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Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac Review

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Fairmont Le Château Frontenac

Address: 1 rue des Carrières, Upper Town, Québec City, QC | Map It
Phone: 418/691-2166
www.fairmont.com

Category: Hotels
Location: Upper Town

Write a review | Avg. member rating: 4.2/5

Fodor's Review:

Québec City's most celebrated landmark, this imposing green-turreted castle with a copper roof stands on the site of what was the administrative and military headquarters of New France. It owes its name to the Comte de Frontenac, governor of the French colony between 1672 and 1698. Considering the magnificence of the château's location overlooking the St. Lawrence River, you can see why Frontenac said, "For me, there is no site more beautiful nor more grandiose than that of Québec City." Samuel de Champlain was responsible for Château St-Louis, the first structure to appear on the site of the Frontenac; it was built between 1620 and 1624 as a residence for colonial governors. In 1784 Château Haldimand was constructed here, but it was demolished in 1892 to make way for Château Frontenac, built as a hotel a year later. The Frontenac was remarkably luxurious at that time: guest rooms contained fireplaces, bathrooms, and marble fixtures, and a special commissioner purchased antiques for the establishment. The hotel was designed by New York architect Bruce Price, who also worked on Québec City's Gare du Palais (rail station) and other Canadian landmarks. The addition of a 20-story central tower in 1925 completed the hotel. It has accumulated a star-studded guest roster, including Queen Elizabeth and Ronald Reagan as well as Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, who met here in 1943 and 1944 for two wartime conferences. Guides dressed in 19th-century-style costumes conduct tours of the luxurious interior.

Cost: Tours C$8
Open: Tours May-mid-Oct., daily 10-6 on the hr; mid-Oct.-Apr., weekends noon-5 or on demand. Reservations essential

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Member Reviews and Ratings

Reviewed by mvamor from Boston on 8/18/09
This is a gorgeous hotel with attention to details that only hotels of this caliber have. They are active excavations going on now, which are open to the public and free. If you're looking for a public bathroom, there is only way down by the shops of the hotel, and are only open during shopping hours. The rest of the bathrooms require a room key.