My husband has a week off from work annd so we have decided to go on a mini holiday to Montreal. We have never been there before and so are having a difficult time deciding what hotel to stay in. We would like a first class hotel in the heart of upscale shopping and malls. We also would like it close to resturants and movies. So far our 3 top picks are :1- ritz carlton 2- fairmont le reine elizabeth 3- loews hotel vogue.

Also how is the weather? how should we dress? We are used to LA weather. Is boots a must or will we be ok with sneakers? should we get wool caps too?

Don't waste your time with the Ritz Carlton; I know it looks great in photos, but that's about all. The Queen Elizabeth is #1 in terms of convenient location, but otherwise is a pretty good large convention hotel. The Vogue would be my choice for great location and first-class atmosphere. the Sofitel on Sherbrooke St. is a couple of blocks farther away from the great shopping, but also very nice, and Le Germain is a boutique hotel loaded with luxurious atmosphere, also in a convenient downtown location. I find Expedia has very good rates for Montreal hotels. You will be fine on city streets without boots, but hats would be a good idea. A spring jacket or fleece with something warm underneath would be good--not sure exactly when you're going. Instead of movies, you might check out the rich possibilities for live entertainment. I usually take a look at what's going on in town through the links offered by the city's daily newspaper, montrealgazette.com.

I have stayed at the Ritz Carlton because of an excellent rate soon after 9/11. I can't compare it to other R-C as that's the only one I've stayed at, but the room was spacious and comfortable. However, it's a old short building, so no view. Great restaurant, but no pool.

While it's very close to the Fine Arts Museum, it's a bit of a walk to the upscale malls in the center of Montreal, and even further to Old Montreal.

We have starwood points so the sheraton and the W are also options. Do they fit my criteria?
I am leaving next week so how cold can I expect it to get?

I stayed at the Reine Elizabeth and found it to be quite splendid in every aspect. We stayed on an upper floor in some special section and it was everything I needed and much more.

It is right near to most everything and had we not dared an evening walk to dinner with light clothing only to be caught in pouring rain one night, it would have been perfect.

According to www.weather.com the 10-day forecast for Montreal is as follows:

HIGHEST TEMP you'd SEE = 39

LOWEST TEMP during 10 days = 15

so, in your terms, """"COLD"""&quo t;

"Partly Cloudy" is the forecast for nearly every day of that.

You'd better dress WINTER WARM by L.A. standards.

If you're lucky and can make it through without any precip. and low humidity, then the "chill" of the frigid weather won't be as piercing.

FYI, I too was there at the end of March/beginning of April... and I think that you'll be able to manage, weather-wise.

Alas, the chilly forecast underscores "location, location, location" with regard to hotels.

The Reine Elizabeth is looking better all the time.

The W is brand-new, and its location is a little farther from the downtown shopping/restaurant area, sort of between that and Old Montreal. This means there is very little of interest within a 5-minute walk, but lots within a 15-minute walk in any direction. The Sheraton is older so not as spiffy, but fine; it's closer to the Queen Elizabeth, but not connected directly with the "underground city" network, as the Queen E is, which makes it unnecessary to go outdoors at all.

Everyone thanks so much for your comments. Since the "W" is further away I doubt very much I will be staying there. How far is the Sheraton from the queen elizabeth? How far is it from the underground city and upscale shopping?

The Sheraton is a couple of blocks from the Queen E. It is also a couple of blocks from the main shopping district, which basically means you walk along St. Catherine Street from rue de la Montagne to rue Universite, taking a couple of detours along the way: walk along de la Montagne to Sherbrooke St., stop in at Holt Renfrew, a classy Canadian clothes store. At the corner of St. Catherine and de la Montagne, check out Ogilvy (a redone department store from the days when a lot of Montreal was Scottish), and the Canadian designer departments on the 2nd floor. Teenflo is not what it sounds like--terrific designer of upscale women's clothes. At the corner of St. Catherine and Peel, turn up the street to Les cours Mont-Royal, where there's a branch of the high-end Canadian menswear store, Harry Rosen (if you're from LA, you'll be thrilled by their low prices. If you were from many other places, you'd think they were expensive). There's also good shopping in Place Ville Marie, the landmark office tower right next to the Queen E. The food court in Central Station, adjacent to PVM and Queen E, is good for lunch, believe it or not. In Montreal, even food courts offer good food. You have to make an effort to find a bad meal, or have a bad time, in this city.

Hotel Vogue is quite nice and in a good location. Another hotel I have used on several visits and found to be quite nice is the Novotel on rue de la Montagne. Nice rooms and good cafe for breakfast, and has underground parking if you have car. It is of course not in the same class as Vogue or Ritz or Queen Elisabeth but it is not near as expensive, thus leaving more money for that GOOD Montreal food and drink!

I am so tempted to book at the fairmont le reine elizabeth because of it's excellent location that is close to everything as well as it being connected to the underground city. Still, Since my husband is a starwood member we figured we should continue to collect points for a european trip next year. How far is the sheraton from the fairmont? What is the sheraton close to?