PHOTO: Le Place d'Armes Hôtel & Suites

Fodor's Expert Review Le Place d'Armes Hôtel & Suites

Name: Le Place d'Armes Hôtel & Suites
Address: 55 rue St-Jacques, Montréal, Québec, H2Y 3X2, Canada
Telephone: 514-842–1887;888-450–1887
Price range: $$$

55 rue St-Jacques, Montréal, Québec H2Y 3X2, Canada See on Map Fodor's Choice

Joanne Latimer

Three lavish neoclassical buildings were merged to create Old Montréal's largest boutique hotel, pleasing jet-setters and business execs alike with rooms that combine old-fashioned grandeur with sleek, modern furnishings.

Make time for the spa’s Turkish hammam, a 2,000 square-foot “vaporium,” for an exceptionally spacious steam bath.

room

High ceilings, red brick walls, hardwood floors, and carved headboards give the rooms an edge—especially the Superior Kings and suites, with their electric fireplaces.

YOU SHOULD KNOW Late sleepers may be annoyed by the sound of church bells from the basilica.

Photo: Le Place d'Armes Hôtel & Suites

bathroom

Checkered black granite and white marble floors catch your eye as you make your way to the walk-in rain shower and therapeutic soaker tub. Labo body products are local and lush.

lobby

Expansive and airy, the lobby has cream marble floors and multiple sitting areas. With the high ceilings, it’s easy to image the lobby’s early function as a banking hall.

dining

On the main floor, Suite 701 attracts an evening crowd for the martinis and brasserie comfort food. Think Angus beef burgers. Gluten free, dairy free, and vegetarian options are available. Kyo Bar Japonaise is widely considered the best Japanese restaurant in town. It has the city’s most extensive saki list, with 25 varieties on hand.

LOCATION

Getting Around

Just a 5-minute walk from the Place d’arm metro, there’s no reason to rent a car. You can walk everywhere in Old Montreal. There’s very little parking and the streets are narrow, so this is no place for a Hummer. However, taxis and Ubers know the area well.

Restaurants

For a riotous night in celebrity chef Chuck Hughes’s dinner club, hit Guard Manger (10-minute walk). Two words for you: lobster poutine. Or, consider Holder (10-15 minute walk), a classic French bistro with a reliably noisy crowd ordering the steak frites and mussles.

Bars

Suite 701 and Kyo are perfectly entertaining, on site. However, if you must leave the property, amble over to Modavie (5-minute walk) for the live jazz, seven nights a week.

WHY WE LIKE IT

With all the amenities of a full-service chain property and none of the cookie-cutter decor, this boutique hotel is honeymoon central. The swooshing glass doors open into a world of refinement and style--while also embracing the architectural details that make it a heritage landmark. The roof-top terrace draws savvy locals for cocktails, while the superior penthouse suites are popular with visiting race car drivers, dignitaries, and stadium rock stars. The location beside a metro stop of the same name is handy for sightseeing beyond the Old Port.