The Ritz-Carlton, Montreal

The hotel is an island of luxury with old world charm mixed with modern touches. The customer service was impressive. Max the concierge deserves a special mention. He went above and beyond to make our visit pleasant and to communicate with us about each reservation and arraignment. The food was suburb and only surpassed by the service. I would highly recommend this hotel.

My family stayed here for 3 nights after a ski trip to Mt. Tremblant. From the moment we pulled up to the curb with our packed car (my 85 year old mother, my dog, my husband, my children and all of our gear), we felt welcomed and at home. Carl, the doorman immediately greeted us and charmed my mother by helping her out of the car into the lobby. He remained a friendly face throughout our stay and we were always happy to see him and chat with him. He was always smiling and friendly. Alina at the front desk helped us settle into our adjoining rooms and arranged a cake for my mother's birthday. She greeted us with cheer and was always happy to help. When we left, Charles, the doorman patiently helped us load our many bags into the car and offered pleasant conversation. Their service, kindness and hospitality were top notch and they made our stay memorable. The rooms were clean, well appointed, large and very comfortable. The bathrooms felt luxurious after our ski trip. The kids didn't want to leave the hotel to see Montreal. We really enjoyed our stay and hope to come back one day.

I am sorry to say that "the bloom is off the rose". I was thrilled to return to the Ritz-Carlton Montreal after one of the most luxurious hotel stays of my life, which I experienced with the RCM in 2017. Unfortunately, since Marriott has taken over such fine properties, they continue to degrade, as has this one. The hotel has not been kept up with scraped paint, scratched wood, and broken-hinged cabinet doors. The towels are thin and worn--the quality of a Holiday Inn. The staff is most definitely friendly, but many are not particularly eager to please. Despite letting no less than three staff members know before our arrival that we would need an unscented room, an air purifier, and an extra duvet, none of these requests were handled. Needless to say, when we return to the city, we will be staying at The Four Seasons.

We had a wonderful stay for five nights in a beautiful junior suite room and then 1 night in a signature king room Each time we stayed the welcome and friendliness of the front desk staff and doormen was exceptional The cleaning of the room and turn down service was always very good, and we were given small gifts of a lens cloth and lavender pillow spray on a few nights when staying in the junior suite. We also received some cookies on arrival and macarons on our last night, again extra touches which made the stay in the junior suite a bit special The bathrooms were amazing, with large showers and baths and a Japanese style toilet The beds were the most comfortable we have slept in and the room was very quiet The breakfast buffet was just ok and we had variable levels of service. We were charged for extra cappuccinos on one occasion when it should have been included in cost of buffet. We did have a disastrous afternoon tea experience in the bar on our last day as the service was in incredibly slow, it did not feel like a special experience at all. The vegetarian offering was also very poor as there were no sandwiches, just a selection of 5 canapés which was very disappointing. Apart from this, I would highly recommend a stay at this hotel as the rooms are fabulous and the front desk, doormen and housekeeping service are excellent.

This is exactly how you wanted 'the best hotel in town' in North America to feel 30 years ago. And now with the evolution of the hotel market to be much flashier, the Ritz Montreal reminds you what has been lost. Staff are incredibly warm, and make you feel like a valued guest in every interaction. When you see it being done right, you remember how uncommon it has become. The hotel fabric itself is immaculately maintained. All the food and drink that we had (dinner in the bar, lunch in Bouloud and breakfast) were excellent and very fairly priced. Breakfast feels a bit limited in range - but quality was perfect. The location is one of the best in the city. I have stayed at the Four Seasons which is around the corner. Yes, the gym is more wow and the design is more modern etc. But on every level, I preferred the Ritz. Of course, it generally the highest rates in town. But Montreal isn't as pricey as some North American cities so definitely a place to indulge yourself.