Introduction I stayed at Fairmont Manoir Richelieu in Charlevoix a couple of years ago and I returned this year for a quick one night stay. Anybody with high luxury Fairmont-level expectations might be disappointed by this property but I like the character of the hotel and I like the location. I am usually critical of hotels providing subpar elite benefits but in cases where competition is limited such as in Charlevoix, to be honest other alternatives are limited so it won’t stop me from returning. Location The hotel is located about 90 minutes east of Québec City in a quiet and picturesque town on the shore of the St-Lawrence river. The main attractions to this area are the casino which is immediately next to Fairmont (you don’t even need to step outside which is convenient in the winter), whale watching tours, golf, ski, wineries, visiting the several small local shops selling local products from farmers, etc. Most guests drive to the hotel and there are several parking lots next to the hotel, some of them being free. The hotel is a 120-year old manor “castle-style” with all the charms that come with it. Obviously it’s not a new construction however with the beautiful countryside location and historical building, the hotel attracts and hosts key events on a regular basis. One of the most notable was the G7 meeting in June 2018. Room I booked the entry level room at the last minute and at first this is the room I was being assigned at check-in. It was only a one-night stay so I did not mind the lack of upgrade but out of curiosity I asked if they normally give upgrades to Platinum guests and they said sorry yes I should get an upgrade. Apparently they had processed the upgrades the day before and because I only booked in the morning, they forgot about me. They changed my room assignment and they gave me a one-category upgrade to a “view room” which normally sells for a material price premium over the standard room. To be honest the view is nice, but the window is small so you won’t see anything unless you stand up near the window. While I would rather have an upgrade than not, and I understand some guests would highly value the view but for me this upgrade was nothing to write home about and I would personally not pay the price difference between the two room categories if it was not for the upgrade.The room is clearly aging and will not wow in any way, the only hint of luxury would be the glossy dark marble floor in the bathroom which does not even have a stand-alone shower and the water pressure in the shower/bathtub was weak. Soundproofing is not very good as is common for a hotel this age, from both the hallway and from the terrace outside as well where we could hear people talking from our room. At least we had a room at the far end of a hallway so we were not exceedingly disturbed. I can accept many questionable unimpressive features about the room, but one pillow was not clean which is not acceptable for any Fairmont hotel anywhere. Dining This property does not have a Gold lounge which is a bummer, and as expected breakfast is not free even for Accor Platinum members. This is not a business location; breakfast timing is a very convenient and leisurely 7-11:30am so I appreciated the late ending. The buffet only had standard hotel fruits but it was better in terms of the choice of hot dishes including maple syrup crepes. They also had smoked salmon, a made to order omelet station, and “cretons” for a local touch. Overall I am not a big fan of North American breakfasts and this breakfast is not memorable but it was ok. Our room rate included breakfast but they charge extra for cappuccino which is a stingy business practice in my opinion when someone has already paid for the buffet. On a more positive note, the breakfast room is quite nice with large bright windows in the restaurant overlooking the river. While I wish breakfast was free for Plats, at least we got our drinks vouchers upon check-in without having to ask. You have the choice between beer, wine, or the drink of the day which was Tequila Sunrise. For a one-night stay, having free drinks in a nice setting was enjoyable. Service Service did not blow me away during our quick stay. They should have given the upgrade proactively and also when I made the booking I noted in writing that it was for a special occasion and there was no recognition whatsoever. Not that I necessarily expected it, but for a hotel of this level when I book with other chains (or other Fairmonts) more often than not they will make a small gesture but no such thing here. Facilities A strength of this hotel are the facilities. The gym is very large and was empty when we stopped by. They also have an indoor pool and a heated outdoor pool which can be a special experience in the winter. They also have lots of seasonal activities such as mini-golf, volleyball, tennis, skating, snowshoeing, etc. Overall Overall this hotel has significant strong points and weak points: very attractive location, historical building with charm, lots of resort-style activities, but boring and aging rooms, modest elite benefits, and nothing special about service. The Fairmont that would be the most similar to this one in my experience is Fairmont Montebello in terms of strengths and weaknesses, except that I usually have better service in Montebello. I would not necessarily suggest to anybody to go out of their way to visit this hotel, but if you want to go to this area it will be your best choice of accommodation in the area by far.