Montreal Travel Guide - Page 3
Anti-View / Montreal Hotel Reviews / Budget Hotels / → All Tags
Room with an Anti-View :: Hotel Europeenne in Montreal
You know the scene. You open the door to your brand new hotel room, run over to the window, open the blinds and bam, you are hit with the anti-view. Maybe you are looking down a dirty alley, witnessing a drug deal, staring at an air shaft in the face, or seeing a brick wall. Whatever you are viewing it is not extremely pleasurable. Help out your fellow hotel mavens by uploading your anti-views to the HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool, or by sending the photo along to us. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number with the not-so-easy-on-the-eyes view.
This anti-view from Flickr member HellaOakland's photo stream was taken at the Hotel Europeenne which at first glance looks as if they phonetically spelled out the word European. And who knows? Maybe they did and tried to pass it off as French. (Ok, it is French.)
Anyways, HellaOakland describes the view for us in the photo's caption:
It wasn't so bad. People complain about not having a good view but we don't care since we're not there to get a view from our window. This isn't isn't so bad though. I would get up in the mornings and look out the window to check out the weather. Sometimes I saw people walking by. Not a bad hotel for $59 a night.
Yes, that's a view at street-level but like HellaOakland says, what more can you expect for $59 a night.
Montreal Hotel Reviews / Sheraton Hotels / → All Tags
Le Centre Sheraton Montreal Really is in The Center
A recent tip-off from the Journeywoman website, which specializes in female-friendly hotels, restaurants and tours, has raved about the Le Centre Sheraton in Montreal. Apart from the fact that they keep a talking parrot near the pool (which we think is just gorgeous, as long as he says positive things when you strip down to your swimsuit), Journeywoman had this to say:
Their Club Level accommodation is divine -- the room is spacious (sun streaming in through large windows) and my well-appointed bathroom with large bath towels and as many washcloths as I needed made me feel like a travel princess ... . The front desk was more than willing to please -- when I needed an extra shopping bag, two staff members checked the hotel's nooks and crannies to try to locate one for me. Final bonus -- this hotel is so well situated I could walk everywhere. When I wanted a metro (subway) it was steps away. And best of all? The train station is a five minute walk from the hotel.
Other recent guests agree that the service is good and the rooms are clean, but it seems like if you're not in Club, things get a bit pokier (perhaps the hotel's nooks and crannies are in fact guest rooms for non Club members). You can, however, often pick up good deals online and for a reasonable price, the location is great for exploring Montreal. Or chatting with the parrot.
[Photo: euroterp]
Related Stories:
· Le Centre Sheraton reviews [TripAdvisor]
· Movie Set Travel: Blades of Glory, Montreal [Jaunted]
Killer View / Montreal Hotel Reviews / Intercontinental Hotels / → All Tags
Room with a Killer View: Intercontinental Hotel Montreal
We are suckers for a room with a killer view. We find that we are even more likely to forgive some minor hotel inconveniences if we can stare out the window at something pretty--yeah we are that shallow. Let's help out our fellow hotel mavens by uploading rooms with killer views to the HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool, or by sending the photo along to us. We will feature our favorites in this space from time to time. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number of the hot view.
Flickr user ajbelongia dropped this Killer View into the HotelChatter Flickr Pool of the Intercontinental Hotel in Montreal.
Here's what ajbelongia had to say:
View from room 2004 of Southern Montreal with the St. Lawrence river looking across the islands of the former Expo 67. The dome of the former US Pavillion (now the Biosphere Nature Museum) can be seen in the background.
ajbelongia also has some other sweet shots from the hotel room so be sure to check them out.
As for the hotel itself, the Intercontinental gets pretty decent reviews about being a good hotel for business travelers, thanks to its location near the city's financial center. But many reviews complain about the sub-par service and the internet that costs $14 a day. Ugh, now that doesn't sound like a good place to do business.
Related Stories:
· Intercontinental Montreal reviews [TripAdvisor]
Montreal Hotel Reviews / Killer View / → All Tags
Room with a Killer View: Hotel Montreal Gouverneur Place Dupuis
Since we had an abbreviated Killer View/Anti-View this morning, we thought it's only fair to give you a little more.
Hotel Maven John sent us this picture that he took last Thursday night from the Hotel Montreal Gouverneur Place Dupuis which is pretty spectacular...you know, for Canada.
Oh we kid, we kid.
The hotel is part of the Gouverneur hotel chains which has properties all over Québec. This particular location gets high points for its friendly staff, good location somewhat near St. Catherine street and reasonable prices. However, one reviewer said there are lots of college kids there on the weekend and another recommended upgrading to business class rooms for an extra-special stay.
Related Stories:
· Hotel Montreal Gouverneur Place Dupuis reviews [TripAdvisor]
New Year's Eve Hotels / Hotel Parties / Holiday Hotels / Montreal Hotel Reviews / → All Tags
HotelChatter's Rocking New Year's Eve: How Aboot Canada, Eh?
If you want to head north of the border to party Canadien style then the Place d'Armes Hotel & Suites in Montreal is the place for you. Casablanca bluffs will also be in luck as the hotel is building their New Year's Eve bash around this classic film:
The overall ambiance will evoke Rick's club, featuring Sam at the piano, and as the night progresses, a DJ will keep guests dancing into the wee hours.The sensual, luxurious décor has been imported directly from Morocco-including traditional lanterns, lamps and even smooth North African sand. With Baladi belly dancers, strolling violinists, men in the customary Jalaba costume, and more.
Food will be prepared by Aix Cuisine du Terroir executive chef Carl Röder and will include foie gras torchon; caviar and lemongrass sauce, lamb loin with roasted lobster tail, saffron beurre blanc, coriander and mint couscous, and for dessert, a chocolate and mint soufflé, along with orange ice.
That's not all either. The party will hold a raffle with the grand prize winner receiving a week for two in Morrocco that includes airfare, meals and accommodations at the Dorint Atlantic Palace & Casino. To add more drama to the raffle, the winner is announced at the stroke of midnight.
Tickets are $200 CAD (approx. $175 USD), plus taxes, and the doors open at 7pm. Guests are treated to the four-course meal, open bar with toast at midnight, music, and entrance into the raffle. For those of you staying overnight, and--who wouldn't?--rooms are still available for $225 CAD with breakfast and a wine and cheese cocktail.
Montreal Hotel Reviews / → All Tags
Hôtel de la Montagne :: Bonjour Regal Begal
Visiting Hôtel de la Montagne is like visiting a hotel out of an era gone by, we just can't figure out which era. We heard this was one of the only hotels in Montreal with a rooftop pool, so we checked it out.
The rooftop pool is a cross between a TRL scene (Carson Daly era) and a place Larry from Three's Company might frequent. The sangria is tasty, the view decadent, but the pool is tiny and the crowd is way more Carson Daly era TRL than Vanessa Minnillo era TRL. Come to think of it, the pool crowd really did seem more Regal Begal than anything else--at least the afternoon we were there.
Down in the hotel lobby you will find a golden water nymph staring you in the face. The entire lobby is Dubai kitsch, which somehow doesn't seem out of place, at least after visiting the rooftop pool.
As for the rooms, they are on the large, comfortable side and most come complete with oversized marble bathrooms (double sinks plus separate shower and bath). In general, everything in this hotel seems just a tad on the worn side.
The hotel is right next to the Crescent Street bar scene and just a stumble from Ste-Catherine Street.
Related Stories:
· Hôtel de la Montagne Reviews [TripAdvisor]
· Montreal Hotel Reviews [HotelChatter]
Montreal Hotel Reviews / Plateau Hotels / → All Tags
Hotel Godin :: Location, Location, Location
Hotel Godin is all about location. If you want to stay in a boutique hotel and have the Plateau right outside your hotel door, this is pretty much the only place to stay.
Walking up Ste-Laurent will take you first through Plateau Mont Royal's party district, full of trendy bars and restaurants, and then through a quiet area of beautiful parks and plenty of residential architecture. Staying on the edge of the Platueau is an obvious alternative to staying downtown, off Ste Catherine street, or staying in the middle of Old Town Montreal. However, you can most definitely hoof it from Hotel Godin to either of the aforementioned areas without an issue.
Ok, so we have established that Hotel Godin's location is top notch, but what about the hotel itself? As usual it really depends what you are after. We experienced great service--timely, thorough housekeeping, a concierge that knew where to send us, and friendly valets. We also enjoyed the sparsely decorated yet functional, decent sized rooms. On the other hand, Hotel Godin doesn't have a bar (yet), or a fully operational restaurant (they do serve a good breakfast daily), and the hotel charges $10.99 for daily WiFi Internet service (it is free in the lobby).
Without a bar or a restaurant, there is no hotel scene to speak of at Godin, but if you step outside your door you will find plenty to keep you occupied all the way until 3 AM.
Related Stories:
· Hotel Godin View [HotelChatter]
· Hotel Godin Reviews [TripAdvisor]
· Montreal Hotel Reviews [HotelChatter]
Montreal Hotel Reviews / Killer View / → All Tags
Killer View: Hotel Godin
We are suckers for a room with a killer view. We find that we are even more likely to forgive some minor hotel inconveniences if we can stare out the window at something pretty--yeah we are that shallow. Let's help out our fellow hotel mavens by uploading rooms with killer views to the HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool, or by sending the photo along to us. We will feature our favorites in this space from time to time. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number of the hot view.
Hotel Godin's room 428 provides guests a view of both down Sherbrooke and up Ste-Laurent--not bad at all. As the view hints at, it is the location of this boutique hotel that sets it apart from the old town boutique hotels--from Godin Plateau, Mile End, Downtown and Old Montreal are all easily reachable on foot. Le Plateau is just outside the hotel's front door.
Submit and tag your hotel photos in the HotelChatter photo pool
Related Stories:
· Hotel Godin Reviews [TripAdvisor]
Hotel Deals / Montreal Hotels / → All Tags
Super Secret Hotel Deal: W Montreal for $59 a Night?
We got this email in our inbox about a deep discounted room rate at the W Montreal. But it looks a little "if it sounds to good to be true it probably is" to us, so we'll leave it up to you to tell us if it is the real deal.
Icon is allegedly offering a room for $59 at the hotel, compared with the usual $379 room rate. This of course doesn't include taxes and travel must be completed by September 14th. There's no way to book online either. You can send the Icon group an email at icontravel@icon-intl.com or call them at (866) 210-3032.
We skipped on over to their website just to see what was shaking and we found out that the company is a part of Omnicon, a group of advertising and marketing firms, that engage in something called corporate barter. We could take the time to explain how it works to you but we wouldn't want anything to get lost in translation.
If this deal skeeves you out, then check the hotel's website for their own special offers. Let us know how it goes out there in hotel deal land.
Related Stories:
· W Montreal reviews [TripAdvisor]
Bad Rate / Hotel Deals / → All Tags
Bad Rate - Another Overpriced Romance Package
[Ed. Note: This is the Bad Rate in our Good Rate/Bad Rate Feature. This screenshot was taken on June 13, 2006 and rates are subject to change. Enjoy.]
In contrast to the good rate at the Omni Mont-Royal, boutique hotel Saint Sulpice offers a "Romantic Montreal" rate that's liable to create some finanical marital stress.
Boutique Hotel Le Saint Sulpice, in Montreal, wins lots of raves for its fine service, but their Romantic Montreal package is no bargain. Apparently they haven't noticed that the exchange rate has changed. For $400 Canadian (about $360 U.S. now), you can get a package deal of dubious value. It includes a horse-drawn carriage ride, a bottle of champagne, and continental breakfast.
If you decide to wander over to Expedia and reserve the room outright instead for a long weekend of July 7 through 10, it's an average of $240 per night, or around $275 Canadian.
Add up the carriage ride,continental breakfast for two, and the bottle of basic champagne (no, it won't be a bottle of Dom Perignon), and something doesn't smell right. For the first night you're paying more for the package than you would a la carte, then you're still paying US $360 a night after that--with no more horse rides or champagne. Do it yourself and make your own romance for less. With the savings you can have a few candlelight dinners.
Related Stories:
· Le Saint Sulpice reviews [TripAdvisor]
Good Rate / Hotel Deals / → All Tags
Good Rate - You Say Mont-Royal, I Say Montreal
[Ed. Note: Welcome to our Good Rate/Bad Rate feature where we look at hotel prices in the same city and decide which is better worth your hard-earned benjamins. The screenshot here was taken on June 13, 2006 and rates are subject to change. Enjoy.]
Americans are finding that their greenbacks are not worth such a premium in Canada these days, due to the strength of the loonie. Thankfully some nice hotel deals are showing up to make up for it.
Take, for example, this excellent $125 deal from July 2 on at the Omni Mont-Royal in Montreal. That's the kind of rate we saw when the dollar was worth 50 percent more than it is now, for an upscale hotel in a prime area. The rate also coincides with the annual jazz festival, which ends July 9, and it's a time when you can enjoy a good walking city without shivering.
This is a promotion running through TravelZoo, you you must enter the code "OMNIZOO" when booking.
Related Stories:
· Hotel Omni Mont Royal reviews [TripAdvisor]
Hotels / → All Tags
A Little Off the Da Vinci Trail
A lot of freaks/fans are on Da Vinci Code pilgrimages, explorations to the hotels and locales of Robert Langdon's path.
In the spirit of these adventures, we took a look at the starting point of Saint-Sulpice...okay so we're talking Le Saint Sulpice Hotel...in Montreal, hardly a Parisian church.
But Montreal is about as French as you can get without jumping the pond, with the added benefit of really great fries with cheesy gravy.
Le Saint-Sulpice is situated in the old Montreal right next to Notre Dame, and has 108 suites, many with fireplaces and kitchenettes. The rooms, the restaurant, the spa, and even the staff all get killer reviews:
I would have to say the staff is the friendliest and most attentive staff i have ever experienced
So in our attempt to find something wrong with this seemingly perfect boutique hotel, we did find it a bit tacky that they touted the following as complimentary in their spa:
The use of a small and a large towel. The use of a t-shirt and shorts.
So there you have bit of tackiness in the luxurious Saint-Sulpice.
Related Stories:
· Saint Sulpice Hotel Reviews [Trip Advisor]
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