Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac

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.

We stayed in a Fairmont gold signature room, which was located in one of the turrets, with views over the river. The room was smaller than expected, but very comfortable. Definitely worth the extra for gold. We checked in on the 14th floor, and the lounge was lovely, with beautiful views. We couldn’t fault the food - from a delicious breakfast with so much to choose from, to one of the best canapé spreads I have seen in a Fairmont gold lounge. This included hot seafood, mini burgers, cheese and charcuterie, and salads, with desserts served from 8.00pm. The pool area was busy from around 2.00pm each day, but quite peaceful in the morning, with loungers by the windows, where we watched the snow falling outside. Location is great, with the funicular located just in front of the hotel, so perfect for returning from sightseeing in the Old Town. Sightseeing buses also leave from out front of the hotel. Every staff member we spoke to was friendly and helpful, and appeared to genuinely enjoy their job.

THE place to stay in Quebec City. It’s a large, bustling hotel but the location and amenities can’t be beat. We upgraded to a higher floor which came with access to a private club and concierge. It was well worth the money as we enjoyed the space, complimentary breakfast, and snacks throughout the day.

Staying at the famous Chateau Frontenac was on the bucket list and it did not disappoint. We checked in on a Monday afternoon in December, with the opening of the Christmas Market on Thursday the reason for the visit. The hotel was very busy and after waiting on line for several minutes we were checked in. The room was lovely, with the usual amenities you would expect. It was very, very far from the elevator (this is a huge hotel) and in retrospect we probably should have requested to be moved to a room not quite so far, but we didn’t. The beds were very comfortable and there was a separate thermostat in the bathroom to turn on the baseboard heater, which was definitely needed. There are several restaurants in the hotel, as well as a Starbucks which has seating. The location is excellent, right across from the tourist bus stop and near to the funicular to lower Quebec. Prices are quite high but worth it. The Christmas Market was right in front of the hotel and extended around the corner. All in all, it was a beautiful stay.