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Best Hotel Bets
Hôtel Le St-James (355 rue St-Jacques ouest; tel. 866/841-3111): Setting the standard against which any boutique hotel in town must measure itself, this former 19th-century bank in Vieux-Montréal lets no luxurious detail escape its attention. From its opulent main hall to the sybaritic subterranean spa to its immaculately trained staff, this is an experience that may well be the highlight of your visit.
W Montréal (901 rue Square Victoria; tel. 888/627-7081): If you qualify as hip, aware, and on the fast track to somewhere good (or like to think you do), waste no time booking a suite at this local entry in the spreading chain. It won't hurt if your platinum card is paid up and you don't need much sleep, either. There are three bars and lounges, a hyper-chic restaurant, and a clientele composed of knockouts of both sexes. Also in Vieux-Montréal.
Auberge Bonaparte (447 rue St-François-Xavier; tel. 514/844-1448): The long-established restaurant on the ground floor was accorded a massive rehab and expansion a few years back, and now includes the comely inn upstairs. Rooms are simply furnished, but four out of the eight on each floor have whirlpool tubs and the rooftop terrace overlooks Vieux-Montréal's Basilique Notre-Dame.
Auberge Les Passants du Sans Soucy (171 rue St-Paul oust; tel. 514/842-2634): Just around the corner from Bonaparte, this charming little B&B helped pioneer the recovery of Vieux-Montréal to its current status as the must-see quarter of the city. The lobby is an art gallery with changing exhibits. Fireplaces and jet tubs have been added to the nine bedrooms.
Best Historic Hotel: No contest. The Ritz-Carlton Montréal, 1228 rue Sherbrooke ouest (tel. 800/363-0366 or 514/842-4212), has been around since 1913, giving it a half-century lead on the closest competition.
Best for Business Travelers: A closer call, with several worthy candidates, but Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, 900 bd. René-Lévesque ouest (tel. 800/441-1414 or 514/861-3511), gets the nod for its central location atop the railroad station, concierge floors, a fully equipped health club, and excellent bus connections to the airport.
Best New(ish) Luxury Hotel Downtown: The nearby Omni, Ritz, and Vogue are challenged by the first Canadian branch of a pervasive French chain, the Sofitel, 1155 rue Sherbrooke ouest (tel. 514/285-9000), which matches its rivals in every detail.
Best for a Romantic Getaway: With ancient cut-stone walls, swags of velvet and brocade, and tilting floors that Benjamin Franklin once trod upon -- not to mention a baronial dining room and stonewalled outdoor terrace, the Hostellerie Pierre du Calvet, 405 rue Bonsecours (tel. 866/544-1725 or 514/282-1725), provokes memories of lovers' hotels by the Seine.
Best Established Boutique Hotel: When it opened, Hôtel Le Germain, 2050 rue Mansfield (tel. 877/333-2050 or 514/849-2050), brought a needed jolt of panache to the too-often-stodgy corps of downtown business hotels, and helped inspire a boom in similarly small, stylish hotels in Vieux-Montréal.
Best New Boutique Hotels (Posh Category): The Hôtel Le St-James, 355 rue St-Jacques ouest, Vieux-Montréal (tel. 866/841-3111 or 514/841-3111), raises the bar to an almost impossibly high level, with a superbly sybaritic spa and gorgeous grand hall. The Hôtel Nelligan, 106 rue St-Paul ouest, Vieux-Montréal (tel. 877/788-2040 or 514/788-2040), which expanded from 63 to 105 units in 2007, counters with a great full-service restaurant and rooftop terrace.
Best New Boutique Hotels (Minimalist Category): Also in Vieux-Montréal, Hôtel St-Paul, 355 rue McGill (tel. 866/380-2202 or 514/380-2222), softens its austere lines with pale cream walls and fur throws, while the Hôtel Gault, at 449 rue Ste-Hélène (tel. 866/904-1616 or 514/904-1616), leaves its raw concrete walls uncovered and uses candy-colored furniture that was startlingly modern in the 1950s.
Best Lobby for Pretending That You're Rich: A tie -- the woody, hushed Ritz-Carlton Montréal exudes old money, while the newer Hôtel Le St-James caters to the international Bluetooth-using bespoked-suit-wearing set.
Best B&B: Located in a 1723 house in Vieux-Montréal, Auberge Les Passants du Sans Soucy, 171 rue St-Paul ouest (tel. 514/842-2634), is more upscale and stylish than most of its peers, and it's located near the top restaurants and clubs in the old town.
Best Service: It's tough to choose among the troops at the Hôtel Le St-James, the Ritz-Carlton Montréal, and the Hôtel InterContinental Montréal, 360 rue St-Antoine ouest (tel. 514/987-9900). All three teams display an almost equal amount of grace and care when it comes to tending to their guests.
Best Hotel Health Club: Hôtel Omni Mont-Royal, 1050 rue Sherbrooke ouest (tel. 800/843-6664 or 514/284-1110), lays on yoga classes, free weights and weight machines, saunas, a steam room, whirlpools, a year-round heated outdoor pool, and massages to recover from the workout. A close second: Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth .
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
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