Review: Humaniti Hotel Montreal, Autograph Collection

Prior to flying across the Atlantic for my December 2021 trip to Europe, I planned a one-night stay in Montreal.

This would be my first time back in Montreal since moving away from the city in late 2020, and I was looking forward to checking out a new Marriott Bonvoy property that had opened in the intervening period: the Humaniti Hotel Montreal, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection. 

Humaniti Hotel Montreal, Autograph Collection – Booking

Autograph Collection sits slightly below Marriott’s top-tier luxury brands in the overall standings, and the Humaniti Hotel in Montreal is accordingly priced cheaper than the more luxurious choices like the Ritz-Carlton and the W. 

The Humaniti Hotel Montreal, Autograph Collection is a Category 6 property with Marriott Bonvoy, with a free night redemption priced at 50,000 Bonvoy points at the standard rate.

In comparison, cash rates are often much more reasonable. For this stay, I booked a special opening-season rate for Bonvoy members (this was about six months after the hotel’s opening in June 2021), which came to about $250 after taxes. 

That’s well short of our target valuation of 0.9 cents per point when redeeming Bonvoy points, so I opted to pay the cash rate and collect points for a future stay. 

Humaniti Hotel Montreal, Autograph Collection – Location

The Humaniti Hotel Montreal, Autograph Collection property is located at the intersection of Rue de Bleury and Rue de la Gauchetière Ouest. 

The location is smack dab between two of Montreal’s key tourist areas: the Old Port area, with the Notre-Dame Basilica at its centre, and the Sainte-Catherine Street shopping area in Downtown Montreal. I’d say it’s among the best locations of a Marriott-branded property anywhere in the city. 

The hotel is equidistant to the Square-Victoria–OACI and Place d’Armes stations on the Montreal Metro’s Orange Line. To access the Green Line, you could walk a few blocks west along Rue de Bleury to use Place des Arts station.

The towering Humaniti complex consists of apartments, office space, retail stores, and the Autograph Collection hotel of the same name. The hotel sits at the very corner of the intersection, and its entrance is situated a short distance down Rue de la Gauchetière.  

Humaniti Hotel Montreal, Autograph Collection – Check-In

I arrived at the hotel at about noon, stepping foot into bold and boisterous lobby with lofted ceilings and colourful furniture.

I was helped at the check-in desks by a friendly team of front-of-house associates. They recognized my Titanium Elite status and confirmed my upgrade to a Haiku Suite – the hotel’s highest-tier suite below the presidential-level Hero Suite. 

I had requested the Haiku Suite by suite-talking through the app a few days prior, and the hotel was happy to grant the upgrade based on availability. 

The suite wasn’t ready yet at the time of my arrival, so I headed off to the Mile End for some meetings before returning later in the afternoon to collect my keys.

Humaniti Hotel Montreal, Autograph Collection – Haiku Suite

The Haiku Suite is located just around the corner from the elevators. My suite was on the 14th floor, in Room 1402. 

Entering the suite, you first step into a spacious foyer with a large closet and a half-bathroom to its side.

The living area is in the shape of a large square room, with separate sections for dining, working, and relaxing. Cylindrical pillars and exposed concrete give the overall space an industrial vibe, bringing about a mix of comfort and creative energy. 

The dining table and chairs are squeezed into a narrow corner of the room, which feels a bit crowded. The rest of the living room is smartly arranged, and I particularly appreciated the comfortable desk overlooking the buildings of Downtown Montreal. 

The pantry is found along the side wall, offering a minibar and all the essentials you need for coffee and tea. 

Turning the corner from the living room, we arrive at the north-facing bedroom, featuring a cushy king-sized bed. I took special note of the hotel’s jet-black bathrobes, which were just as cozy as they were visually striking.

The bedroom then leads to the master bathroom, where there’s a soaking tub, shower, sink, and a little nook for the toilet. 

I thought the Humaniti’s interior furnishings were smartly designed with a distinct contemporary identity. I’d compare it to a design-forward brand like Renaissance Hotels, but with a modern-industrial twist. 

True to the Autograph Collection ethos, the Humaniti offered a design theme that set itself apart from any other hotel I’ve stayed at before. That alone might make the Humaniti a more interesting place to stay than some of the other “chain” brands in Montreal. 

Humaniti Hotel Montreal, Autograph Collection – Breakfast

After taking positive impressions from my suite, I was keen to see what the Humaniti would serve up for breakfast as a Titanium Elite member. I invited a Montreal-based Prince of Travel Royal Platinum member to join me for an in-person consulting session over breakfast. 

Breakfast is served in the H3 Restaurant, the hotel’s main indoor dining venue, on the second floor.

Here’s where I was a bit disappointed: the hotel has an à la carte breakfast menu with a separate price list for Marriott Bonvoy elite members. The breakfast benefit for members includes complimentary yogurt and viennoiseries (pastries), while everything else is subject to a small upcharge.

Frankly, with many hotels in North America following the trend of skimping on breakfast benefits, it’s disappointing that the Humaniti Hotel Montreal, Autograph Collection has moved in this direction as well. 

What’s more, this was a conscious reduction of benefits shortly after the hotel’s opening, since many other guests had previously reported that the breakfast menu was entirely complimentary for elite members.

I can only hope that the hotel is going through a phase of experimenting with its breakfast benefits in its opening months, and encourage them to bring back a more fulsome elite breakfast benefit in the future.  

Still, I was eager to try some of the more eye-catching items on the menu, and the discounted $10 price of my eggs Benedict could at least be covered by the US$10 food and beverage credit that I had chosen as my elite welcome amenity.

When the food arrived, I was quite impressed by its taste and quality. Nordic shrimp, caramelized bacon, and poached eggs isn’t a combination you see very often, but I thought the kitchen pulled it off well, spicing it up with a sprinkle of paprika.

My guest mentioned that his order of the viennoiseries was very good, too.

Breakfast ended up being my only opportunity to sample the Humaniti’s food and drink offering, and other than the fact that all but the most basic items are subject to additional payment rather than being included for Bonvoy members, I was quite happy with my meal.

Humaniti Hotel Montreal, Autograph Collection – Other Facilities

In addition to the H3 Restaurant, the second floor of the hotel also plays host to the H3 Lounge, a bar and lounge with plenty of seating types.

Unfortunately, the hotel bar remained closed due to the pandemic during my stay in December 2021. I would’ve otherwise loved to enjoy a drink down here in the evening, and hope to check it out on a future stay.

Meanwhile, the spa, gym, and pool are all accessible via the 9th floor. 

The hotel’s Hyper Gym fitness centre spans the 8th and 9th floors, connected via a staircase in the middle of the gym. 

I was quite impressed by the wide range of fitness equipment on offer, including rowing machines, a spinning room, and curved treadmills among its more advanced machines. 

The 9th floor also connects to the hotel’s outdoor pool and terrace (known as the H3 Terrace), which was closed for the winter season. 

I imagine this would be a very popular place to spend time in the summer, as well as a prime spot to soak in the city’s famous terrasse culture.

Conclusion

Despite opening its doors during the challenging pandemic era, I certainly see the Humaniti Hotel Montreal, Autograph Collection becoming a very popular choice of accommodation in the future. 

The hotel’s edgy modern-industrial theme makes it a unique hotel experience amidst a half-dozen of Marriott’s chain brands in the city. 

The price point is very reasonable given the convenient location, the Haiku Suite makes for an awesome elite upgrade if you can snag it, and the breakfast tasted great – even if the hotel has been indecisive in what exactly to offer elite members for breakfast. Unfortunately, I happened to catch it during a stingy period. 

Given the solid marks that Humaniti scored on my winter visit, I’m very keen to come back for another stay in the summer to sip some drinks poolside and fully capture the Humaniti Hotel experience. I’d certainly recommend you give it a try for your next Montreal trip.