Many years ago I came across a photo of the Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton, Canada. I gazed longingly at the photo of the Swiss chalet style hotel perched high on the hillside overlooking Waterton Lake, surrounded by mountains and told myself that someday I would stay in this hotel. Truthfully, this entire trip was planned around a two night stay at the Prince of Wales Hotel.
Occasionally, I would visit the hotel’s website and see that the next summer’s reservations had already filled. But from my bed late at night on May 25 of 2022, I took a peek and the website read: “Reservations for Summer 2023 Now Open!” The two room Prince Suite was available for a few days so I texted my husband who was downstairs and asked if we should do it. No answer. Another text letting him know that if I didn’t pull the trigger they would be booked. No answer. And then, I did it! I chose two dates late in August and made a reservation. (Thankfully the husband loves travel as much as I do, so he didn’t complain when he heard the news. Though I didn’t share the hefty price tag at the time.)
Needless to say, the expectations for this part of the trip were high! I had been sharing pictures of where we would stay for more than a year. I had dreamed about looking out one of those windows holding my steaming cup of coffee, experiencing the breathtaking panoramic views of the rugged peaks of the Canadian Rockies. So when we rounded the curve and the picture-perfect postcard view of the hotel first came into sight, tears fell from my eyes.
The hotel was all I dreamed it would be, from the short ride in the oldest elevator in North America with our bellhop dressed in a Scottish kilt to the sweeping views from the hotel lobby and our private deck, the Prince of Wales hotel experience was everything I thought it would be, and more!
Wanderlust Travel Diary 