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Best Hotel Bets
Best Historic Hotel: Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, 1 rue des Carrières (tel. 800/441-1414 or 418/692-3861), is the visual star of this city. It was built more than a century ago as one of the first hotels to serve railroad passengers and to encourage tourism at a time when most people stayed close to home. Nothing can beat it for proximity to all the sights. In fact, "the Château" is one of the sights.
Most Romantic Boutique Hotels: Auberge Saint-Antoine, 8 rue St-Antoine (tel. 888/692-2211 or 418/692-2211), features a grand wing and archaeological displays from lobby to bedside, and it's hard to beat curling up with a glass of wine beside the fire in one of the cozy lobby alcoves. The sleek Dominion 1912, 126 rue St-Pierre (tel. 888/833-5253 or 418/692-2224), is also a favorite, infusing a pre-World War I building with a cunning modernist flavor, continuing a trend in Basse-Ville's designer hotels and inns.
Best Location for Peace and Quiet: The Parc des Gouverneurs, just south of the Château, is a green space just steps from Upper Town's streets, restaurants, and shops. It's quiet, giving visitors a respite from activity at the end of the day. Dozens of B&Bs and small hotels are directly on the park or farther down av. Ste-Geneviève, including Cap Díamant, 39 ave. Ste-Geneviève (tel. 888/694-0303 or 418/692-0303); Hôtel Château Bellevue, 16 rue de la Porte (tel. 800/463-2617 or 418/692-2573); and Manoir Sur-le-Cap, 9 av. Ste-Geneviève (tel. 418/694-1987).
Best Hotel for Business Travelers: The Hilton Québec, 1100 bd. René-Lévesque est (tel. 800/447-2411 or 418/647-2411), has beautiful new executive floors, a satisfactory fitness center, and guest rooms with ergonomic chairs at their desks. It's adjacent to the convention center, too.
Best Hotel in a Touristy Area That Doesn't Feel Touristy: Fans of spare, vaguely Asian-Scandinavian room design who want to stay in Upper Town should consider Hôtel Sainte-Anne, 32 rue Ste-Anne (tel. 877/222-9422 or 418/694-1455). Beds are low and comfortable, decor is simple, and bathrooms are sleek.
Best Location for Proximity to Fine Dining: Lower Town, hands down. You could have a satisfying visit just eating your way across the neighborhood without ever once traveling to Upper Town. The walk up the steep cliff-side stairs, though, would probably do you some good.
Most Memorable Hotel: How many chances do you get to sleep in a hotel built completely of ice, on a bed of ice, near a chandelier and disco and front hallway all made of ice, ice, ice? The Hôtel de Glace, Station touristique Duchesnay, 30 minutes outside the city (tel. 877/505-0423; www.icehotel-canada.com), is open from January to late March or the first thaw, whichever comes first.
Best Splurge Hotels
Auberge Saint-Antoine, 8 rue St-Antoine (tel. 888/692-2211): Sure, there's the Château Frontenac, looming up above, the very symbol of the city. But for a more intimate, less overwhelming visit, stay in Basse-Ville, or Lower Town. This auberge started as a stylish but largely unexceptional B&B and has grown in calculated phases into one of Québec's most desirable lodgings, with a chic lounge and a top restaurant to boot.
Dominion 1912, 126 rue St-Pierre (tel. 888/833-5253): Also a key player in the redevelopment of the once dreary Basse-Ville/Vieux-Port, the Dominion has rooms so large and bedding so cozily enveloping that you may not want to go out. Do, though, at least for the fireplace, croissants, and café au lait in the lobby.
Best Moderately-Priced Hotels
Hôtel Sainte-Anne, 32 rue Ste-Anne (tel. 877/222-9422): Practically in the shadow of the Château Frontenac, this Euro-design hotel occupies a row house in the middle of Upper Town's most touristy district. Rooms are stripped to the minimum, but as equipped as can be reasonably expected at these relatively gentle prices.
Hôtel Champlain, 115 rue Ste-Anne (tel. 800/567-2106): Even the smallest rooms boast silk curtains, king or queen beds, and 300-thread-count sheets. A self-serve espresso machine by the front desk ensures free cappuccinos at any time of day or night.
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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