More about Holiday Inn Select Montreal Centre Ville
Average Montreal hotel in good location.
by TripAdvisor Member CdnWT
Stayed at the Holiday Inn Select Montreal Centre-ville after getting a great same-day deal on Priceline. Checked-in quite late (around 8 pm) after visiting a friend. I wasn't expecting much but it didn't really matter as it was a place to sleep since I'd be out of there the next morning.
RECEPTION: The clerk who checked me in mentionned that the room was pre-paid but nothing more. He did not ask about bedding preference but I asked If it was non-smoking and he said it indeed was. That's what mattered most to me.
ROOM: My room was on the 4th floor overlooking a sort of tiny courtyard. It was very quiet. I agree with previous reviewers, the hallways are dark and certainly not very "Feng Shui" but the room had a certain Asian feel to it. Carpets looked pretty new and clean. The furniture was in good repair but once again, I will echo previous comments and say that they could use a change. It was pretty scratched and definately more 1990s-ish. It appears to me as If they changed the carpet and the tapestry but didn't bother changing the furniture when they last renovated. The bed was not up to par to most 3/4 star Norh American hotel these days that have fluffy duvets and pillowtop mattresses. Quite a few other hotels in Montreal charge similar rates, the Quebec government gives them a 4 star rating yet, most other chain hotels in the city have superior bedding (next to it location wise and it the same star category on Priceline, the Hyatt comes to mind but they are like day and night). Therefore, the bed and pillows were ok but not great. The bathroom is also of the older generation hotel bathrooms (vinyl countertop, pink tiles, etc) but perfectly adequate, with excellent water pressure and top notch cleanliness. Towels were threadbare though. The A/C unit was quiet and didn't disturb my sleep. Housekeeping respects the do not disturb sign.
Other than the room and check-in, I spent so little time in the hotel that I can't comment on food or the pool facilities. All staff I came in contact with provided prompt service. The lobby has nice water gardens with ponds and such but same thing as the room, the furniture is very early 1990s and could do up with a change. It's clean though.
My thoughts: A good rate direct with the hotel is below 125$ If you do not qualify for any discounts. Priceline, If you get it at 70$ or below, it's a good or great deal. Clean, quiet and well located. If you like Asian food, you're in the right location! Plenty of excellent restaurants within 2 minutes or less from the entrance and they're all cheap! Convention centre is right in front too. The shopping is within walking distance and so is Old-Montreal and the Gay village. Might want to take the orange line (subway) which is a 2 minute walk away (inside the convention centre) to Mont-Royal and the Plateau unless you like long walks uphill.
Great room, good location!
by TripAdvisor Member tonksky
We booked 2 rooms for 4 travelers for Sept. 27-Oct.1, 2005. Check in was quick and easy. The staff was helpful, and the rooms were huge. Each room had 2 queen beds, with room for 2 people's luggage. The rooms were clean and quiet. The hotel is just 2 blocks from Old-Montreal with the Notre Dame Cathedral. This is a nice part of town full of small shops and restaurants. The architecture of this area is beautiful! On the other side of the hotel is Montreal's Chinatown.
When you've fully explored these areas, a subway(metro) stop is right across the street from the hotel, so you can get around town pretty easily. The metro only runs till 1am, so if you're heading out to check out Montreal's night life, you may have to take a cab back to the hotel (though cabs are not too expensive in Montreal.)
We would happily stay at this hotel again. It was clean, quiet, and convenient for getting around. We spent much of our time in the old part of town, so it was great for that. The only problem we had was rather minor. There are not a lot of restaurants open late in this part of town on weeknights. Our flight into Montreal was delayed by several hours, and we did not get settled into our rooms until around 10pm. We went down to the front desk to ask for recommendations for dinner that night, and were told there is not much in the area open late (this was a Tuesday night - it was better later on our trip during the weekend.) We ended up around the corner at a small chinese restaurant. The desk staff said that would be all we would find at this time of night. Other than that oddity (at least, odd to us) we had a great time in Montreal and the Holiday Inn Select. We would definitely stay here again!
Can't beat the value for the location!
by TripAdvisor Member tony5969
My experience here turned out to be better than those of the rather mixed reviews here... not that I had any choice as my employer assigned me here for our conference from 11/4 to 11/10.
The front desk was friendly and efficient as I checked in five minutes after my 1:30pm arrival. I had hoped for a king bed but the double queen accomodations I was given at least allowed me a convenient place to throw my things after a long day.
I often stay at Holiday Inn when I travel for pleasure so I knew what to expect and I was otherwise okay with the room. It did seem recently renovated and the bed I slept in had comfortable (which, for me, means moderately firm) mattress and pillows. While the bathroom had a lot of counter space, it also had a shower drain that would not close. As I was looking forward to a soaking bath after a long first day, I contacted the front desk who promised to send up maintenance. They never showed but as I felt better during the rest of my stay, I did not make an issue of it. Housekeeping was good, especially in how they arranged the mess of my toiletries I had in the bathroom. LOL I mentioned this when I left my daily $2 tip in appreciation and I returned to see a more premium soap in my dish!
Probably the best thing about this hotel is the location. I had a nice view of the Palais des Congres where I conducted my business diagonally across the street from the hotel. Chinatown is just one block north. The Basilica de Notre Dame and Old Montreal are a 10 minute walk south, albeit partially through an incline. The nightlife on Rue St. Catherine as well as the business district are a 10 minute taxi cab away. (By the way, I appreciated how there almost always seemed to be taxi cabs available at the hotel entrance.)
I decided to treat myself to a Swedish massage at Spa Sinomonde which is located in the hotel's basement. I enjoyed a wonderful one-hour massage from a lovely lady named Oksana! The $60 charge (before taxes) is a great deal even in the States! Customers also have access to the rest of the facilities during their visit. While I liked the billiards setup and appreciated the upgraded fitness facilities, I opted to relax in one of the two whirlpools next to the sauna.
I had my only hotel meal on my final morning at the Chez Chine restaurant. The $14 "Complete Breakfast" was a decent value for a hotel buffet.
As you can guess by now, the hotel was influenced by its location at the edge of Chinatown. I read some literature that it was built on feng shui principles, a fact that may encourage some people.
While the immediate area is quiet at night, I never felt unsafe.
A few tips: if you're looking to exchange money, check out Ly's Jewelry Store one block north on Rue St. Urbain to the pedestrian walkway in Chinatown. The rates and $2 charge are better than the banks and and airport money exchangers for sure. For reasonable snacks or prepared meals, head a few blocks further north to the IGA supermarket.
So basically, if you're looking for a solid three-star hotel convenient to the Palais des Congres, Chinatown and Old Montreal, you could do worse than the Holiday Inn Select Centre-Ville. I may be returning for pleasure in a couple months and if the rate is reasonable (under $130), I just may stay here again.
One last thing: get used to the fact that, no matter what button you push, the elevator will always stop on the 2nd floor reception level... always. Cheers!
Not as bad as I feared!
by TripAdvisor Member dedicatedtraveller
Due to previous reviews I was not looking forward to staying at the Holiday Inn Select but I had no option as it was part of a Grand Prix deal. I was relieved to find it better than I expected in many respects but it does have some issues which may put off some travellers from staying.
The good points were - both our rooms - one on the 7th floor the other on the 8th (Executive floor) were very large, very clean, and the decor and fixtures and fittings in good repair if a little dated in style, with some small areas of wear and tear evident on the furniture. The executive room seemed a bit dark and more enclosed simply due to the choice of furniture colour. The beds were very comfortable. An iron and board were in the room as was a coffee maker. The water was always piping hot for a bath and all the staff we met were very friendly, cheerful and helpful.
The bar snacks were excellent value for money, good sized portions and tasty to eat. Breakfast ranged from 12 to 15 dollars Canadian and was taken in the very pleasant dining area by the water feature in the foyer area.
The not so good points - the pillows seemed very cheap lumpy foam filled ones so were very uncomfortable. The towels were thin, and not large - the 'bath' towel was not the normal hotel sized towel you expect by any means! Some were newish, others were so grey and worn I refused to touch them let alone use them!
The veneer to the bathroom and room doors was in a poor state and spoilt the effect of the room. The bottom of the main door (and it was the same all along the corridor) appeared to have been hacked off as it was so uneven, chipped and the gap between the carpet and door was about 2 inches!!
The air con unit was floor standing and not overly efficient - it had several settings which was good and was not too noisy but it could have been better.
The hotels location was both excellent and not so good! The excellent bit was everything so was easy to walk to from it. China town just around the corner - with dancing lions, ladies, well the lot! a street market and people playing marjhong outside! the Cathedral a couple of hundred yards away, the waters edge 1/2 mile at most and shops and cafes very close as well. It was also easy to walk to the main underground shopping malls. A tube/subway station was close by.
The downside to the location was the hotel's proximity to an underpass to what appeared to be Montreals main arterial road and the fact the hotel is built on the junction of two very busy roads with several sets of lights so the traffic noise was audible even with the windows shut and the traffic continued all night. The worst thing was the fire station across the road which appeared to be constantly busy as we were woken up at least 3 if not 5 times each night with the fire engine sirens going. The hotel is also near to a Mission for people suffering hard times and the little park area alongside the hotel albeit on the otherside of the road did seem to be an area they met. We were surprised by the number of beggars in the area and Montreal in general. At no time though did we feel threatened by them or did any of them do anything to annoy a passerby whilst we were there but they were noticeable.
For me the pros outweighed the cons for the time and reason I was there this visit but I can not say I would stay there again if I was on a longer holiday.
Good Decor in the Lobby & Great Location
by A TripAdvisor Member
The lobby of this hotel is very nicely decorated in Chinese motifs, complete with a reflecting pool and an Asian garden. The guest-level corridor carpets could use some updating, but the rooms themselves are large and comforable. The candid photos seem to show only a small portion of the room.
As for the the location, it's very hard to beat. It's located in Chinatown which I took as a positive. There's always a restaurant or two open any time of the day. Granted, the quality of the food varies, but that's part of the fun and it's not really the hotel's responsibility. Besides, the hotel is literally two blocks from Vieux Montreal, so if you're into fancy French cuisine, you have your pick as well.
Forum Posts
Can't wait to see Montreal in 2 days.....Need some tips pls..
by kishorebabu
Hey Guys,
I just really need a speedy reply... Just 2 days for my trip to montreal.
We are 4 guys in the mid 20s who will be traveling to Montreal this weekend from Chicago.
Reaching Montreal: 9 PM Friday (18th)
Departing on : 8 AM Monday (21st).
Considering the short span of our weekend time.
What are the best places in and around the city that holds a tag (Must visit/Do not miss category), any sincere recommendations? I wanna visit as much as possible on all day Saturday and Sunday.
Also, Taking a rental car will be a good option or Montreal's public transport will do more than enough? We are 4 I think even a cab would be cheaper - any ideas/suggestions?
Did I mention that we ll be staying in
MONTREAL-CTR VLE-DWTN CONV CTR
Holiday Inn Select
99 VIGER AVE & ST. URBAIN ST.
MONTREAL, QC H2Z1E9 CANADA
We are staying right in the middle of downtown, not to miss the wonderful nightlife. What would be best clubs, pubs to hang out?
Also are there any recommendations for a nice french restaurant? Money is not a concern for us.
We have to experience Montreal at the best.
Please help me by answering these questions. Any advice would be greatly received.
Thanks,
-kish-
RE: Can't wait to see Montreal in 2 days.....Need some tips pls..
by rmdw
Kish,
I don't think there's any need to rent a car. In fact, taking the Metro or a taxi in Montreal can be lots of fun. Here's a quick list:
MUST SEE
- St. Catherines
- Vieux Montreal (incl. the waterfront)
- Mont Royal
NIGHTLIFE
- Crescent Street
- Boulevard St. Laurent
- Rue St. Denis
RESTAURANTS
- Le Jardin Nelson (crepes)
- Schwartz's (smoked meat)
- Please see my pages for more suggestions
I think you guys are going to have tons of fun!!
Robert
RE: RE: Can't wait to see Montreal in 2 days.....Need some tips pls..
by Tom_In_Madison
I didn't go to a lot of bars, but I did like this one, Brutopia. It's half a block, or maybe it's 1 1/2 blocks south of Rue St Catherine which was mentioned, and where you'll probably end up more often than not. It's on the same street, but in the other direction as Hard Rock Cafe, which I'm using as a visual marker, not a recommendation.
This place is a brewpub, with good beer--no Miller or Bud here.
Here's my tip, directions, etc on it:
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/9aaa5/dd4ad/5/
The subway is easy to figure out. I'd stick with that. Buy single tickets--I think you can buy 6 tix for $11. Taxis are fine too, but don't rent a car. Take a taxi into and out of the city from the airport since there are 4 of you. (It's got to be less than the $90 for 4 Aerobus tikets, right Montrealers?)
Have fun, it's a great, clean, attractive city. I may go back soon.
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