Montreal - Places to Stay?
September 22, 2024 11:48 AM Subscribe
My SO and I are planning to take a short trip to montreal around October 31 (Halloween). Well be seeing a concert at the Bell Centre. Any recommendations for places to stay, and other things to do? <
For the trip discussed here, the hotel I used (Holiday Inn Montreal Centerville) was perfectly fine, not too far from your venue and close to a fair amount of light rail and busses. The Biosphere was fun to walk around, and the art museum was fantastic, although a bit complicated to navigate.
posted by GenjiandProust at 1:30 PM on September 22
posted by GenjiandProust at 1:30 PM on September 22
I liked the Hyatt Centric. It's was the closest no-too-expensive place close to Old Montreal. They had a hot pool on the roof.
posted by beccaj at 3:30 PM on September 22
posted by beccaj at 3:30 PM on September 22
Here’s what I did when I was there for a day in early spring:
+1 for the Holiday Inn.
The Crew Collective coffee shop does coffee and food as you would expect but the building is remarkable.
Grab a bagel then walk around the neighborhood. Keep an eye out for the graffiti art at the flagship store in Mile End.
You have to go for a walk or at least a drive on Mount Royal. The views are stunning!
There’s a bazillion things to do in Montreal. Have fun!
posted by ashbury at 4:51 PM on September 22
+1 for the Holiday Inn.
The Crew Collective coffee shop does coffee and food as you would expect but the building is remarkable.
Grab a bagel then walk around the neighborhood. Keep an eye out for the graffiti art at the flagship store in Mile End.
You have to go for a walk or at least a drive on Mount Royal. The views are stunning!
There’s a bazillion things to do in Montreal. Have fun!
posted by ashbury at 4:51 PM on September 22
Last time I was in teh city, I stayed at Hôtel Chez Swann (1444 Drummond; between Ste Cath and Maisonneuve). It's pleasantly quirky, and is about 15 minutes' walk from the VIA station. Mount Royal is within walking distance. Only downside was loud cars gunning it up and down Maisonneuve, but the hotel is quite lovely and not extremely expensive
posted by scruss at 5:16 PM on September 22
posted by scruss at 5:16 PM on September 22
I've had two nice, but very different stays in Montreal.
Last time I was there, I stayed at the Residence Inn Downtown. Not super charming but clean, convenient to almost everything and a very good value, especially because the kitchen was quite functional and it included a pretty robust breakfast buffet on top of that. The only downside is that the elevators are inadequate in number and quality (we got stuck for about 10 minutes when too many people crammed in one) so ask for a room on a low floor and take the stairs! I took the train in and walked from the train station to the hotel (I think it's about a 10, maybe 15 minute walk).
The time before, I stayed at Boxotel, which I liked a lot (be warned the bathrooms aren't as separate from the main rooms as they are in most hotels - I can't remember exactly but there was either a glass wall or window in mine). It's not as centrally located, but in a fun neighborhood that's still easy walking distance to a lot and accessible to everything. It's less of a deal, but a lot more stylish than my other recommendation. I flew in on this trip and took a cab from the airport, but I think you'd be looking at either a cab or transit from the train station.
For things to do, the Biosphere and Parc Jean-Drapeau more generally are really cool. I also love Drawn and Quarterly. I also really enjoyed walking the Lachine canal to see Île aux Hérons (from a distance, you can't go on the actual island, as far as I can tell), but I like super long walks and birding, so that may not be for everyone.
posted by snaw at 5:37 PM on September 22
Last time I was there, I stayed at the Residence Inn Downtown. Not super charming but clean, convenient to almost everything and a very good value, especially because the kitchen was quite functional and it included a pretty robust breakfast buffet on top of that. The only downside is that the elevators are inadequate in number and quality (we got stuck for about 10 minutes when too many people crammed in one) so ask for a room on a low floor and take the stairs! I took the train in and walked from the train station to the hotel (I think it's about a 10, maybe 15 minute walk).
The time before, I stayed at Boxotel, which I liked a lot (be warned the bathrooms aren't as separate from the main rooms as they are in most hotels - I can't remember exactly but there was either a glass wall or window in mine). It's not as centrally located, but in a fun neighborhood that's still easy walking distance to a lot and accessible to everything. It's less of a deal, but a lot more stylish than my other recommendation. I flew in on this trip and took a cab from the airport, but I think you'd be looking at either a cab or transit from the train station.
For things to do, the Biosphere and Parc Jean-Drapeau more generally are really cool. I also love Drawn and Quarterly. I also really enjoyed walking the Lachine canal to see Île aux Hérons (from a distance, you can't go on the actual island, as far as I can tell), but I like super long walks and birding, so that may not be for everyone.
posted by snaw at 5:37 PM on September 22
I've stayed at Hotel Bonaparte and I'd go back. Whether you want to be in Vieux-Port depends on what you're going for - it's pretty and touristy. The metro only goes to the edge of the neighborhood but it's not that far to walk.
For getting around, the metro is fantastic and frequent, and I'd consider any hotel near a stop to be convenient to your destinations. There's also RÉSO, which is a bit maze-like but connects a lot of the downtown without going outside, which could be clutch depending on the weather.
posted by davidest at 6:49 PM on September 22
For getting around, the metro is fantastic and frequent, and I'd consider any hotel near a stop to be convenient to your destinations. There's also RÉSO, which is a bit maze-like but connects a lot of the downtown without going outside, which could be clutch depending on the weather.
posted by davidest at 6:49 PM on September 22
Doubletree Hilton has a LOVELY pool with huge skylights and afternoon sun streaming in- I had one of the nicest naps of my life on that deck. And the hotel is attached to a mall, which means very inexpensive and convenient food for some of your meals.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 10:00 PM on September 22 [1 favorite]
posted by nouvelle-personne at 10:00 PM on September 22 [1 favorite]
Stay at Hotel le Germain downtown. Walkable to the Bell Centre, cute rooms, very comfy beds, central location very close to the metro.
Walk up Mont Royal (doable from le Germain, or catch the 81 bus from Place des Arts metro to the big angel statue in the park). Stop at Beaver Lake on the mountain and have a hot chocolate in the chalet. Stop at the belvedere and look out at the city.
Go to l’Express for a nice lunch. It’s bistro French food, laid back, and while it’s gotten busier over the years it’s still authentically Franco Montreal. Or get a table at Leméac for dinner for a slightly more snobby experience (I say this with love).
Walk around the Mile End and Plateau neighbourhoods, go have a beer at Dieu du Ciel! On Laurier. If it’s a nice day, go have an ice cream sundae at Iconoglace across the street. Or go to Pâtisserie Guillaume on Saint Laurent and have a pastry.
Get a poutine at Patati Patata on Saint Laurent and eat it in the park across the street. Or get a smoked meat sandwich at Lester’s on Rue Bernard, it’s less hectic than Schwartz’s. Or to go Willensky’s on Fairmount and get the Willensky Classic. The ice cream shop across the street has a fantastic salted butter flavour. Or go to the Haitian food stall at Marché Time Out while you’re out shopping in the downtown malls.
Stop by the Boutique du Papier Japonais on Fairmount. Or go to Rix Rax to look at tens of thousands of buttons. Or go to Nota Bene to stock up on stationery. Or go to Stylo.ca (it’s in one of the malls, under the Scotiabank cinema), flip through their massive ink book, and try out a fountain pen.
posted by third word on a random page at 1:59 AM on September 23 [1 favorite]
Walk up Mont Royal (doable from le Germain, or catch the 81 bus from Place des Arts metro to the big angel statue in the park). Stop at Beaver Lake on the mountain and have a hot chocolate in the chalet. Stop at the belvedere and look out at the city.
Go to l’Express for a nice lunch. It’s bistro French food, laid back, and while it’s gotten busier over the years it’s still authentically Franco Montreal. Or get a table at Leméac for dinner for a slightly more snobby experience (I say this with love).
Walk around the Mile End and Plateau neighbourhoods, go have a beer at Dieu du Ciel! On Laurier. If it’s a nice day, go have an ice cream sundae at Iconoglace across the street. Or go to Pâtisserie Guillaume on Saint Laurent and have a pastry.
Get a poutine at Patati Patata on Saint Laurent and eat it in the park across the street. Or get a smoked meat sandwich at Lester’s on Rue Bernard, it’s less hectic than Schwartz’s. Or to go Willensky’s on Fairmount and get the Willensky Classic. The ice cream shop across the street has a fantastic salted butter flavour. Or go to the Haitian food stall at Marché Time Out while you’re out shopping in the downtown malls.
Stop by the Boutique du Papier Japonais on Fairmount. Or go to Rix Rax to look at tens of thousands of buttons. Or go to Nota Bene to stock up on stationery. Or go to Stylo.ca (it’s in one of the malls, under the Scotiabank cinema), flip through their massive ink book, and try out a fountain pen.
posted by third word on a random page at 1:59 AM on September 23 [1 favorite]
We love to stay at Hôtel de l'ITHQ, which is a training school for hospitality students and chefs. It's located on rue Saint-Denis right above the Sherbrooke metro station, which makes getting anywhere in the city very easy. Because it's a training facility, the prices are excellent AND the service is generally very good! The included breakfast can be a bit hit-or-miss (i.e. sometimes the scrambled eggs are a bit dry) but there is always plenty to choose from and the training staff really is wonderful.
I also appreciate the atmosphere of rue Saint-Denis; good restaurants, shops, and other things to see/do. We can happily spend a whole day just in that neighborhood.
posted by departure lounge at 12:11 PM on September 23
I also appreciate the atmosphere of rue Saint-Denis; good restaurants, shops, and other things to see/do. We can happily spend a whole day just in that neighborhood.
posted by departure lounge at 12:11 PM on September 23
Being a resident I don't have hotel advice, but I have food and activity advice!
You should have breakfast at Café Orange on Decarie, afterwards hit up the used book store right down the street on the corner, get smoked meat (order a medium old fashioned and a small cucumber salad) at Snowdon Deli on Decarie (everyone's gonna tell you to go to Schwarz's - they're wrong) if you want bagels, everyone's gonna tell you St. Viateur, wrong again! Go to R.E.A.L Bagel on Queen Mary. If you like walking, hit up Mount Royal, or take a stroll through Notre Dame Des Neiges cemetary.
posted by signsofrain at 5:29 PM on September 28
You should have breakfast at Café Orange on Decarie, afterwards hit up the used book store right down the street on the corner, get smoked meat (order a medium old fashioned and a small cucumber salad) at Snowdon Deli on Decarie (everyone's gonna tell you to go to Schwarz's - they're wrong) if you want bagels, everyone's gonna tell you St. Viateur, wrong again! Go to R.E.A.L Bagel on Queen Mary. If you like walking, hit up Mount Royal, or take a stroll through Notre Dame Des Neiges cemetary.
posted by signsofrain at 5:29 PM on September 28
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posted by Miko at 11:49 AM on September 22 [1 favorite]