Review: Montreal Marriott Chateau Champlain

I stayed at the Montreal Marriott Chateau Champlain for two nights on a recent visit to Montreal.

This was one of the remaining Marriott hotels in town that I had yet to try out, and it had also recently completed some major renovations that I had heard good things about, so I was curious to check it out.

The Montreal Marriott Chateau Champlain has some historical significance behind it, having opened in 1967 as the tallest hotel in Canada at the time.

The hotel gained prominence for its architectural design and easily identifiable half-moon windows, which have since earned the hotel its nickname, the “cheese grater”.

Montreal Marriott Chateau Champlain – Booking

I was able to book this property for a cash rate of $200 per night. Marriott Bonvoy points redemptions at the property tend to fall around 30,000–35,000 Bonvoy points per night. 

While I could’ve also redeemed a couple of Free Night Awards worth 35,000 points for this stay, the reasonable cash rate meant that I wouldn’t be getting a great value for my certificate. S

Thus, I opted to pay cash for the two-night stay and save my points and Free Night Awards for a more valuable use. 

Montreal Marriott Chateau Champlain – Location

The Chateau Champlain is located centrally in Downtown Montreal, near the Bell Centre and adjacent to Canada Place. The hotel entrance sits directly on Rue de la Gauchetière West, and is hard to miss with its long half-moon awnings jetting out of the entrance.

From the hotel, popular tourist sites such as Sainte-Catherine Street, Mount Royal, and Old Port are within a 10-minute car ride or a 30-minute journey by foot. 

The hotel is also conveniently connected to Montreal’s underground city, so shopping and dining are easily accessible regardless of the weather or time of year.

Furthermore, major transit hubs are relatively close by. The Bonaventure Metro station is located just steps from the Chateau Champlain; from here, you can hop on the Orange Line and easily explore other parts of the city. 

If you’re flying into or out of the city, Montreal’s airport is a 20-minute ride away for those travelling by car. You can also catch the 747 bus for a direct route from the intersection of René-Lévésque and Peel nearby, from which it’ll take around 45 minutes to reach the airport.

During my stay, I ended up taking a BIXI bike, one of Montreal’s public bike share programs, to get around the city. There was a station located next to the hotel, and it was great for cycling down to the Old Port on a warm spring day.

BIXI has over 8,400 bikes and 680 stations dotted around Montreal, so they’re fairly easy to find and make for an active mode of transportation to explore the city. 

Montreal Marriott Chateau Champlain – Check-In

Following the renovations, the entrance and hotel lobby are now covered with porcelain and white stone. The new design is an ode to Montreal’s winters, and the theme is carried through the entire hotel. 

Although winter can be thought of as cold and unwelcoming, the interiors have warm touches and illuminating lights that actually create a feeling of calm and comfort.

The check-in process was very smooth, and the hotel staff was keen to welcome me. Having stepped off a few long-haul flights at this point in the journey, I was honestly pretty tired, so a quick and smooth check-in was exactly what I needed.

The staff walked me through the hotel benefits as a Titanium Elite member, including the M Club Lounge on the ground floor, which we would have access to in the mornings for breakfast and then for a snack spread available from 5–7pm.

The staff then walked me through how some of the other facilities worked, including the fitness centre on the third floor, and lastly, informed me that my room would be on the 33rd floor. 

Unfortunately, there was no suite being offered at the time. When I had tried to “suite-talk” upon check-in, the staff mentioned that the suites were not fully renovated yet, and they were still in the process of completion.

Thus, if you have a stay at this hotel in the near future, there might not be any suites available. Down the line, however, once renovations are complete, I imagine this property might be quite generous about upgrading you as an elite member, given my otherwise pleasant experience here.

I took my keys and headed up to Room 3310. The elevators are fully modernized: you select your floor on a touch panel, and then it tells you which elevator to go to. I always appreciate it when hotels go the full distance and install future-proofed facilities as part of a renovation process.

Montreal Marriott Chateau Champlain – King Room with City View

The design of the hallways were still fairly standard for a Marriott hotel, but were certainly upgraded to reflect the brand’s newer refreshed identity, with patterned carpets and sleek grey walls.

Immediately as you enter the King Room with City View, you’ll find yourself in a small hallway with pops of blue and orange leading to the main bedroom, where you’re then greeted with a calming minimalistic interior. 

The room features a mix of wood and stone, along with light tones of white, grey, and gold touches. There is a large mural on the back wall, which highlights the same conceptual design of the Montreal winter landscapes seen in other areas of the hotel.

The king bed is flanked by two floating side tables built into the back wall, which are made of wood and a faux marble finish. To the right of the bed is a modular chaise lounge chair, with a long oval desk extending out over the chair. 

On the left wall adjacent to the bed is a large circular mirror, which reflects much of the incoming light through the window.

Opposite the bed on the back wall is a large desk with ample space, also topped with faux marble, and a large wall-mounted TV above the desk. I found the desk to be pretty comfortable to work from and appreciated the extra space.

Both the desk and the bedside tables featured USB ports and charging outlets.

At the entrance of the room is a spacious walk-in closet with hangers and a bench below. You’ll also find coffee, tea, and a mini-fridge. 

At the end of this space, the entrance to the bathroom is to the left.

The bathroom was small, but quite impressive in its own right. The vanity features a half-moon LED mirror and single sink, and the new renovations incorporated cutting-edge high-tech showers and toilets.

Next to the toilet is a control panel that allows you to adjust the temperature of the water and toilet seat. Unfortunately, the toilet cover doesn’t automatically open as you approach it, which would’ve been an incredible extra touch.

As for the shower, it’s a metallic next-generation device that comes with no less than three different forms of water ejection: a shower head, a rain shower, and a trio of jets shooting water at you horizontally.

This was a bit jarring at first, but overall a nice feature, and the water pressure from this metal panel shower mounted on the wall was extremely strong.

I thought this kind of new-age shower was especially impressive for a Marriott-branded hotel, as it’s something I’d usually associate with higher-end luxury brands like JW Marriott instead.

Overall, I found my room to be pleasant and functional, with stunning views of downtown Montreal to boot. I enjoyed the calming and refreshed decor style, and very much appreciated the high-tech shower as my favourite aspect of the room.

Moreover, the faux marble finishes on the desk and side tables are a great way for what was perhaps a previously uninspiring hotel to elevate itself.

The Marriott brand can be fairly cookie-cutter at times, but the Montreal location has certainly taken the necessary steps to set itself apart. 

Montreal Marriott Chateau Champlain – M Club

The M Club lounge at this property is situated on the ground floor. 

It’s a nicely decorated space with a dining area and a separate seating area, as well as a long communal table in the centre of the lounge. 

Seating types ranged from armchairs to sectionals to banquette seating placed along the edge of the lounge.

Breakfast in the morning is served until 11am, although unfortunately the spread was limited to cold items along with coffee, tea, and juice.

In addition to pastries and cereals, there were also a few other cold items such as boiled eggs, charcuterie, and smoked salmon (although I unfortunately didn’t get a photo of these).

However, there was no hot breakfast spread, which was somewhat disappointing – especially given the many other ways that the hotel had impressed me.

In addition to breakfast, there was an evening hors d’oeuvres spread with tempura shrimp and spring rolls along with some dipping sauces, juice, and some desserts. This was the same on both nights, and I can’t say it was the most appetizing spread, but it was certainly better than nothing. 

Lastly, the snack station consisted of packets of candy, cookies, pretzels, and chips, as well as still or sparkling water to take away with you.

The lounge also offers grab-and-go soft drinks, coffee, and tea throughout the day. For me, it’s always nice to stop by in the middle of the day and grab some snacks on your way out, and I made use of this convenience on several occasions.

Considering the renovations completed, and given how polished the M Club looks on the inside, I felt the food spread could be elevated further in order to match the same standard.

Montreal Marriott Chateau Champlain – Other Facilities

The hotel staff informed me that Physique was North America’s largest hotel fitness centre, which I thought was a somewhat debatable claim. Nonetheless, it was indeed quite a large and comprehensive gym.

I came down for a workout to make use of the space, and I took great enjoyment in the separate fitness areas, the high ceilings, and plenty of mirrors which made the space feel even larger. Of course, I also appreciated the ample range of equipment.

The space offered plenty of natural light and views of the gardens outside the hotel. There’s also a comprehensive water station with the option of still or sparkling water.

Located on the ground floor of the hotel is Lloyd, the hotel’s in-house restaurant. The menu here offers local ingredients and dishes with a casual fine dining experience.

The restaurant has a beautiful design, with plenty of seating separated into sections by wooden panels dotted around.

Around the edge of the restaurant, you’ll find more casual sectional couches, with large contemporary murals on the walls. 

Lastly, on the same level as the gym, there’s a large terrace which serves as another side entrance to the hotel from this plaza. From here, you can easily access the Canada Place urban square across the road via a pedestrian footbridge.

Conclusion

The Montreal Marriott Chateau Champlain was another great Marriott property in Downtown Montreal to add to my list of Marriott hotel experiences in the city.

If you’re looking for a central location close to many of Montreal’s popular destinations at a reasonable price point, the Chateau Champlain can offer just that, while also providing a visually appealing experience now with the new refreshed look of the hotel interiors.

I also appreciated the cutting-edge technology incorporated into the renovations, such as the touch-screen elevator controls and high-tech showers in each room.

Once the hotel fully reopens with its suites, I may very well find myself using the Chateau Champlain as a home base on future jaunts through Montreal.