Here’s a first look at the revamped Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge

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From the outside, the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge looks much like it always has, but the moment you step inside the grand entrance, you realize it is shiny and new. Fresh off a meticulous multimillion-dollar renovation, the revamped resort has risen like a phoenix from the ashes of the largest and most destructive wildfire in Jasper’s recorded history.  

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Set among 700 acres in Alberta’s Jasper National Park, the surrounding scenery is still as beautiful as ever. Only now, the craggy peaks of the Rocky Mountains, turquoise waters of Lac Beauvert and old-growth forests of green and black paint a picture of nature’s beauty and resilience. Burnt trees stand tall over the landscape at the edges of the golf course, lodge and guest cabins — a reminder of the 2024 wildfire that tore through the park and destroyed about 30 per cent of the town.  

“Wildfire is nature’s ultimate reset system,” says Troy Mills, head golf pro for the luxury resort’s famous Stanley Thompson-designed course. “The fire was devastating, but the golf course acted as a buffer to save most of the resort and other parts of the park. After replacing wildlife fencing, replanting trees and extensive restoration work, the course is in the best condition we’ve seen in years.”   

Mills went on to explain that the golf course was far more open when Thompson first designed it. Over the past century, trees slowly crept closer to the fairways and greens. Remediation and restoration after the fire was an opportunity to bring the course back to what it looked like in 1925 – restoring Thompson’s original vision.  

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New wildlife fencing that surrounds much of the course is keeping elk and their sharp hooves off most of the greens and fairways, while allowing bears and other wildlife easy access. This means the “bear par” rule is still in place. If you see a bear on a hole, you get an automatic par.  

I visited the resort just weeks after its official reopening in early June, and while I managed to play a decent game, that legendary “bear par” eluded me. With all the bogeys I had on my score card, a free par would have helped.  

Looking back on the past 

The vision behind the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge’s $100 million renovation is all about honouring the property’s historic roots, and that extends beyond the golf course to updated guest rooms, a redesigned main lodge, new restaurants, refreshed menus and immersive outdoor experiences. Everything reflects a return to the lodge’s original values of wilderness, wellness and discovery. 

Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge ranks among the premier luxury properties in the Canadian Rockies today, but its beginnings were humble. In 1915, Jack and Fred Brewster opened Tent City — 10 canvas tents on the shore of Horseshoe Lake (now known as Lac Beauvert), available for $2.50 a night. 

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Canadian National Railways took over the property and opened Jasper Park Lodge in June 1922. Rather than constructing a grand, multi-storey stone hotel typical of the railway era, the company chose to let nature take centre stage, building log cabins and a main lodge marketed as the largest single-storey log structure in the world. When the main lodge was destroyed by fire in 1952, it was rebuilt with the same vision and aesthetic.  

“Canadian National Railways created a property with a heritage log cabin feel, and we wanted to honour that through this renovation,” says Violette Dalgleish, director of sales and marketing at Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. “We’ve preserved heritage elements in the main lodge, including the totem poles from the original 1953 building, while the new grand entrance reflects Jasper’s dark skies and the way winter light reflects off the lake.” 

Bringing the outdoors in

The flooring and lighting in the main lodge evoke Jasper’s renowned dark-sky setting with constellation-inspired fixtures representing Cassiopeia and Cygnus — an important navigational marker for early explorers — hanging from the vaulted ceiling. The redesigned layout opens the space yielding mountain and lake views from nearly every vantage point.  

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The main lodge’s new dining venues — Lume, Elderwood and The Barbicon — draw inspiration from the landscapes surrounding the resort. Lume celebrates light, Elderwood evokes the feeling of dining among the trees and The Barbicon steakhouse takes its name from a nearby mountain pass. 

Menus embrace the spirit of wilderness and nostalgia, from elevated takes on campfire classics to a signature s’mores dessert at the steakhouse. At Lume, the “Wish You Were Here” cocktail is served with a postcard that guests can fill out and have mailed directly from the lodge. 

Embark Outpost and Provisions, the new café, offers breakfast sandwiches and grab-and-go snacks while serving as the hub for booking excursions and activities — an essential part of the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge experience. 

Several new wellness and adventure offerings invite guests to connect more deeply with the landscape. During our two-night stay, my husband and I cycled around nearby Lake Edith, paddled a voyageur canoe across Lac Beauvert, roasted marshmallows around a firepit, and on our final morning, I even took a cold plunge in the lake. 

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The newly renovated lodge and guest rooms may be more comfortable than ever, but it’s the surrounding wilderness that has always made a stay at Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge so memorable. Some places restore your energy. Others remind you what matters. Jasper Park Lodge does both — and that’s what makes it so good for the soul. 

What’s new in Jasper

Jasper is making real progress rebuilding from the devastating 2024 wildfire. More hotel and restaurant openings are on the horizon.  

The iconic Athabasca Hotel was recently purchased by Decore Hotels who announced plans to spend $4.5 million upgrading and enhancing the property.  

The Town of Jasper recently approved a $2.25 million investment in the community’s transit system, which will be implemented within the next year.  

The famous Valley of the Five Lakes trail officially reopened on May 23, 2026 following a massive trail revitalization. The hike allows visitors to explore the dramatically changed landscape.   

Debbie Olsen is an award-winning Métis writer and a national bestselling author. Follow her adventures at www.wanderwoman.ca.   

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