Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac

We booked a gold room, and had expected a level of service that sadly just didn’t quite materialise. Our room on the 15th floor, had a super view of the city, and was sizeable, although the bathroom was very tiny and dated, and only had a shower. The 14th floor gold area is pleasant, and breakfast was very adequate, with plenty of choice. The bit that was lacking though, was the service in the hotel, generally. The 1608 bar was ok, but when we’d booked to go to Le Champlain for dinner, there was no hostess at the desk. We subsequently started to walk in to find someone, where upon a lady called Tia, black Curly hair and glasses, told us off and said that we had to go back to the desk! It was an awful start to what was supposed to be a fine dining experience, and we were made to feel really uncomfortable, and not at all welcome. She then took us to our table, but gave people after us, better tables? She really does not represent the hotel well. Our dinner was pleasant and we had a super waiter, although our steak course was served cold, and we couldn’t eat it. The gold experience could be a lot slicker with attention to detail around organising taxis, especially when you leave, and also recommending interesting restaurants. We waited outside for over 20 minutes when leaving, for our taxi. Perhaps this could be organised and you’re called down when it’s arrived. The hotel is picture postcard stuff, and a wonderful location. The service just needs a lot of attention to detail, to be as good as other hotels of this price bracket.

Magical experience visiting the German Christmas markets. Wonderful staff. Superb dinner at Bistro Le Sam. Delicious buffet breakfasts overlooking the river. Quiet room.

This hotel lives up to the hype it's luxury and charming. The rooms are sumptuous and the hotel staff are very warm but professional. The food is great and the afternoon tea a real treat. It has a central location so you can explore the area easily.

From the moment we arrived for our three night stay the entire experience was perfect. The staff were friendly and helpful, the room was in great condition - both in amenities and cleanliness, the hotel proper was as beautiful and majestic as expected, and the additional service we received on the Gold floor was well worth the extra cost. We would stay here again if back in Quebec City.

The Château Frontenac is an excellent hotel with the potential to be truly five-stars. The food is excellent, the rooms are well appointed, and the hospitality—at its best—is genuinely warm. We very much enjoyed our stay, and the welcome from the front-door staff immediately set a high standard and an inviting tone. The concierge was very helpful, and kind. It is odd that the hotel tour is $20 per guest. I liked that they have water bottle refills on every floor. That said, this is also where the experience began to fall short. While the room itself was nice, the housekeeping did not meet the expectations for a hotel at this level. Every hidden or upper surface was dusty: the tops of lamps, wall art, bathroom edges, and architectural details. In a luxury property, “50/50 housekeeping” is simply not acceptable. And, to still offer a minibar that does not double as a fridge is very 1980s. Service was also an issue. At the otherwise wonderful bar, the process for being seated was confusing. We were sent inside to look for a table ourselves, then told we could be seated in 20 minutes—despite most tables being visibly available. The issue was not hospitality, but uneven communication and coordination. The food, overall, was very good; however, there were execution lapses. Two steaks ordered medium-rare arrived at the same table with markedly different results—one medium, the other well done. Again, a small detail, but one that matters at this level. When a hotel is large and ambitious, achieving true luxury requires relentless attention to detail. Château Frontenac has always had all the right elements—the woodwork, the style, the setting, the cuisine—but too many of the small service and maintenance details are being overlooked. Dust on architectural features, neglected surfaces in transitional spaces, and uneven service all detract from what should be a seamless experience. With greater consistency in housekeeping and service coordination, this hotel could fully live up to its promise again and truly become the grand lady it presents itself to be.