During my extended visit to New York City in September, I’m taking a weekend side trip to Montreal! I’m so excited that I’ve started looking up things to do & places to stay for a weekend break. As part of Hipmunk’s City Love initiative, I’m sharing Montreal’s best boutique hotels which I have my eye on for my upcoming stay.
I love staying in accommodation with a difference, and unless you’re on a million-dollar luxury budget, I think the best way to stay in an authentic, memorable place is to look for a boutique hotel or B&B. With less rooms, no corridor mazes and much more local flavour, staying somewhere a little different will make the moments spent inside your room just as memorable as your time exploring.
Hotel Le Germain
I’m a sucker for a modern and spacious loft, but it’s not just the chic loft-style rooms that has piqued my interest in Hotel Le Germain. I love eating local food when I travel, but on a time limit it can be a little hard to track down. The onsite restaurant, Laurie Raphael, is 100% made in Quebec, from the fantastic Quebecoise cuisine to the locally designed & made dinnerware. Magnifique!
Le Petit Hotel
This charming 28 room boutique hotel in the heart of the historic district oozes European charm! The light-filled rooms at Le Petit Hotel are modern with polished wooden floors, tall windows and fresh designer furniture, yet cosy with luxurious bedding and exposed stone walls. During your stay, you can borrow a bike from reception to explore the cafes, galleries and shops of the surrounding historic district.
Hotel Chez Swan
Bathed in electric blue light, the sleek entrance of Hotel Chez Swan feels more like a European nightclub than a traditional hotel lobby. The hip design hotel has considered every detail in the rooms, with stylish yet eclectic results. Plush Victorian armchairs cluster around a tree-stump coffee table on an astroturf rug, and the red shower curtains are draped around the glass shower like theatre curtains around a stage.
Hotel St Paul
The concept of “fire, ice, earth and ocean” has inspired the design of Canada’s first design hotel, Hotel St Paul. You can choose from an earth- or sky-inspired room, with each floor alternating between earth and sky. Earth rooms sound perfect for cosying up amongst warm colours and soft furnishings, and the sky rooms are spacious, breezy spaces for relaxing in peace.
Le Place d’Armes
Located on Montreal’s charming Place d’Armes and overlooking the Notre Dame Basilica, Le Place d’Armes Hotel is a sophisticated, chic hotel for the traveller with a taste for the finer things in life. Hardwood floors, high ceilings and large windows make the spacious, airy rooms feel more like a home away from home than a hotel. During your stay, watch the sun go down with a cocktail in hand on the rooftop terrace, indulge in izakaya at the hotel’s Kyo Bar Japonais or unwind at the onsite spa, Rainspa.