Hôtel Le Germain Québec

Classic architecture meets modern interior design in this Old Port boutique, perennial contender for the title of Québec City’s finest small hotel. Once the 1912 Dominion Fish & Fruit building, today it’s the Hotel le Germain, a warm and inviting home base for exploring the historic walled city of Old Québec.

Though touches of the century-old building’s original architecture remain, the décor is modern, yet never off-puttingly so; deep white armchairs and soft electric light grace the public spaces, alongside antique candelabras and dark wood paneling. Guest rooms are spacious, decorated in a palette of muted earth tones, with massive beds covered in goose-down duvets; if you’re lucky enough to score a top-floor rooms with a view of the St. Lawrence River or the Old Town, you may find yourself tempted to stay in bed and just gaze out the window.

Sofas and ottomans are sleek and modern, and bedside tables hang from the wall until they’re needed to swing into place. Many rooms have vast bathtubs, some only showers, but all feature plush cotton robes and Molton Brown products. Though there’s no restaurant, the Dominion’s concierges are handy with a restaurant recommendation; the neighborhood offers more than a few to choose from.