Erika G.
Yelp
Absolutely blissful. Came to Montreal in late January for a little winter respite, and LOVED this hotel.
From the imposing Brutalist facade, to the super cool outdoor winter heated pool, to the Metro running practically under the building, this place has it ALL. The bar is chill and relaxing, and the rooms are super spacious. Our room had an (empty) refrigerator, which allowed us to create our own little bar in the room for cocktail hour, which doubled as a coffee bar in the morning. The bed was covered in the softest linens imaginable, so cushy. The shower head - I still miss that thing - perfect pressure. FREE WiFI.
The building is located RIGHT at the Bonaventure Metro stop, you don't even have to go outside to get into the system of underpasses that includes shops, restaurants and transit. Plenty of coffee shops and cafes to grab a quick, inexpensive yet delicious bite in the morning before exploring. And the train. It's RIGHT there, and it matches the Brutalist style. Lovers of this style of architecture should stay here. It's prevalent in Montreal, in general.
The bar. Predictably pricey for a hotel bar, but not "break the bank" pricey. We lazed over the first night we were here, tired after traveling, and to get our bearings and come up with a general plan for our trip.
The pool . . . THE POOL. Clean locker rooms to change and store your stuff. Enter the pool in a small room, and then swim out under a windscreen to the open pool. Outside! 30 floors up! And a hot tub! Russo-Teutonic types will love this type of winter outdoor swimming, as I did. Air temp: -10 F, water temp: 85 F! Also looks like the place rocks in summer, with plenty of lounge chairs and tables. AND a hot tub with drink holders!
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the ducks. This was my favorite thing, and we stopped every morning to briefly watch the antics of dozens and dozens of Mallard ducks frolicking in the heated ponds and canals that traverse the grounds. So cute! A query to the staff revealed that yes, they do have a heated overnight area that the ducks sleep in. Even cuter. For the summer, there are cafe tables and chairs overlooking the duck area. BLISS!!!
This hotel was built during the 1967 Olympics / Expo 67, and designed by Ray Affleck - a major dude in Canadian architecture. At the time it was built, it was the largest commercial space in the world.
The staff . . . gracious and helpful. No complaints whatsoever. When our ORD flight was cancelled due to weather, we stayed another night without a hitch. The bartenders, front staff, doormen, everyone was just great, and didn't laugh when I tried to bust out my extremely fractured French.
We stayed here during renovations, and the construction work was as unobtrusive as it could be. From the plans I viewed, I really want to come back here specifically (and to Montreal in general!) to see how they turned out.
Love. Recommended. Would return in a heartbeat. Well done, Bonaventure!
And look - gorgeous. I called this the Montreal Martini, though it was just a vodka martini, but very well done. (See below)