More about Embassy Suites Montreal
Ok, but be careful what you leave in your room!
by TripAdvisor Member StretchieG
Was going for a concert during Jazz Fest. Drove up from Boston and arrived in the early evening and had to leave at 6 am the next morning. Liked everything fine until in my rush I accidentally left 3 articles of clothing hanging in the closet. A new blouse I had never worn, the shirt I wore to the concert, and my all-time favorite cashmere cardigan. I realized it right away but we had an appointment in Boston and couldn't turn around. We called and were told they'd have to call us back after the maids changed shift. No call. Called again and were told we'd have to wait until the new shift. No call. Third call produced ONE of the items - not the brand new shirt or cashmere sweater surprise surprise. They also seemed annoyed and unwilling to talk to me. The woman said she had spoken to the maid herself and that I was mistaken and had only left one thing. So what could I do? I gave them credit card and address info to send the one shirt to me FedEx. Ten days later when I hadn't received anything I called again and asked to speak to a manager. I was told managers don't work on weekends. What? When the manager finally returned my call several days later he left a message saying they were sending my shirt. I did finally get a large box with the one shirt inside. The way they sent it cost me close to $100. This turned out to be a very expensive night. I know it's my fault for forgetting the items in the first place but they were all hanging together in the closet and I did call right away. Someone in Montreal is wearing my new shirt and favorite cashmere sweater. Very frustrating experience.
Embassy Suites
by TripAdvisor Member melissa_b23
Showed up between 4 and 4:30, yet had a slight problem at check in as the maids were just finishing cleaning our room. Had to wait about 15 minutes but the valet parking is very convenient and included in the price is two drinks for each person (although neither of us drink) as well as breakfast. The room is large, clean, and very nice- although there is no toaster, no dishes (not even plastic) and the dishwasher is either locked permanently or just plain broken as the door wouldnt open. In comparison, the equally priced suite we stayed at in Quebec City had a toaster and stovetop with full dishes.
The breakfast buffet was chaotic due to the amount of people- and this was at 10am. Just before we left room service showed up so had we left several minutes earlier we would've had to interrupt them in order to repack for check out.
The good: if you're staying with 4 people, the price is well worth it taking into consideration the drinks and breakfast being included. The location is also excellent as it's within walking distance to all the major streets and most attractions. The staff were all very curtious and friendly and the rooms are large, modern and very nice looking. Easy check out.
The bad:the lack of dishware, and the elevators wont move unless you swipe your card and you might get stranded as some of the cards scan better than others.
Great new hotel.
by TripAdvisor Member NYCSP
I spent the 4th of July weekend at ES Montreal, and can say nothing but good things about this hotel. It is very new, with huge and very clean rooms and very helpful staff. I would pick ES over "boutique" hotels with arrogant staff and dated decor even if it wasn't much cheaper. (The new Westin being built next door might give them a run for their money though.)
Side note: do take time and read the negative reviews of this hotel. One of them complains about pickpockets in the old city (???), the other about forgetting clothes in the closet after checking out. As of right now those are literally the only negative reviews of this hotel.
Great Value
by TripAdvisor Member drivergal
We stayed here the weekend of July 12th. Booked the hotel based on the good reviews on this website, and its proximity to Old Montreal.
We were impressed by the helpfulness of the front desk staff on arrival. They gave us enough vouchers for breakfast every morning and 2 drinks per person at happy hour. Breakfasts were impressive -- everything you could ask for was there: fruit, cereal, yogurt, toast, omelettes (and eggs any style if you ask!), pancakes, bacon, sausages and homefries. Everything was fresh and tasty! We tried happy hour the first night, and found it was very popular. Unfortunately, it was so busy that one had to wait unreasonably long for service at the bar. We decided to spend our evenings elsewhere.
The rooms are brand new, with stylish furnishings. The bed was very comfortable, and the digital thermostat was easy to adjust. Our room (the smallest available) was complete with a fridge and microwave, however there were no dishes to be found. The full-sized fridge came in handy anyhow. Other reviewers have complained about the security features in the elevator, but we had no problems with them (and appreciated the extra security)!
We really enjoyed this hotel. If it had any new-hotel bugs, they must have already worked them out!
O-ver Ra-ted. Clap, Clap, ClapClapClap.
by TripAdvisor Member berserktripon
I found this hotel crowded. While attractive in places and having some nice perks, having some serious shortcomings.
The front desk staff were young and inexperienced, as was most of the staff in general, it seemed. I had to ask specifically about everything, parking, breakfast, etc. on check-in. Later, when I tried to find a place to buy stamps, they didn't know and sent me to a closed pharmacy. Granted, it was Sunday afternoon, but I later found an open one when walking through the underground city a couple blocks away. It would have been easy enough to tell me to go there. But, again, inexperience, unfamiliarity with the hotel and the surroundings. I am glad I didn't ask for a good restaurant.
The room itself looks nice, but isn't as functional as it advertises. The kitchenette is a waste of space. The fridge works well, but there is no hot plate/stove or anything, just a microwave/hood. Weird though, they reserved space for a stove with shelves there. This may be just as the owner or developer wants to retain the right to turn these into 1 bedroom condos someday.
In any case, the stove isn't paramount in a kitchenette, however a dishwasher is, especially if you want to save cash on eating leftovers or making sandwiches, using flatware. And there was a dishwasher, complete with plumbing hookups, BUT no electrical. So what have they done? Bolted it shut so it doesn't work. It's a sham. No dishtowels or detergent provided either. Or plates, or spoons/forks, knives. It's pointless.
It also calls into question the cleanliness of the coffee cups and glassware, since I doubt they wash all those downstairs. The maids probably just rinse them in tap water.
The TVs and hot tub worked well. So that was good. But there weren't enough towel racks. Really just one hook on a door. Weird.
Also, they are one of the few hotels that still charges $10 a day for internet. Ridiculous. This has been rapidly going away, and needs to here.
The free "cooked to order" breakfast tastes alright, but it's a mad scramble. It feels like eating in a college dining hall, and the number of large families with screaming kids makes it even more unpleasant. Finding a table can be tough at peak times on a Friday or Saturday morning. The staff/busboys can't keep up with cleaning up the tables. We got up early our second and third days there just to try and enjoy it a bit.
Having to wait in line behind 15 people for some eggs or a waffle is stupid. Table service, guys. Look it up. Close my eyes, I might be in a Red Roof Inn.
They've taken a nice, modern lobby, and dropped ugly, trade show like temporary tables willy-nilly to house the breakfast items. And these remain all day long. It's just a cluster#$%^, and feels very low-class. Probably $1000 leather chairs sitting next to polyester folding table covers. Cool.....
The cocktail hour falls in line with this. (Also, your free "tickets" are good for bottom shelf only it seems, and tap beer from a keg that doesn't work - so they start pouring bud botttles into glasses).
The staff also is overwhelmed during this time of day worse than they are at breakfast.. The influx of the crowds again makes this a mess of everything. Don't bother, go out and enjoy Montreal if you want a drink. When I wanted a real beer from the bar, it was $9. So anything other than the free drink is quite a stomach punch.
I also didn't bother with the gym and the pool was being renovated so ti was closed, even though I wasn't made aware of this by Hilton when I made my reservation. With the number of families and kids there, I would never had bothered, anyway. The hot tub in the room made up for this.
Okay, so maybe this sounds whiny, but they really need to address these things before this is worthy of a five star review. I was disappointed.
You will not be disappointed
by TripAdvisor Member TrvlTeam
- This hotel is new and in a great location. It's in an area of downtown that is quiet (except for the construction...see last part of review) and clean. You can easily walk to Old Montreal without having to stay in the chaos.
- The breakfast is good. Cooked to order omlettes, fresh fruit, etc. Pretty typical for an Embassy Suites. The weekend we were there it was very busy and crazy. We usually took our trays up to our room where we could relax and enjoy eating.
- The room was very clean and the pictures on the website were accurate. It was nice having a separate shower and jacuzzi tub. Yes the shower is small, but the bathroom itself is very large. We were surprised at the mirrored makeup counter that made it easy for two people to get ready at the same time. And, It was nice to unwind in the jacuzzi tub after a day with miles of walking.
- The bedroom is separate in a way. Not a typical Embassy Suites set up. It is separated by pocket doors from the living area. Not a big deal, but something to be aware of if you have people sleeping on the pullout sofa.
- Parking is expensive ($26/day - valet only). There is a garage right across the street for less. We were charged for 2 days valet instead of 1. Once pointed out , we were refunded by the front desk manager immediately.
- And about the construction. Try to stay in an odd numbered room/one facing the front of the hotel. The building across from the backside of the hotel started construction at 5:55am (seriously, no joke). It did stop on Saturday and Sunday, but Friday morning was miserable!
All-in-all, we would stay here again.
Wonderful stay
by TripAdvisor Member MDJB
We booked this hotel based on locaton, price and the reviews on tripadvisor. We found the room comfortable, clean and more than adequate. We didn't have any use for the kitchen so we can't really comment on that. The staff were friendly and even recalled who we were when we came down to breakfast one day. Breakfast was great - had everything you could want - fresh fruit (strawberries & pineapple were the pick of the bunch!), omelettes, toast, waffles, pancakes, pastries, scrambled eggs, cereal, coffee and juice. Location is also great - right near notre dame, the old port and great restaurants. We stumbled across a great French restaurant about 2 blocks away (Bonaparte) who do a great 6 course degustation menu if that's your thing. Overall, a a wonderful stay.
A good deal overall
by TripAdvisor Member choptliva
Had to do a quick overnighter in Montreal. Needed some place decent and close to Old Montreal, and didn't want to pay too much considering how little time we had this time around.
The ES has very good rates, and it's very new (almost brand new). Walking distance to things Old Montreal -- in fact it's just on the fringe, so location (for Old Montreal) is very good.
Room is spacious, and as I said, new.
Service is good. The staff handling the breakfast is very courteous and friendly. Front desk and valet people are nice too. Also, they answer emails VERY fast.
Breakfast included with the room, but I'd suggest going down early if you don't want trouble finding a table.
BTW, they could use better ventilation for their open kitchen. We could smell cooking in the lobby as well as on our floor.
Our room has separate shower and and tub. Surprised the shower stall isn't bigger. Certainly the bathroom is large enough. But it's fine. Toilet seat stays up only with some difficulty, but not a big deal.
Toiletries are Bloom. Very nice.
Kitchen in the the room, though if you want silverware, etc you have to call downstairs and ask. Full size fridge. Microwave. Coffeemaker. Nice. Crazy thing, though. The dishwasher turned itself on several times out of the blue.
Aircon only so so. Did not cool very efficiently. But windows open, so if that's what you want....
Would I come back again? Sure, for a quick in and out. But for a longer stay, I think I'd opt for something with a bit more of a luxury feel. Nothing with the ES at all, though.
An excellet choice for Montreal
by TripAdvisor Member JTSpitfire
Spent three days there at the end of July. Staff was courteous, helpful and responsive. Example: iron was broken, we needed extra towels and the toilet got plugged. In each case the response was in less than 10 minutes! That's outrageously efficient by any standard.
We knew going in that there was a parking charge and accepted it as part of the cost of having your vehicle secured in a prime location of a major city.
Room was excellent with only two minor drawbacks--no towel racks and a rather small shower stall. Had no need for dishware or dishwasher--just the fridge.
Breakfast buffet was indeed congested but the staff rolled with it, as did we. For the recent poster who wanted table service, sure, but what do you think would happen to the very reasonable room rates? We talked with the manager (who was quite charming) and he explained that it's simply very difficult to gauge how many guests will arrive and at what time. I still consider it quite the bonus to get a very nice buffet included with the room cost.
The evening reception was adequate--would not be missed if it was not offered.
Contrary to other posters, we found the front desk staff to be helpful, unfailingly polite and eager to assist.
Location is splendid--Metro near by, very close to Old Montreal the Old Port, and various interesting neighborhoods (Latin Quarter, Chinatown, the Village).
In sum, the Embassy Suites are a great bargain, conveniently located, and offers excellent customer service.
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