Hotel Le St-James

Montreal
Canada

The Experience

Maybe it’s because this hotel is located in the former Merchant’s Bank building, but there's an unabashedly masculine vibe here. Aesthetically, too, it’s more in tune with Montreal’s patrician Anglo past than its saucier French side. But no matter, there’s a time and a place for froufrou, and this isn’t really it. Think London gentleman’s club circa 1897, but with plasma TVs and Denon vertical-loading CD players. Couple the creature comforts with a fantastic location in Old Montreal, and you’ve got yourself a winner.

The Rooms

The hotel has 23 rooms, 26 junior suites and 11 larger suites in various shapes and sizes. No two are alike; each is appointed with particular and unique European antiques, artwork (and some faithful reproductions). Look for top-flight amenities like Penhaligon’s and Hermes in the super-sleek bathrooms.

The Service

Probably the best in Montreal, the staff is accustomed to servicing the needs of high-profile guests—but thankfully the little people aren’t chopped liver. When one guest couldn’t get to sleep because of music wafting up from the lobby, just one phone call had the volume turned down.

The Highlights

That gentlemanly vibe even extends to Le Spa, which is located in the vault of this former bank building. The stone wall down there is part of Montreal’s original fortifications. None of this detracts from the luxuriousness of the experience, but the atmosphere isn’t exactly Zen. The whole hotel feels more turbocharged than hushed, actually, but we’re talking serious money. In the end, some hotels promise unbridled luxury, but Le St-James truly delivers on it.

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