Montreal Le Meridien [Master Thread]
My biggest gripe is the bathroom. The tub always looks like it has not seen a brush or any bleach in a long, long time. I would not take a bath in it.
Only valet parking, but they are efficient. You leave the car around the corner in a hotel only loading area. I prefer self parking, and the self parking at the Sheraton is cheaper.
Why do I stay there? Can often find rates from $100-$135 CAD, often half or less than the Sheraton or W. If the bump the point or price, the equation changes.
Room was nice. I think I ended up using SNAs for the junior suite which people get automatically (?), not sure. Overall, great value for 7000 points; for 150 CAD/night less than the W I was happy too. I've done the Sheraton before and it was ok; will try Le Westin next time before deciding my relative preferences. Of course if price were not a concern I'd probably do W Montreal all the time.
I'm thinking since hotel is small, they want to free up the standard rooms for last minute bookings.
There are many restaurants nearby but I'm uncertain if they are considered great (not that I dined nearby). Do you have any specific restaurants in mind for me to try next time?
The Westin is a standard Westin and a larger hotel like the Sheraton. This property is more intimate.
Le Meridien Versailles-Montreal
1808 Sherbrooke St. West Montreal, QC CA H3A1E5
Montreal - Le Meridien Versailles (2 Photos)
Le Meridien Versailles-Montreal
This hotel is a fantastic redemption option at only 7,000 points per night. I burned 84K points to take a large group of friends to Montreal - 4 rooms for 3 nights and was very pleasantly surprised at what value we received. It's got a fantastic location that's near everything but not right in the middle of the super-huge touristy hotels.
Check In
Check in was seamless, easy, and no drama. Bellmen met us at the car and helped with luggage and parking was available. The staff was very very friendly. There were 7 of us in 4 rooms with different credit cards etc. and the woman at the desk handled everything in stride. Also there were no issues getting the kinds of rooms we wanted. Also all points + green choice credited properly.
We had made some restaurant reservations in advance, and a gentleman at the check in desk was only too happy to call and confirm the reservations for me.
Room
My husband and I were upgraded to a Jr Suite on the 10th floor. It was a corner room with a large bed and sitting area and a huge bathroom with a whirlpool tub. The view was magnificent of Mount Royal and down Sherbrooke. We were shocked at how nice the hotel and rooms were given the low number of points it took! All of our friends loved their rooms as well and they all have a nice contemporary design. Here is the interior of a friend's room on the 7th floor:
Dining
We didn't eat at the restaurant, but the morning coffee (2 free coffees come each day with the room - there are vouchers in your room you have to remember to grab) and the bar service and wine and cocktail menus were fantastic. The baristas and bar tenders were overtly friendly and also gave us good advice for tourist things to do. They had some specialty cocktails that we really enjoyed.
Location
You absolutely can't beat the location of the hotel. It's 2 blocks from the Guy-Concordia metro, a fantastic stroll down Sherbrooke to all shops and museums, close to the entry trails for Mount Royal, and a short metro away from pretty much every area you'd like to tour in Montreal. A perfect location! Here is a great street lined with restaurants just a block from the hotel:
Overall
I wouldn't hesitate to stay at this hotel again. It's not a full service hotel - there's no spa or large lobby, but the location, redemption value, service, and the friendly staff makes it a certain destination that I'll return to. If you're looking for a greatr place to stay in Montreal - this just may be it!
Service
Free wifi, great staff, good bartenders, and a helpful front desk. Not a huge hotel / resort, but you feel very well taken care of.
Le Meridien Versailles-Montreal
1808 Sherbrooke St. West Montreal, QC CA H3A1E5
Cheapest Starwood Option in Montreal (5 Photos)
Le Meridien Versailles-Montreal
I stayed twice at this property in the last few months. It is an ok Starwood hotel in Montreal if you are on a budget. Rates are usually far less than Westin, Le Centre Sheraton, St.Paul, and W. Point redemptions quoted in the older reviews mentioned 7k starpoints; this has unfortunately increased to 10k pts. Considering that you can get other Starwood hotels (except W) for 12k pts, then for sure I would not spend 10k for Meridien and I would rather pay 20% more points for other hotels. The cash price difference between Meridien and other Starwood hotels can be 50% or even more than double so if staying at Meridien you will want to pay cash and the savings can be material. I paid 113 CAD on BRG and 2k starpoints on top. Parking is valet only but not cheap (28 CAD). You need to go inside the hotel at check-in to request the valet.
Location
What makes this hotel a decent choice in Montreal is the location. You are not exactly in the middle of the action, but close enough to be a viable option if you need to be downtown. It is hard to find a downtown Montreal hotel for less than 150 CAD per night, but Meridien can be had for this price or lower for several dates if booking in advance, except perhaps in the summer.
Dining
The breakfast is subpar in my opinion and service was deficient. First off the seating arrangement is very cramped. Second, food ran out frequently and they were very slow to refill. Note that for platinum benefit you need to choose between points and breakfast, they won't give you both. On my second stay I did not even bother with breakfast because it's not worth it. I took the points.
Room
As others noted, the platinum upgrade is for the "junior suite". I received this upgrade on both of my stays. I will never complain about an upgrade, but honestly this is only a larger room with the advantage of being in the corner. It's not that large at 37 sq meters (so almost the same as the regular room at Westin), but much better than the tiny classic room 21 sq meters.
The condition of the room is so-so. There were stains on the carpet. The vent in the bathroom was running 24/7 so I had to close the door to block the noise. The deadbolt on my door was not working. These were not major issues that made me want to complain or request a different room, but be aware that you get what you pay for.
Gym
The gym is tiny and does not even have an elliptical machine which is a negative for me. I rarely see hotel gyms without an elliptical nowadays. There are only 2 treadmills and one bike, in addition to free weights. No drinking water and no cleaning supplies available to disinfect the equipment.
Overall
For this price point I will possibly return some day at Meridien, but it's better suited for my purposes if it's for a quick 1-night stay rather than an extended stay. Set your expectations accordingly - you go there if you are willing to compromise on various issues, in exchange for a low price.
Unfortunately, the upgrade (as a Plat) was to a Deluxe King (1452) and not to a Junior Suite - despite at least 3 of them being for sale. However, since it was just myself, and the fact that the room was absolutely spotless, I didn't push this.
The room itself was a good size in contrast to the Classic rooms (which are very small, but not unlike what you'd find in, say, Europe). Pre-renovation, the junior suites had a decent sized bathroom, but the bathroom in 1452 was quite small. Unfortunately, I was told the junior suites no longer have jacuzzis as they were taken out during the renovations. The bathrooms in Classic and Deluxe rooms are small, and have a decent (but not outstanding) walk-in shower.
One thing REALLY stands out about this hotel - it was REALLY quiet. No paper thin walls here - they're made of solid concrete. Also, the doors do not have gaps at the bottom. Combine that with the fact that there are only 10 rooms per floor and you seldom hear anything.
The room had a small fridge but no coffee maker - though you could ask for one.
Bedding wasn't quite as comfortable as some other properties, but I did like the fact that they use a duvet cover instead of a flat sheet - this way you know the duvet is clean.
No breakfast was available - at all. A bit annoying, but not the biggest deal - hopefully that will change soon. The restaurant did serve other meals, but I didn't eat there.
The location isn't too bad either - right near the Guy-Concordia Metro. Despite what Google Maps might tell you, just remember to use Exit A (Saint Mathieu) as opposed to the other one - it's a lot closer.
Overall, it's a good choice if you aren't in need of many amenities, and aren't looking for excessive luxury only afforded by some of the other choices - not to mention if they have their crazy prepaid (but refundable) CAA/AAA deals that can be 50% off! Even if you don't drive (and therefore don't think you need CAA) you can now get a CAA membership called "A La Carte" for $20 CAD/year that doesn't include roadside assistance but includes all the savings (including this and VIA Rail) - it's not always advertised, so you may need to call in to CAA to ask about it.
Last edited by Liam Walshe; Sep 20, 2021 at 10:32 pm
Junior suite was clean and nothing was falling apart, just some slight water temperature issues Sat morning. No sanitizing kit given this time but instead a couple of dark raspberry chocolates (LM branded) and a big bottle of San Pellegrino as well as a small water bottle.
Second time staying here (came here last year Aug and also all 2 rooms were upgraded as a Plat, no SNAs) and the other poster gave a good rundown of what it's been like both times. Not my go-to Bonvoy property in Montreal but can be a great budget option if needed especially if the CAA rate is as low as it was (141 CAD w/tax per night).
Glad to report no problems using giftcards at this hotel. Smooth process, maybe took 5 minutes to handle.
It's very possible the rooms were already pre-blocked for another elite but kept in inventory in case of a last minute booking. During SPG days, I've seen a suite as an upgrade assigned in the morning during a stay at Le Meridien Wien but when I arrived at the check-in, it had changed to a regular room..
This may not have been a standout property, but another Le Mridien bites the dust and the brand will once again exit the Canadian market. Bummer.
khabah