Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu

My wife and I spent a week at this charming hotel. The staff of the hotel stumbled initially; the room had not been properly prepared. However, they quickly recovered; someone was promptly dispatched to our room to provide missing items. The room was quiet and well appointed. Lighting and plumbing functioned as intended. Although there was no exhaust fan in the bathroom, ventilation was sufficient so that nothing fogged up. Our use of the indoor facilities was limited to the restaurants, shops, lounges and the reception staff. Everyone was extremely helpful in sorting out our needs and our tourist interests. The grounds and the view of the St. Lawrence river are beautiful; we were there at the peak of the leaves turning and relished the magnificent colors. Visitors should be aware that the nearby communities cater to tourists. This means that many facilities are only open for the summer. We had the advantage of avoiding crowds but missed the opportunity to see a number of museums in the area that had closed for the season. We talked to other visitors and discovered that the plumbing in some areas of the hotel has been "modernized". The challenge they expressed is they could not figure out the controls and there were no instructions. >>Check out your room early enough so you can ask questions and not feel frustrated at the end of the day.<< We thoroughly enjoyed our visit.

We booked 2 and decided to extend our stay to 3 nights - we really liked it. The room had a wonderful view and was very pleasant and meticulously clean. Check-in and out were fast and everyone working there was super helpful. Cleaning stuff did an amazing job and were always very friendly and pleasant while passing by. The whole place indeed has a very friendly atmosphere. We didn't eat at the hotel or use the pool, spa, etc. We loved walking the many trails on the property and enjoyed the chairs in the garden with beautiful views. We are not golfers but took advantage of the golf carts to go up the super steep hill to the golf course from where you have the most spectacular views. Highly recommended! We stayed Tue-Fri and it wasn't too crowded (post long weekend). As we were checking out, we noticed that guests started arriving and it got very busy very quickly. Not sure how we would enjoy the weekends there. Guests were at least 60% older retirees (who seemed to have enjoyed going to the pool and/or spa in their bathrobes...which sometimes looked funny in packed elevators) and the rest was a mixed age groups. We very much appreciated a friendly pet policy and will gladly return.

I spent 3 nights recently at the Manoir and thoroughly enjoyed my visit. Sylvie at the front desk was wonderful, the spa treatment was very relaxing and the golf course stunning. I had a small suite on the second floor overlooking the front door of the hotel (so no views) but the room was enormous for just one person and very clean. My only grip would the the decor at Le Charlevoix restaurant. The table a little large for two peoples and the banquet where I sat was really not in keeping with the price tag or the reputation of the restaurant. They need to spend some money of this. There is a more casual restaurant but it was reserved for a private group. I sense that it would have been a better choice for me.

We had scheduled a shuttle for our arrival at the Charlevoix train but we had to call to have the shuttle dispatched. Either the hotel had forgotten or there were unexpected delays. Once we arrived at the hotel, we were told to go to the reception desk. As it was our wedding anniversary, where we got married at that location, we were expecting some kind of appreciation gift, either be a room upgrade or flowers, but unfortunately nothing was offered. At least our room was ready and we had to ask for someone to bring our luggage to our room. Once we were ready, we went back down to the reception and looking for a restaurant. To our surprise, there was only one restaurant open. We were expecting, in such a renown establishment, to offer more venues for lunch and it was 13:00 hrs so not really late. I even ask for a golf cart to go up to the clubhouse just to be told that too was closed and it was only opened during the week-end. Furthermore, if it would not be for the windows of the restaurant, the reception area would be so dark. One thing that you cannot take away is the magnificent view of the St-Lawrence river and the beautiful grounds surrounding the Manoir. The room had a good size but it is dated. The washroom has only a bathtub with a shower curtain. Taking a shower was at best a little rain and there is no fan so the mirrors fog up quickly. They do have a small fog free mirror. After our lunch, we went to relax in the pool. We were provided with keys and lockers. The swimming pool outside was heated and so warmly nice. Unfortunately again, the pool was in dire needed of repairs. Tiles were off, the walls needed repainting. The interior pool was attended and the water was cold versus the one outside. They also have a steam bath which is nice when you really want to sweat it. For dinner, once again the choice of restaurants is fairly limited. So we decided to hop in a cab and eat outside the hotel. The stairs to go to the reception desk are really dark and would need better lighting. We could hardly see our way up or down. All in all, basically this hotel is 3.5 stars. Would it not be for the picturesque surroundings and the beautiful set-up, I would stay somewhere else. As we got married there, we just wanted to go back and reminisce about that event. The hotel and the rooms are really dated and have not been maintained to the level we expected.

The 150th celebration for Canada, coupled with the turmoil around the globe, has me staying close to home and in my own country this year. I've had several drives along the south shore of the St. Lawrence butt ever ventured any further East than Quebec City on the North. What an absolutely stunning drive! I found the Fairmont hotel online and was so surprised and pleased to see this hotel in the realm of possibilities for our trip. The location is spectacular, what a view. The hotel is wonderful. The rooms are a good size and meet the expectations of the Fairmont line. The parking is truly a hassle with top priority given to the casino it seems. Great facilities. Food was amazing. Staff were hit and miss honestly some were really polite and gracious and some not. I would visit again.