lake Louise upfront and you can have this cost deducted from your wages (payroll deduction). As the hotel offers higher wages than working directly for the Ski Resort you will find this more than covers the cost of your pass being deducted.
Helpful Statistics on The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
Situated: The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is located 7 minutes from Lake Louise the Ski Resort and is set next to the famous Lake Louise itself. It is not owned by Lake Louise so this is a separate employer to the ski resort.
Size of Hotel: This property boasts 539 rooms.
Staff Housing: Location comes with shared staff housing onsite. Rooms are usually 2 people per room with single beds. Housing is allocated by The Fairmont and once you have a job contract is when you can put in any requests of who you want to share with.
Nightlife: Lake Louise township offers minimal options other than a few bars. Anyone seeking nightlife will need to drive to Banff, roughly 45mins driving. Staff generally frequent the staff bar or book a night in Banff or weekends or days off.
Aussie saturation: Saturation of Aussies is high in this area.
Temperature: The temperature during the summer is lovely but can get nippy as soon as the sun dips below the mountains. In the winter this location can get down to -20 on a regular basis
Job Roles on offer: Predominantly housekeeping and back of house roles. There are limited front facing roles in the front of house for experienced hotel front desk applicants and a range of front and back of house food and beverage roles. The range and number of roles changes from season to season based on the number of returning staff.
Career progression: This employer is world renown so it will look great on your resume. For those looking to climb the management ladder, you will need to stick around for back to back seasons. Keep in mind Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is part of the Accor Group who operate various hotels around the world. Should your performance be outstanding you could transfer to an employer in your home country. Those wanting to start a career in hotels…our recommendation is start in Housekeeping. Why? Simply because when you get to be a front desk or hotel manager you will have complete appreciation and understanding of how the back of house operates.
You also have the opportunity to transfer to other Fairmont locations like Whistler, Banff Springs or Jasper from season to season.
Ski Pass: This hotel does not offer a free ski pass. This property does offer a range of staff benefits (please see our website). Staff are offered to salary sacrifice their wages so you can purchase the ski pass.
Location: Lake Louise is 40mins from Banff and roughly 1.45/hrs from Calgary airport. The resort of Lake Louise is a 7min drive from the township of Lake Louise. The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is actually up the mountain on the opposite side of the valley to the ski resort and 6min drive from the township of Lake Louise.
– Ongoing employment: The TWHC will assist with your first seasons contract. The ball is in your court – we help you get the job, you need to work hard to keep it. Ongoing extension of contracts are based on seasonal performance and at the determination of management, as is housing. Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise operates year round.
Why go here? Fairmont Lake Louise is known around the world for not only its incredible beauty but because of the building itself. Its like a Bavarian Castle!! This location is simply stunning. Loads of summer hiking and a killer ski resort across the valley – seriously like living in a postcard! You can internally transfer within the Fairmont family based on work performance. Once your visa is expired – you can transfer back to your home country within the Accor Group of properties!!
Why to avoid this place? Due to its location and known stature on the tourist circuit, this place is busy…especially in the summer with grey nomads on organised tours! There really isnt much in the way of negatives…its pretty killer.
During the winter if you are not good with very cold weather, this may not be the place for you!