I think I know the appeal of Schwartzs, first it's the only place open on Sundays for lunch in the Old Port, second, in bitter winter, those hearty meals sound good. There are better but if you are in the area on a Sunday night it's not a bad choice. The thing about Montreal is that you eat in the neighborhood you're in.

What are you talking about? Schwartz's is on boul. St-Laurent, "the Main", not in the Old Port area.

Hi, I am planning a trip to Montreal in August with my family (wife and 3 small children). We are staying in a place called the "Hotel Quartier Latin Montreal" on St-Denis. Ad said it is a new hotel. Website looks good. Any body out there with pro or con about this hotel?<BR><BR>Any recommendation for a moderately priced hotel (for family of 5)? About $85US to $105US per night.<BR><BR>Any area in Montreal we should avoid?<BR><BR>Thank you for any help. <BR><BR>

Victor, I am not familiar with this hotel, but do know the area. St. Denis is perhaps the most interesting street in Montreal - lots of shops, cafes, etc,etc. However as St. Denis intersects St. Catherine, it gets a bit seedy. There are a few sex shops sprinkled in to the neighborhood on St. Catherine near St. Denis. If your hotel's address is less than 1300, it will be in this area. Not really a dangerous or bad neghborhood, but it wouldn't be my first choice as a family spot. There are some nice hotels in your price range up on Sherbrooke east (very pleasant area); such as the Argoat, Manior Sherbrooke, and Residance du Voyaguer.

I second the info about the Latin Quarter. It is pretty seedy, lots of bars and sex shops. But north of St. Catherine St. Denis is great. I have a feeling your hotel is below it, though. There is a lot of information in these boards about other affordable hotels. Check it out...

How far is Laval from Downtown Montreal and other adjacent attractions ?

Howard,<BR><BR>We are staying at the Dominion 1912 in just a few weeks! What were some of your better dining experiences in QC?

Hi Kim-<BR> First of all, be prepared for a great time @ the Dominion.Do not hesitate to ask the Concierge staff for their recommendations on food, touring, etc. We wanted low-key Italian one night and the hotel suggested Cafe D'Europe. For approx. $12.US I had a pasta dish prepared tableside! The food was excellent.<BR>The next night I had an urge for mussels and again the hotel picked a winner. Restaurant Primavera, a 2 minute walk from the hotel,satisfied my craving. We had all-you-can-eat and literally rolled out the door.<BR>For an upscale French meal try Bistro Chez Rabelais one block from the hotel.<BR>The food(shrimp rissoto for me, duck for my wife)was well prepared and presented, but the portions were a bit small.<BR>In any case, after our meal we returned to Dominion for the espresso, capuccino or teas, and always found other hotel guests to chat with.<BR>You'll love it!!<BR>Howard

My family and I want to thank Zootsi and Alee for helping me. I believe our hotel "Hotel Quartier Latin Montreal" is on 1763 St-Denis just south of Ontario street. I hope this is far enough from the "seedy" area of St. Catherine. <BR><BR>Would you recommend any good cafe or French restaurants in Montreal (not very expensive and family oriented).<BR><BR>Thanks a lot. Victor.

I've been following this (and other) threads for a while as I plan our trip to Montreal and the Laurentians. We leave 8/10. We are booked at Loew's Hotel Vogue, which I believe is downtown, and I was very happy with this choice until a neighbor just back from Montreal told me that the only place to stay is Old Montreal. I am willing to investigate changing to another hotel (Auberge du Vieux Port, Auberge Bonaparte, Hotel Le St. James, and Hotel Nelligan have all received favorable mention here), although I may have trouble getting the 8/10 Sat. night this late in the game. Does anybody have any thoughts on this? Thanx for your help.

We stayed at the Auberge du Vieux Port and loved it! But you may be right that it may be too late for the 10th of Aug. Last time we called and they were booked they referred us to their sister hotel, Place d'Armes. It was wonderful and Nelligan belongs to the same group. I would therefore try either of the above. As they are bigger than the Auberge they are probably more likely to have availability.

Oops, also forgot to mention the locations are both great in Old Montreal, Place d'Armes Hotel is on Saint-Jacques right near the metro and right across the Notre-Dame Basilica and Nelligan is on Saint-Paul among really nice art galleries and cafes. As there are no bars around them they should both be nice and quiet (Place d'Armes was anyway during our stay).

JDC: The Loft E'Scale sounds great! Is there a web site and is it downtown?<BR>Thanks,<BR>Sam

"Author: Lois ([email protected])<BR>Date: 08/01/2002, 04:13 pm<BR><BR>Message: What are you talking about? Schwartz's is on boul. St-Laurent, "the Main", not in the Old Port area."<BR><BR>Sorry, My mind wandered over to Stash in the Old Port (Polish food-very good).

Donna-Sue, consider the Inter-Continental as well. It's big, not boutique, but the location is excellent, rooms are lovely, and the service is superior. They also offer special websaver rates for the upcoming weekend. I just checked the website and found some pretty good rates for next weekend. The URL is www.montreal.interconti.com.<BR>Hope this helps.

Donna-Sue,<BR>In my mind there's no question-the Hotel LeStJames is a fabulous hotel.<BR>Barely three months old, everything<BR>feels new.The spa and workout room are a great bonus.<BR>Any questions, please post.<BR>Howard

Victor, I'm not too sure if this area is very seedy, but in my own experience, anywhere near Ontario street is not the best attraction for a family. You should definitely spend time around the St-Denis/St-Laurent area, but unless you are looking for loud noise and rowdy bars and clubs at night, I would recommend that you stay at a hotel in the central downtown area or in old Montreal. You can get to the St-Denis area easily by metro, but I honestly think that a family would prefer to stay in the downtown core. If you are travelling with kids, I would recommed the Delta Montreal on President Kennedy. Other good hotels are the Omni, Loews Vogue (quite pricey) and the Sheraton.

The area around St. Denis and Ontario is very lively, and I think it would be fine for a family. I woudn't consider this a 'rowdy' area. The one problem might be street noise because of the outdoor cafes. Ontario does have a lot of noisy rock bars, but they are in the downtown area, many blocks west of St. Denis.<BR> St. Laurent, on the other hand, does get pretty hectic late at night with the college crowds and the dance clubs.

I would disagree that Old Montreal is the place to stay. Actually, it's a bit off the beaten path for many things, and Loew's Vogue is in the heart of a "happening" part of downtown. There is much, much more shopping near the Vogue, and a far greater choice of restaurants, bars, coffee shops, etc., etc. I would personally much prefer to stay in the livelier area of the Hotel Vogue, and visit the Old City once during a stay in Montreal--unless you specifically prefer a small "boutique" hotel in an antique area. The Vogue is the most luxurious larger hotel in town.

We visit Montreal several times a year. If it's your first trip, you're staying only a few days or a long weekend, your dates are between April and October, and the weather forecast is favorable, Vieux Montreal is a delightful place to stay. We prefer to stay in the rue Crescent area west of downtown and visit the other neighborhoods. From Vieux Montreal is it's a bit of a hike (up and down hills) to the metro stations or downtown. But, if you plan to keep to Vieux Montreal for your entire visit, staying there makes good sense. Like Lois, we find Vieux Montreal worth an afternoon or evening visit during our stay.