Montreal and McGill
 

My son is interested in McGill and wants to go up for a look. Any suggestions as to where to stay/eat?

Budget?

Just him, or older adults too? Student-oriented restaurants or fancier places? Bed and breakfast or real hotel?

McGill is not some school in Punyville, where there's only a Holiday Inn Express and the best rstartunt in town is a Red Robin.

Nor is it York, in Toronto, where the best restaurant within miles is either Hooters or Wendy's.

He'll find himself in the heart of a giant city full of people who love their food,and have a predisposition to eat in restaurants, so there are hundreds of restaurants within walking distance of the McGill campus. And he'll find dozens of hotels, large and small.

BAK

There is a small, cheap but clean and cool hotel less than 5 minutes by walk from McGill university, it's the Hotel Casa Bella. Go check on wwww.hotelcasabella.com. They're located just in front a grocery store where you son can get hot and cold food and everything he needs (so it's cheaper than restaurant). The place is really convenient and well located.

There are several hotels near McGill including but not restricted to Residence Inn by Marriott, Sofitel, Omni Mont Royal, Four Points Sheraton, Holiday Inn, and a Courtyard by Marriott. Just my personal opinion, McGill is overrated and runs amok in bureacratic red tape, large first year classrooms, and horribly arrogant professors. Concordia might be a better choice.

How great for your son!
If I were to send myself to college again, I would consider McGill too :)
Is your son going alone or with you? The main street close to McGill where some nice hotels and the museum is , is rue Sherbrooke. Right off of Sherbrook are more good hotels.
There are some nice B&Bs around the St Denis area, a friend stayed there a few years ago and loved it.

Lucky young man, it is a vibrant wonderful city and he will love it, I am sure :)

The latest Maclean's university guide puts McGill first (along with the University of Toronto) among all Canadian universities in the Medical/Doctoral class. Concordia is not even in the same league--a fair to middling comprehensive university. Unless there are fairly specific academic programs which one is seeking, or one can't meet McGill's admissions standards, I certainly wouldn't recommend Concordia over McGill.

The negative factors which luvtotravel77 cites about McGill may or may not be true, but these are all taken into account in the Maclean's formula.

You can see a summary of the Maclean's ratings at: http://www.macleans.ca/universities/

Well to defend my point, McGill does have an excellent reputation, but I feel that it is largely illusionary. Then again, I've been told that a Mcgill degree is worth a lot. It all depends what your son wants to go into. Medicine, Science, Law... McGill is better. But I personally feel that for Arts undergrad, Concordia takes the cake.

Before considering any university, be sure that your son reads the professor ratings in his department. I agree with LuvToTravel77.

My daughter is a senior at McGill, and we go up there often. We've stayed at a few different hotels there, and I'd be happy to advise if you describe your own preferences.

As for meals, I like Chez Cora (several locations) for breakfast. It's not the finest cuisine in town, by any means, but it's good chow and lots of fun. The one on Avenue du Parc will have lots of McGill kids in it.

McGill has been a good choice for my daughter, but the whole point here is to let your son have a look and make up his own mind.