Looking to get away with your special someone but a beachside resort isn’t your speed? Consider one of these Canadian city hotels that provide an array of romantic amenities.
Montreal has several luxurious accommodations for couples looking to get away —whether it’s just for the weekend or for an extended stay.
Hotel Le Crystal, an independent boutique hotel that will be celebrating its 10 th anniversary in June 2018, “is as romantic and traditional as it is cutting-edge, as cosmopolitan and dynamic as it is small-town friendly.”
Romantic gestures that the hotel has offered include rose petals and chocolate awaiting couples in their room; taking guests in a horse- drawn carriage for a tour of Old Montreal; booking a musician for a marriage proposal; and finding the best tables at the best restaurants in the city such as Europea, a Relais & Chateaux restaurant just across the street. Shopping is around the corner at La Maison Ogilvy; Saint Catherine Street’s boutiques are just a five-minute drive away.
The head concierge can be reached at concierge@hotel-lecrystal.com. Mylene Perrault is usually at the post but is currently on maternity leave until September; in the meantime Nairn Guessous is available to answer any questions.
Hotel Le Crystal currently has a “Romance Package” and a “Relax Together” package. The former includes accommodations in a Superior, Premium, Deluxe or Executive Suite, two signature cocktails at the Bar La Coupole, two breakfasts in-suite, late checkout and a gift card to Amerispa, the hotel’s onsite spa; the latter includes a stay in a Superior, Deluxe or Executive Suite, one 50-minute massage at Amerispa each, late checkout, breakfast at LA Coupole, and access to the fitness center, indoor pool, sauna, gym and outdoor hot tub.
Of the 131 suites, the hotel recommends couples opt for the Executive Suite, which includes a large living room space with a fireplace (perfect for snuggling up next to at night) and 42-inch flat-screen TV, a kitchenette and minibar, a balcony and master bedroom with turndown service and en suite with deep bathtubs. There is also an outdoor Jacuzzi on the 12th floor terrace, perfect for relaxing and enjoying the city.
Good to know: Summer is the busiest season, which requires booking at least one month in advance. In June, the city hosts the Canadian Grand Prix, and bookings should be made between six months and one year in advance.
The Amerispa, led by Spa Director Caroline Charles, has four aesthetic rooms plus a section for manicures and pedicures. The Amerispa Massage (80 minutes) is the most requested; couples, however, should try the Tandem Massage (50 minutes). Spa treatments should be reserved one week in advance.
Hotel Gault, a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts LVX, is a 30-room boutique hotel just a few blocks from the Promenade du Vieux-Port, a park bordering the St. Lawrence River. The original structure was built in 1871 for Andrew Frederick Gault, known as the “cotton king of Canada.” His dry-goods company was based out of the building until 1914. The original iron pillars and brick walls are visible in the lobby and certain guestrooms.
We recommend couples ask for the Deluxe Apartment — the hotels top accommodation. The 1,020-square-foot space has a kitchenette, a living room and a workspace with complimentary Wi-Fi, plus a King bed with Casa Rovea linens, 2 LED TVs (40- inch and 55-inch), a bathroom with an expansive bathtub, shower, heated floor and Molton Brown bath amenities.
For the best views, the Terrace Suites offer uninterrupted views of Old Montreal. These range from 400 square feet to 600 square feet. For specific room requests, book at least two weeks in advance. Director of Operations Amir Bakir will help advisors find the perfect room for their clients.
Tip: The “Romantic Retreat” package earns guests breakfast in their room plus a 1 p.m. late checkout.
Have clients looking to get out and explore? Hotel Gault can arrange a private helicopter tour of the city. A walk up to the lookout on Mont-Royal (a large volcanic- related hill immediately west of downtown) or an afternoon spent at the Jean-Talon farmers market is also ideal for couples.
Good to know: While the hotel doesn’t have an onsite spa, it is partnered with Scandinave Spa and Bota Bota spa-sur-l’eau, offering hotel packages and discounted rates for guests. Concierge Nadia Fentiman should be contacted at least one week in advance to book treatments. She can even arrange for masseuses to come to the hotel for an in-room treatment.
Le Place d’Armes Hotel & Suites touts it can arrange the perfect experience for couples —“anything and everything from booking transportation and dinner reservations to finding the perfect harp player for a wedding proposal.”
Couples considering popping the question will be relieved to hear that Le Place d’Armes has a dedicated Coordinator for Weddings and Social Events, Nadine Topuzogullari. She will assists in planning as well as day-of coordination. Couples also receive a maitre d’hotel who will be responsible for the execution of their event only. Entertainment, food and beverages, floral arrangements, photographers, ceremony officials, hair, makeup, and all other amenities can be booked through the coordinator.
The hotel also notes that it hosts honeymooners nearly every weekend throughout summer.
Top accommodations for couples include the five expansive Penthouse Suites or the six Junior Suites with balconies. All rooms, however, include 24-hour Clef d’Or concierge service, access to the spa with hammam, 24-hour fitness center, and rooftop terrace, complimentary morning shutde service downtown, Wi-Fi, and more. The Penthouses also have high ceilings, brick walls in some, master king bedroom with flat screen LCD TV, iPod docking station, a living room with electric fireplace, a second TV with home theater system, dining table, and a bathroom with walk-in, multi-jet rain shower, therapeutic soaker tub and a third LCD TV.
Reservation Supervisor James Gauthier can handle any bookings or questions regarding room categories.
The 2,500-square-foot spa has 10 treatment rooms spanning two floors. These include rooms equipped for duo treatments, a Vichy room and a traditional hammam with a private room. Contact Spa Director Roxanne Hamel to book a “Rainspa for Two” package, which can be tailored to include a Swedish Relaxation Massage, Swedish Deep Therapeutic Massage, a Hot Stone Massage, or Sports Massage, or even Thermal Mineral Body Scrubs, aromatherapy treatments and manicures and pedicures, among others.
Auberge du Vieux-Port, located direct on the aforementioned park of the same name, is a 19th-century structure with classic furnishings. One side of the 45-room hotel overlooks the cobblestoned Rue Saint-Paul, while the other has views of the St. Lawrence and Old Port.
Terrasse sur l’Auberge, the hotel’s rooftop bar, can be the perfect place for couples to grab a drink and enjoy the views of the city’s historic district, or as the setting for a cozy wedding with seating for up to 100 people.
Auberge du Vieux-Port also offers a dedicated wedding coordinator to help organize pre-event and the day of. Banquet Maitre-d’hotel & Events Coordinator Andree Harvey can help book all special event professionals and amenities.
