Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello

Having visited several Fairmont properties, I've been wanting to stay at this iconic one as well. Me and my wife came here with my older parents, they were impressed as well. From the reviews, I was not sure what to expect, it left me scratching my head. All I can say is Wow, where did these unhappy guests stay? I understand there is some renovated rooms and some more rustic ones if I may call them that. We stayed in a renovated one and my parents got one as well and it was perfect and very clean, extremely cozy in a good way, super comfy bed with luxury linens (Frette)? Yes you have some dents and nicks here and there, look at the old doors and the thickness of these, you won't see this type of detail at your new cookie-cutter Hilton by the airport. LOL. This property is iconic and a true Canadiana gem! I think some people coming here don't have the right expectations, it's the largest log building in the world, most of the interior is original from the 1930's, what are they expecting? I can be quite high maintenance, even more so than my wife, but I have a hard time finding something to complain about, the staff was very good as well, all through our stay. We got turndown service and a tray of sweets for the night, with a card from management. Yes it was 500$ (breakfast included) but a stay like this is an experience and it was totally worth it. The ambassador dog Victor in the lobby is such a good charming boy, I went for a walk with him, so very nice. In any event, the property has character, charm and history, just enjoying the breathtaking lobby is a vibe and a moment that you will not find anywhere else, we spend hours just sitting and relaxing there; eating, drinking, reading, chilling. Memories for a lifetime and hoping to return someday perhaps. You will either love or dislike this place, decide which side you are on before going, you know who you are. There is no in the middle here. Cheers!

We were there for a wedding. The hotel is beautiful, the grounds by the river make it really special. The reception area is impressive with the big fireplace and the wood building in general; however the room was quite disappointing. The price is quite high for the quality of the room. We booked one of the largest double rooms with sofa-bed included and while it was spacious, there were many issues. There was limited space to store clothing, the coffee/mini-fridge cabinet doors didn't work, there were no plug outlets for charging the phone/computer near the bed; the bathroom was extremely small and the magnifying mirror was falling, there was not enough room to put any toiletry, hairdryer or anything else. The service was friendly and good, but they never came to do our bedroom. (maybe we were supposed to request it?). Next time, we'll stay in town and visit the hotel for the day.

Honestly one of the worst experiences ever for the cost. The saviour was the dinner, awesome food and service as well as the breakfast buffet. We went Oct 6th 2025, it was 29 degrees Celsius. We went a little early expecting to sit on a nice terrace with food and wine service. No go, all shut down. There was no lunch menu/restaurant, the bar and snacks opened at 15:30, and it was basic snacks. You could bring a drink outside but no food, again no service but nowhere to sit and relax. They are also seemingly mixing up rustic with dilapidated. For the room prices, a plastic bath tub and small pedestal sink, I’ve had much better rooms at a Holiday Inn. Completely ridiculous and riding on reputation which will come down quickly.

We visited as the final stop of a two week tour, leaving a small hop to Montreal airport. What we hoped would be a highlight was mostly disappointing. An expensive room, with very expensive food and drink, was not justified at a hotel with so many deficiencies. To be fair, the grounds are gorgeous and well kept, the river views stunning. The log cabin style hotel is impressive, but tired. Rooms were small, dated and just the wrong side of quirky. Our elevator was out of service, the alternative ones scraped and dingy. Breakfast buffet was expensive at CA$38 plus tax, with some interesting selections but no muesli or granola, no nuts. Milk was on request. Turkey sausages were dry. After serving ourselves the waiting staff member was keen to remind us "in Canada no service is included". At dinner (expensive), the wine list was long, but started at $75 plus tax (and service of course) The outdoor pool was still open as the September weather remained warm. But no outside dining or bar were available. Upon returning to the hotel at 1:30pm in search of a drink for outdoors, I was told that the remaining indoor bar was closed until 3pm. Room service was offered as the only alternative. We hired biked to tour the lovely grounds and trails, but were told that without maintenance, the range of bikes on offer, and their condition, was limited. This hotel has a marvelous, glamorous past. Without serious management attention and investment, I fear for its' future.

My wife and I were eagerly looking forward to our two night stay at the Fairmont Chateau Montebello last week (September 2025). The hotel, advertised as the largest “Log Cabin” in the world has enjoyed a popular following for many years and the Fairmont name has always projected quality and impeccable service. To be fair, the resort is situated on a scenic river side lot and the public rooms; the lobby and dining areas, are spectacular, with a central 4 story fireplace suited to a grand English castle. The guest rooms however, offer all the charm of a Northern Saskatchewan road side motel. Our room came complete with a stained carpet, peeling paint, cob webs on the ceiling light fixture, a cracked bathroom sink, and dirty windows with a broken window frame. The table lamp had a non-functioning light bulb, and the tub/ shower emitted a loud groaning noise when used and may have in fact been haunted. The HVAC unit was likely last popular on the Titanic. The room lack a proper desk, a pen or any literature explaining hotel facilities, or room service information and the furniture was old and heavily worn. All this luxury for the modest sum of $425 a night plus a mandatory “Resort Fee” of $40/day /person which gave you access to a beautiful outdoor pool and water sports facilities that despite very warm weather were both closed. There was of coarse a very nice indoor pool. To add to our disappointment the $40 per person breakfast buffet was entirely pedestrian featuring that pre-cooked “Memories of Bacon”, (devoid of any bacon flavour) and an uninspired omelet station with few options. The evening dinner offerings lacked taste and imagination, but not price. I have stayed at almost all the Fairmont Hotels in Canada and this one was a large disappointment. Save your money, buy a coffee at the lobby bar, walk around, take a picture of the fireplace and find yourself nice motel.