aw

Hi,

I did a search about this property and threads date back to '02/'03. I will be staying in November for 1 night and was wondering if things have changed for the better. I'd be interested to find out how Ambassadors are treated here.

100,000miler

I was there very recently and I am an RA. Frankly I was not impressed with the hotel one bit despite its pleasant design. It purports to be a 4 or 5 star property and works hard at creating that impression, just look at the fancy and very expensive restaurants it has on site. It is also undergoing renovations so avoid certain floors due to jackhammers which are working 7 days per week (mostly lower floors which begin on 10th).

1. I had to beg for an upgrade as an RA....I am fed up having to do this with the chain. The front clerk assured me I was given a very very good room but when I got to it I was shocked. Eventually after wasting 30 minutes at check in and waiting in line, I did get a reasonably good suite, but not a spectular suite. I have NEVER had one from IC/HI even though I am a RA. I intend to drop my RA status and they will withdraw it anyway as I have not met there quota.

2. Mini bar is free, except alcholic drinks.... apparently because of Quebec laws. Sounds strange to me as Quebec is the most liberal place in the western world!!

3. Room service is ridiciously expensive and poorly communicated. Main dishes are all add ons to a required table d'hote, which means basically a cost of about $20+ for the dish plus the table d'hote basic which is either $27 or $35. Add that up and add taxes, tips, delivery charge and you are at the most expensive room service in the known world. Never have I seen this in any other hotel in the world.

4. Parking, Self is not with in/out and costs $17 or 19 per day, but valet is $26 (with in/out) which of course you do not find out about until you have already checked in.

5. Lounge is pleasant and is on 26th floor, quite small actually.

6. Business Centre, is limited and costs even for RAs. However the conceirge let me use it for free for 5 min which is all I really needed. That was the best part of my visit.

7. Location, good if you want to be in the Financial district or next to the Congress Centre. Otherwise it is a dead area after 5pm. Old Montreal is really about 12 min walk to where the action is. Downtown is a 20 min walk and the entertainment area, St Denis, St Catherine Street, Le Village gaie, are a $10 taxi ride away.

For my money I far prefer the Sheraton 4 Points (cost average $119-159) vs IC Montreal (cost $199-400).....At Sheraton 4P, I always get a suite without begging and where everything above is less expensive. Staff are friendly there but the hotel is rather dated despite attempts to upgrade it. But cost is what drives most of my choices.

why fly

I am also RA and I now avoid this hotel.... I go to the W...
Somehow we need to get a IC lurger here..... somehow this MTL IC hotel has got to change.... otherwise we will lose it... I have told so many people to avoid it... we cancelled a business meeting that was just 10 rooms at this IC...

Shareholder

If you did a search you'd have seen dozens of posts about stays within the past six months, including a couple just last week, so why is it necessary to clutter up the board with yet another thread on a single property? What more did you expect to glean from a dedicated thread other than to assuage your ego?

pdsuk

If you are looking for a really, really nice place in Montreal try this:

http://www.germainmontreal.com/

It was voted in the top ten in North America IIRC by Conde Naste.

They also have a property in Toronto where I bumped into Sigourney Weaver in the lifts / elevators - without make up she is a tad scary first thing in the morning !!!

aw

A simple answer to a simple question is all that was needed. I don't think it is too much to expect a minimum level of courtesy when interacting in this forum, so I was surprised by your insulting reply. I don't know about you but my self worth is never based on status, title or financial income. Furthermore, for you to say that I have an ego problem without knowing me personally not only comes across as insulting but ignorant as well.

I appreciate the tips and updates from the rest of you who took the time to reply.

vsevolod4

I've stayed in the Montreal IC about 35 times now. Although I like the many boutique hotels in town (St. Sulpice, St. James, XIX Siecle, Nelligan, St. Paul, etc.), I use it to help stay RA.

Pluses:
- Not too far from Vieux-Montreal, although it is on the periphery (5 min walk to Notre Dame Cathedral; 7 minutes to Place Jacques Cartier; I think I must walk twice as fast as other posters)
- Some shopping in the attached mall, and underground passage to the Metro.
- Inexpensive by IC standards
- Fairly efficient.

Minuses:
- Their nice pub (Plume) closes early (it's mostly a business crowd) and closed on weekends. If you are there visiting, this really sucks because the other bar (Cristal) is very sterile and for food, the other restaurant is too formal.
- Bad upgrades. They don't have few suites (one per floor) and only one suite that has two beds. So if you want a suite upgrade ask for a King Bed; you will be better off.
- Upgrades do NOT include Club privileges, unlike many other IC hotels. They charge you.
- RA Free Minibar does not include alcohol. The stated reason is "Quebec law does not allow free alcohol" but there are plenty of Happy Hours in town with discounted or 2-for-1 drinks. I'm sure they could do something like charge 1 cent per drink, or give you a $30 credit towards minibar consumption, whatever. Or substitute some other perks (such as Club privileges where, by the way, you can get free drinks, or free breakfast) to compensate. Or at least give you a free bottle of wine as a gift. Basically, I feel they're just stingy.
- Lobby on the second floor.

I've stayed in CP hotels which are superior in service and perks to the IC Montreal.

IC Expert

If free drinks are not allowed in Quebec, how come the air canada lounge in YUL has them?????

vsevolod4

Good question. I know of many places that offer free or discounted drinks in Quebec. Just not the IC Montreal.

I think it's just a case of the IC Montreal being stingy. I can see the IC in Saudi Arabia not offering alcoholic drinks (much less free ones), but in Montreal? Give me a frickin' break!

djjaguar64

Any recent stays at this property ? Will be booking a Club room as an Ambassador with 2nd night free cert. What will we be upgraded to ? There will be 3 of us in the room. What is the loune food like ? I've read the other posts but no one seems to have written much about the food. Are the drinks free in the lounge ?

andyandy

I'll be travelling to Montreal in October. I was considering this property, but everything sounds pretty negative. Anyone have a positive experience there?

The Mileage Millionaire

Wow.

andyandy

How do you "assuage" an ego anyway?

[inigo montoya] You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. [/inigo montoya]

Maybe he meant "stroke your ego." At least that would make sense.

ClubICGirl

12 July, 2007
IHG announces sale of InterContinental Montreal*
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC ("IHG") announces the sale of the 357 room InterContinental Montreal, Canada to Sweden-based Pandox AB ("Pandox") for CAN$49 million (US$46 million) in cash. IHG will continue to manage the hotel under a 30 year management contract, including contract renewals.
Full news release:
http://www.ihgplc.com/index.asp?PageID=116&NewsID=1840

*for better or for worse ... ?

andyandy

Interesting. Thanks for the updade ClubICGirl! I'd be more optimistic if it was under new management, and not just new ownership.