HotelChatter

The Good

The service at the Four Points was excellent.  The bilingual staff was very friendly and accommodating.  From valet parking to safety deposit box to wireless internet, all the standard amenities are available.  And, if you and your friends should find yourselves stumbling home from a night out and still in need of more drinks, well, the friendly doorman will procure you some cold beers even after the hotel bar is closed.  This is the type of service I love.

The downtown location of the hotel is very convenient to McGill University, shopping, the Bell Center, and the ...er... "cultural attractions" of St. Catherine Street. A short drive away is the Casino de Montreal, which is one of my favorite places to gamble.

The suite I had at the Four Point was immaculate and very comfortably sized.  Even staying with two other people, at no point did I feel cramped.  On the surface, the rooms are excellent.  That is, until you dig deeper; which brings me to...

The Bad

Granted, this is not a super luxury hotel, but there were little problems that would be unacceptable even at a lower caliber place.  For example, someone had scrawled a cryptic message about heads and bodies in the hotel directory.  Not exactly something you want to see upon checking into your room.  Minor, I know, but the little details are the most important.  Also, the shower was partially broken so that the entire time, you would be taking a shower while the tub faucet ran.  To top it off, there was no hot water the morning of my checkout.  It seems on a Sunday morning when all the tourists are checking out of the hotel, you better get up early unless you prefer to take cold showers.

The Ugly

Whatever you do, don't look outside your window.  The balcony at the Four Points isn't accessible by the guests.  Apparently, it isn't accessible to the hotel workers either.  On a beautiful April day in Montreal, you do not want to open the curtains to look down on this.

Final Thoughts

The Four Points by Sheraton in Montreal is a good hotel.  I'm a big fan of good customer service and they provide it.  Unfortunately, it's the little things that keep it from being a great hotel.  As the French Canadians would say, tant pis.