Hotels

The Exterior of the Loews Le Concorde

One of my favorite places to visit, of everywhere I’ve been, is Quebec City.  It’s got the charm of Europe, without the expense and travel time.  In fact, if you live in the Northeast, driving to Quebec City isn’t out of the question.

Many of the hotels and inns within the old city of Quebec have loads of charm and are extremely convenient, but few offer the modern amenities that are common in large city hotels.  When my husband and I visited Quebec City, we wanted an outdoor pool to enjoy (almost impossible to find within the old city) as well as other modern conveniences, so we chose to stay at the Loews Hotel Le Concorde which is located within the old city, but right outside the walls of the city center.

The Loews Hotel Le Concorde offers 406 spacious rooms and suites – many of which offer lovely views of Quebec.  An outdoor roof deck heated pool (open in season), a whirlpool, exercise room, and saunas are available to guests.  High speed internet access is available at an extra fee, as is valet parking.  The Hotel Le Concorde, like other Loews properties, is pet-friendly.

There are several dining options located on-site, or right nearby, including L’Astral, a revolving restaurant located at the top of the hotel.  L’Astral serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily.

Loews Hotel Le Concorde
1225 cours du Général-De Montcalm
Québec City, Québec
G1R 4W6
(418) 647-2222

Photo credit: Jodi Grundig

The Lobby of the Hotel St. James

Are you looking to experience old world hospitality and elegance without leave the continent?  Le Hotel Le St. James, located in historic Old Montreal (my favorite section of Montreal), is offering two wonderfully luxurious packages this December.

The Romance in Old Montreal Package includes:

• A one night stay in a deluxe Heritage suite (average of 1,200 square feet!)
• A five-course dinner (excluding alcohol) for two in a private alcove in the on-site XO Le Restaurant (which was rated best restaurant in Montreal)
• A $200CAD spa gift certificate per room per stay
• Two bathrobes
• Full breakfast for two

The Parisian Style Stopping package includes:

• One night in the Royal Suite, which is over 2,300 square feet and including a living area, dining area, powder room, master bedroom, and deluxe room
• Ground transportation from the airport and the Holt Renfrew in Montreal
• A bottle of champagne and flower bouquet
• Lunch for two (excluding alcohol) in the XO Le Restaurant
• Breakfast for two

The Hotel Le St. James is a luxury boutique hotel with 60 rooms and suites in a restored building dating back to 1870.  Room amenities include plasma televisions, evening turndown service, Molton Brown toiletries (I love these!), goose down duvets, bed linens from Italy, and telephones that manage room temperature and room lighting.  It’s located in the historic Old Montreal section of town, and is walking distance to many shops and restaurants.

Hotel Le St. James
355 Rue Saint-Jacques Ouest
Montréal, QC, Canada
1-866-841-3111

Photo credit: Hotel Le St. James

The Old Mill has long been a integral part of Toronto’s heritage.  First discovered in 1615, it was then a thoroughfare for Native Canadians.  Now it is home to live entertainment, weddings and corporate meetings.

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Montreal, Quebec, Canada Skyline

Just before Toronto, we made a quick stop in Montreal, and even though I was there for a short time, I can tell you that the Opus Hotel one very comfortable hotel.The room was plenty big, and furnished with modern fixings such as a bowl sink and contemporary furniture. The rooms are – well, they’re concrete! The building was constructed in 1914, and it was the first concrete-poured building in North America. This surprised me t first, but it’s amazing what good lighting can do to dress up concrete walls. The room felt surprisingly cozy given the fact that much of the walls were bare concrete – it was an interesting room.

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Hotel Room View from One King West Hotel, Toronto, Canada

One King West Hotel & Residence in Toronto, Canada is a beautiful, centrally located hotel with gorgeous views of Lake Ontario. This hotel’s history is really interesting – it had been a bank from 1889 until the 1990s, and then it was converted into a hotel and condo residence in 1999. “The Sliver,” a narrow addition to the building added 49 stories of hotel rooms and condo residences. The view from the top is spectacular.

My room was amazing. Check it out in the pic below – it was on the bigger side, and it had a fridge, stove, microwave oven and a dishwasher! The bathroom was spacious and the shower was large. I was only on the 19th floor, but the view of Lake Ontario was beautiful.

One King West Hotel in Toronto, Canada

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The Fantasyland Hotel in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada is quite a trip. If you find yourself at the West Edmonton Mall and don’t have a place to stay that night, definitely book a room! The rooms are decked out in one of nine different themes, all of which will make you smile, some of which will make you cringe at tackiness.

Here’s what my room looked like – it was a Polynesia-themed room, and I thought the decorations were imaginative and fun:

My Polynesian room at The Fantasyland Hotel

I sailed away to sleep in a really comfy bed, and that shelf just below the bed was handy for drinks and food.

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One of the big hassles of travel, IMHO, especially when traveling with kids, is having a hotel experience which ends up draining you, rather than restoring you. Cramped space, inadequate beds, poor lighting, all can take the fun out of a family trip. When we travel, the hotel is our home base and we have high hopes that spending time there will be relaxing and restorative, giving us the energy to continue exploring our visiting city.

Sutton Place Hotel

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The indoor pool at the Marriot Courtyard in Niagara Falls

When our oldest son’s hockey coach did his research on the best place for the entire team to stay during a Niagara Falls tournament last year, he analyzed 10 hotels in the area and as a group, we decided on the Marriott Courtyard.

For the group discounted rate we managed to secure, the Marriott Courtyard was at the edge of the main streets leading into Niagara Falls excitement and the kids were in awe of their surroundings. Once done at the rinks for the day, all the families ventured into the museums and attractions at night, and all were within a few minutes walking distance.

The standard room with two queen-sized beds provides ample room for families.

As hockey parents lugging equipment, suitcases, younger siblings and all that comes with them, we were overly impressed with the fact that there was more than enough ample parking in such a busy area of town.  The rooms were enormous of a family of four, and ours came with two queen sized beds.  There was more than enough space to spread out hockey equipment between games and the list of things for families to do is long if you’re so inclined and don’t mind spending a few bucks in this tourist mecca.

The staff at the Marriott was ready for anything.  They were courteous and patient with so many kids running around (we weren’t the only tourney parents there and there were a ton of kids in the hotel).  While they didn’t staff the pool with a lifeguard, the staff that did pop in stopped any kids from horsing around in the pool, employing a hands off policy so you know, nobody drowned.  Knowing how the hockey team likes to play wrestle, I was grateful they couldn’t do it in the pool.

The Keg Steakhouse & Bar inside the hotel offered up a breakfast spread that made the boys go wild.  Everything little boys could ever want was there for the taking and the coffee was delicious.

Lastly, the entire staff all seemed to be extremely familiar with the area and were instrumental in getting us to our arenas on time.

We’re looking at Niagara Falls again this year for our hockey tournament and I sure hope we stay at the Marriott again.  It was a 5 star in terms of convenience, customer service and low stress for hockey moms and dads, which is especially good for a 3 star hotel.

Photos credit: Marriott Courtyard

Entry window, Le 71 Hotel Cafe, Quebec City, Canada

Entering the lobby of  Le 71 Hotel Cafe (pronounced le soixante-et-onze) on rue St. Pierre in the old port section of Quebec City, travelers are greeted by cool simplicity and warm hospitality. There’s no sign the 19th-century neoclassical building once housed a bank, except perhaps the high ceilings and tall arched windows, some graced with stained glass medallions.

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The themed courtyard at the Best Western Cairn Croft in Niagara Falls

When my husband and I were looking for a weekend away during his electrical apprenticeship, money was certainly an issue.  The Man was still in school, after all.  We left the kids with his parents and on recommendation from his well-traveled father (who has worked in nearly every town in Ontario), we decided to stay at the Best Western Cairn Croft.

About a 30 minute walk to The Falls and away from all the noise and people, the Cairn Croft was a clean, inexpensive alternative to anything else we could have found at the lower end of the price point without sleeping with critters.  We checked in, change into dinner clothes and walked down to the main drag.

After spending too much money on dinner at the Spicy Olive (delicious food, but spendy), we took in the sights and a romantic ride on the Ferris Wheel.  By the time we walked all the way back to the hotel, our feet had given up on us.  The stay itself was uneventful, clean and for all intents and purposes, the hotel functioned as it should without any issues.  I would venture to say it was more of a family hotel than anything – given the pool and amenities geared toward kids.  We faced the courtyard pictured above and while people were respectful, it was still noisy with all the foot traffic through there.  The best part?  Walking to our car behind the hotel, late in the evening, and catching a bride smoking a cigarette in her wedding dress.  Klassy!

Now that The Man is a full fledged electrician though?  I expect to stay in the hub-bub next time and in a 5 star.  Value is great, but some days I’d like to pretend we have more money than brains.  If only just for a weekend of pampered bliss.

Photo credit: Best Western