The Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton is a landmark that many people will recognize.
Even if they haven’t been to Waterton themselves they know the hotel. It is as much a part of the park as any other part of Waterton.
The hotel stands guard at the entrance of the Waterton valley as you are traveling south into the park.
It is a very prominent building. If you are looking south from just about any place around the Blackiston fan or from the entrance road down towards Glacier National Park you will see the hotel.
Love – hate & the Prince of Wales hotel
I have a love-hate relationship with the Prince of Wales hotel. It takes away from the natural look of Waterton. But at the same time if it wasn’t there that piece of land would probably have been used by Parks Canada for offices. If not by the parks then by builders for houses and probably it would be a gated community.
At least the hotel has a nice rustic appeal that does blend in nicely with the Waterton landscape.
Probably the most boring time of the year to see the hotel is in the summertime.
A time when most people visit the park. The sun when it is so high creates very unpleasing shadows on the hotel.
But if the weather is a little bit cloudy or you’re there in the fall, winter or spring the hotel stands out dramatically.
Standing against the winds
If you’ve ever gone into the Prince of Wales Hotel it will amaze you as to how such a large structure can withstand Waterton’s relentless winds.
The creaking and groaning of the hotel is minor considering the years of hurricane force winds that it has withstood.
