Vieux Montreal is Montreal’s historic heart – and there are plenty of gorgeous accommodation options there, too.
Why stay in Vieux Montreal?
The oldest part of Montreal lines up along the St Lawrence River, and acts as the tourist honeypot for the easily pleased. That’s not to say it isn’t lovely, however.
There’s a brilliant mingling of the quaint and the imposing – with banks and merchant buildings from Montreal’s long-gone era as a financial powerhouse mixing with galleries, cafés and evening options that straddle the line between restaurant and nightspot.
Many of the city’s best cultural attractions can be found here too – the Musée Pointe-à-Callière does a cracking job of covering the history of the city and French influence in North America, while Cirque du Soleil’s home turf is on the waterfront.
Hotel Le St James
Inside a former bank, the Montreal’s most personality-packed luxury hotel option goes in with all guns blazing. Guests at the Hotel St James wait in the chandelier-dominated library, which is full of coffee table books covering everything from 20th century Russia to impressionism. Then, once the room is ready, the fickle finger of individualism takes over. No two rooms are alike, and the furnishings come hand-picked by the owner, who tends to bring back tapestries and carvings he likes the look of from various exotic locales.
There’s serious attention paid to providing a genuinely luxurious experience – a ten strong team meticulously irons the Frette bedsheets; room temperature, music and perfume are tailored to personal preference; doors have motion sensors so staff know exactly when someone’s inside and don’t barge in for turndown service when you’re in the shower.
The rooms on the first couple of floors keep the original wood panelling from the bank, but what once were high-end meeting rooms now have a masculine, home away from home feel.
The XO restaurant is dressed to impress – it’s a hugely decorative, stucco-packed, multi-level power dining monster that could easily pass as a swanky nightclub.
L’Hotel
Another former bank, and another hotel with the distinctive stamp of its owner applied. In L’Hotel’s case it’s Georges Marciano, a jeans mogul who decided a hotel was the perfect place to display his art collection.
The bubbly, comical Voluptuous Man On A Horse by Fernando Botero stands outside, while originals by the likes of Jaume Plensa, Magritte and Andy Warhol are inside. Ordering a glass of wine from the bar, then embarking on an inquisitive mooch around the collection, is highly appealing – and staff will talk you through it on request.
Hotel Gault
As transformations go, turning this 19th century cotton importer’s warehouse into a hotel is pretty spectacular. The reception desk at Hotel Gault doubles up as a large, central bar, while photographic exhibitions line the walls. In the rooms, original stone and brickwork is kept where possible, while bare concrete floors give a touch of edgy minimalism.
They’re heated for winter comfort, though. Each room is slightly different, although giant beds generally get centre stage, with everything else built around them. That includes filmy curtains that divide off the bathroom. The look’s not one easily forgotten.
Auberge du Vieux Port
An atmospherically dark, wood-lined lobby of the Auberge du Vieux Port conjures up the feel of the Old Montreal area – a centuries old fur-trapping hub that later became a financial powerhouse. There’s a choice of older or more modern rooms, but the classic ones have more character, with wooden pillars and beams kept in place.
There are also big windows looking out over rue St Paul, the charming, pedestrianised, fashion store and restaurant-lined heart of the district. Come summer, when Montreal launches regular fireworks displays, the terrace overlooking the old port area and St Lawrence River, becomes a prime viewing platform.
Le Petit
There’s something of a hip hostel vibe to this affordable-but-fun 28 room joint. This partly comes from the hybrid lounge, reception and café area with cowskin seats and ultra-detailed street art-esque murals over the walls.
But head upstairs at Le Petit and the rooms have a touch of class. Quirky, colourful chairs that feel like they belong in a design museum, the old stone walls are left exposed and bamboo floors create a sense of peace. Should a wake-up call be in order, the multi-jet showers should quickly power away the last vestiges of slumber.
More Montreal travel
Other Montreal travel articles on Planet Whitley include:
- River surfing on the St Lawrence River in Montreal.
- Three great places to stay in Montreal’s Centre-Ville.
For a selection of Montreal tours, experiences and activities, pick your favourites here.
