Dune D.
Yelp
My wife and I recently returned from our stay at Hotel Le Clos Saint-Louis in Old Quebec City, Canada. We are experienced travelers and always refer to YELP and Trip Advisor, among other travel sites prior to booking our place of lodging. Prior to reading the body of my review, note that there are several significant criteria which we value before committing ourselves to a hotel: Time, Money, Breakfast; the precious time we have for vacation, the funds we expend during that time frame and, the Breakfast "experience", which, for us, is as important as the quality and comfort of our accommodations.
My comments then are made to assist fellow travelers in making their decisions for choosing a hotel. Much of my commentary will not be found in other reviews nor on the hotel's website.. Although I wanted very much to "like" Hotel Le Clos Saint-Louis, several factors would, in all probability cause me not to re-visit this place of lodging again. Here then are my comments for your consideration:
Parking:
The hotel has a small, tight, parking "area" located at the rear of the building. Entrance is gained by driving around the block and then through a narrow driveway located adjacent to a restaurant. Parking spaces are predesignated and numbered. Ours was in between two other vehicles. After making several attempts at parallel parking, I finally squeezed my mid-sized SUV into my space. Hint: Attempt to have your car face the exit. Otherwise, it will be difficult to turn your car around should you wish to use it later on. There is a $20/day fee for parking. Each of the parking spaces are somewhat oddly positioned requiring a good degree of skillful maneuvering to properly position your vehicle.
Breakfast:
The hotel's website has words and pictures regarding breakfast; there are some discrepancies associated with both: The breakfast area is located in a converted basement area reached via a very narrow spiral set of stairs. Tables are set very close together. We noted two narrow windows (top to bottom). The buildings' foundation covered half the height of the windows. The remaining portion of glass gave one a view of the outdoor surface at grade. These windows afforded the only source of natural sunlight.
We asked for French Toast. Although on the menu, it was not available. We asked for croissants. We were advised they were not available. We settled for scrambled eggs; they were served via an ice cream scoop as one could see the ball-shaped pile of eggs. Toast was served over-done. Condiments consisted of prepackaged mini tubs. Clearly, the one Server was overwhelmed with attempting to keep up with assisting her guests.
Summary: Breakfast, at best, was "poor", both on presentation and taste and inconsistent with the hotel's website. We ate breakfast out every day thereafter. (Noting the extreme narrow entry to the basement, I was concerned over making emergency egress through such a narrow set of spiral stairs given the number of guests occupying the small basement space.) Apparently, Ownership learned of my inquiring as to the inconsistencies of their menu vs. availability. Shortly thereafter, I found a note in our room from Ownership, offering to assist us with changing hotels. Frankly, I thought this very odd and somewhat unconventional.
Our Room:
Note that there are four (4) Premium rooms all located on the top floor. We reserved one of the four. Two are located on one side of the building, two on the other accessed via separate sets of stairs on either side. There are exactly 54 steps to get to the top floor. There are intermediate landings in between. Our room was comfortable. Bedding and linens were of good quality. The ceiling has a significant slope, although quite high. This is due to these rooms being located just below the angled roof line of the building. Dormer-type windows afford a view of the building across the street.
Outdoor temps reached the high 80's during our stay. AC was even and adequate controlled by management for the top floor. Rooms below have their own AC controls. (Although we are in reasonably good health, it became a chore to climb the 54 steps each and every time we returned to our room. This became a deal breaker for me.) We requested a small fridge for our room at the time we booked; this was not delivered as promised by Expedia. There is a small shared "kitchenette" in the basement equipped with a fridge, microwave, and sink. We wanted to avoid walking up and down the stairs to retrieve our cold drinks. Consequently, we did not use this facility.
Checking-Out:
After reviewing our statement, I took exception to the nightly rates which did not reflect the rates shown to us by Expedia. Management (and Ownership) stated that their computer was "acting up" and prevented them from displaying the Expedia rates I paid for. I finally accepted their statement that showed credits against the higher rates which resulted in a reconciled bill.
Pros: Location
Cons: Breakfast