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Montreal hotels, hotel reviews, lodging guide |
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  espite all the folklore making up the prestigious aura of the Ritz-Carlton hotel chain, I always remembered it best for its inclusion in Home Alone 2. Now some 12 years later, I find out that was actually the Plaza, not the Ritz-Carlton. Now I just don’t know what to believe.
For those of you who are easily jaded, as I obviously am, I’m about to tell you something you might not want to know. The Ritz-Carlton in Montreal is not actually part of the iconic Ritz-Carlton chain. It once was, but is no longer. It's just kept the name.
But that’s not to say the Montreal Ritz-Carlton isn’t richly shrouded in history. Built in the 1900s, the hotel was actually the first one to combine the Ritz brand with the Carlton. In order to do so, it was forced to meet the conditions of the franchise (a kitchen and bathroom on every floor, an elegant spiral staircase for grand entrances to the ballroom, etc). In 1916 the hotel served as the site of the first transcontinental phone call. Later, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks graced the hotel with their presence and were met with crowds of screaming fans.
The Ritz-Carlton has done a lot to procure its reputation for elegance and grandeur so don’t expect trendy minimalism. This is the opposite of minimalism. This is maximalism (if the hotel can keep its name, then I can make up words). The rooms themselves are quite large despite the hotel’s age and are furnished with an array of opulent antiques and old-world style.
A deluxe room with a king size bed will run around $219 a night, while a 2 bedroom suite will cost $800. Feeling rich? Book the Royal Suite, which includes a sauna, whirlpool, and hefty price tag of $4500 a night. With 183 rooms and 43 suites, the Ritz-Carlton has many other rooms to keep you in the lap of luxury- or to help you penny pinch.
Besides reasonable prices and lavish rooms, the Ritz-Carlton also offers one of Montreal’s finest French restaurants. The Café de Paris fits with the large-scale old-world lavishness with a wine list that will impress the staunchest oenophile. Then there’s the legendary Jardin du Ritz, a lush manicured garden which houses a family of ducklings, where you can brunch on Sundays and sup on Mondays (or really any other day).
It may not be a real Ritz, but I’d be impressed if you could tell the difference.
-R.T.
With files from S.B.
Location
1228 rue Sherbrooke ouest , Montreal, QC |
Phone514-842-4212 |
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MBO Montreal :: Hotels
