Simon Wittenberg heads across the Atlantic to enjoy the comforts and amenities of the luxury hotel in the Canadian city of Montreal.
Located only seven hours away by plane from the UK across the ocean, Montreal is the largest city in the French-speaking province of Quebec and the second biggest in Canada after Toronto – the capital of Ontario.
It takes its name from “Mont Royal”, a triple-peaked hill and public park which towers over the city, and today offers a spectacular panoramic vista of the urban landscape and the vast St. Lawrence River, especially with the changing colours of the autumn.
Amongst a plethora of accommodation options in the heart of Montreal is the InterContinental Hotel, which sits in the business district adjacent to the Convention Centre and the Square Victoria-OACI metro station (on the handy orange line).
It is also perfectly located to explore the quaint Old Montreal, which includes the Notre Dame Basilica and the bustling Rue Saint-Paul—one of the oldest streets in Montreal. The Old Port also has a range of visitor attractions, including a 60-metre-wide observation wheel (the tallest in Canada) and the Sailor’s Memorial Clock, which dates back to 1922.
InterContinental Montreal on the western section of the Rue Saint-Antoine thoroughfare opened its doors back in 1991, and as of 1st October 2024, after an $CAD 80 million acquisition last year, this 325,000-square-foot hotel is an IHG franchise belonging to the Mach Group, one of Canada’s largest private property owners and developers.
Run by around 220 staff members, it has 334 rooms and 23 suites spread across 26 floors. Accommodation ranges from the “Classic” to the lavish Presidential Suite.
Sleeping and relaxing
Costing around £220 per night, we stayed in a 432-square foot Premium Montreal View room on level 21, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the surrounding glass-fronted skyscrapers, and was well isolated from the hustle and bustle below, and any disturbances from neighbouring rooms or the lifts.
Furnished with a maroon-themed décor, which carries throughout the hotel, this classification offers spacious sleeping quarters with two double beds or a single king (we had the former) complete with a generous helping of plush pillows.
It also has a writing desk, soft seating, tea and coffee-making facilities, and complementary bottles of water that are topped up daily.
The bathroom is just as roomy, featuring a contrasting French-style green and white marble-lined floor, a standalone bath and walk-in shower, sumptuously soft large bath towels, and a range of nicely fragranced accessories from Apotheke and Acca Kappa to cleanse and relax.
Wining and dining
Osco! is the main eatery at InterContinental Montreal and is orientated around Mediterranean-style gastronomy, with artworks adorning the walls to reflect this corner of the globe. However, the theme of this cuisine is set to change to be more related to Canadian ingredients from the surrounding region as part of the $CAD 20 million redevelopment earmarked by the new owners, which is scheduled for 2025.
Guests at Osco! are greeted by an impressive walk-in wine room at the entrance and a light and airy ambience with comfortable banquette-style and separate seating at dark wooden tables.
We enjoyed a weekday lunch during our visit. We tried both an à la carte and a three-course set menu (“Table d’hôte” in French). The set menu costs $CAD 46 per person (around £25, excluding tax and service charges).
There is a selection of three dishes to choose from for each stage of the meal, plus a separate kids’ menu, and any dietary requirements will be catered for where possible.
I tried the fried halloumi topped with a sweet apple and cranberry compote, which was delicious, and my other half tucked into a freshly prepared salad as an alternative to the lentil soup and goats’ cheese and walnut salad.
There are meat, veggie, and fish dishes for the mains. I sampled a roasted moist piece of trout on a bed of bulgar wheat with a light mushroom sauce and some kale, which was adequately filling.
My wife settled on a medium-rare and beautifully prepared fillet of steak, accompanied by a portion of French fries and a fresh green salad.
On to dessert, and it is principally dairy options here, such as crème brûlée and chocolate fondant, so those with an intolerance may struggle a little.
I was drawn to the small, but tasty cheesecake with a blackberry and strawberry half as garnish, with my wife completing her meal with a nicely-concocted fruit salad, taking in the likes of pineapple, strawberry, melon, and blueberries.
In the morning, it is Osco! which hosts breakfast, with a relatively small, but wholesome buffet, featuring hot egg dishes, pancakes, sliced cheeses and meats of different varieties, pastries, fresh seeded baguette, and the vital ingredients synonymous with a full English.
There’s equally a separate menu of hot dishes for those merely wishing to grab a bite away from what is laid out on the buffet.
The trick, especially at the weekend, is to go down early, as queues do form once people have had a lie-in. Catering to the tastes of guests from the four corners of the globe, although it seemed it was largely a North American audience at InterContinental Montreal, there’s 24-hour room service and a separate à la carte, similar to what you would find in the restaurant for those who don’t have the chance to catch this venue’s opening times.
For something a bit more laid back, this hotel has its own bar called “Sarah B.”, which takes its name from the renowned French actress Sarah Bernhardt, who passed away in 1923.
It’s orientated around an alcoholic absinthe experience, with the drinks stands proudly displayed across this establishment. However, for those who do not want to partake in this ritual, Sarah B. offers a lot more, thanks to its extensive menu of spirits, cocktails and mocktails.
We tried a couple of refreshing mocktails, namely a grapefruit mojito ($CAD 14), and a strawberry purée, lemon, basil, and ginger concoction ($CAD 14), which were both excellent.
If you’re a little peckish, guests can pick one of the light bites listed on the chalk board, such as pizza, cheese and charcuterie boards, and salmon tartare, which seemed reasonably priced for a hotel of this kind.
Swimming and exercising
An additional benefit of staying at InterContinental Montreal is the well-equipped gym and 15-metre saltwater swimming pool on the tenth floor of the hotel, which also houses a steam room and sauna in the separate changing areas.
The pool is heated to a tepid temperature, so takes a bit of getting used to, whilst there is also no shallow end, due a consistent depth of nearly 1.4 metres, so small children will not be able to touch the bottom during their swim.
One of the other plus points here is that there’s a separate outdoor terrace where you can order drinks and admire the vista of the cityscape.
In summary…
InterContinental Montreal is a fantastic downtown hotel, which is brilliantly located to explore some of the best sights that this Canadian city has to offer.
This luxurious property also has plenty of amenities “in-house” if you merely want to sit back and relax during your stay. Plus, with extensive updates to this property on the horizon, thanks to this hotel’s new owners, Intercontinental Montreal is set to be even better, and for those who are coming to visit Montreal for pleasure or business, this property should certainly not be overlooked when booking a stay in Canada.
InterContinental Montreal – Where and How?
InterContinental Montreal is located at 360 St. Antoine Street West, Montreal, Quebec H2Y 3X4, Canada. For more information or to make a reservation, visit https://montreal.intercontinental.com.
See the Luxurious Magazine Instagram page for highlights of our stay, and our visit to the city of Montreal.
Photo credits: InterContinental Montreal / Simon Wittenberg.
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