Le Chateau Frontenac

The grand dame of the Canadian railway hotels, Le Château Frontenac is Québec City’s most famous landmark, a century-old castle high on a bluff over the St. Lawrence river; if you’ve seen a single photo of Québec City, you’ve seen the Château in the background, its green oxidized copper roof and orange Scottish bricks towering above the city’s Vieux Québec historic district. And though a tourist attraction in its own right, Château Frontenac is every bit as elegant as ever—past the sightseers in the lobby is a vast and labyrinthine hotel of some six hundred rooms across six wings, which vary somewhat in age and in relative opulence (though all additions are historically accurate).

Older rooms may be a bit on the small side, but compensate with plenty of old-world charm; in any case there’s nowhere in North America more Gallic than this, with its printed fabrics and ornate antiques. At the same time, it’s a modern business hotel, with four dedicated floors (the Fairmont Gold floors) for executive travelers, and modern amenities like internet access and 24-hour room service. The most desirable (and expensive) views are of the St. Lawrence, though a view of Old Québec is nothing to complain about.

This hotel really shines, though, in the services and public spaces, from Le Champlain, the traditional French restaurant, to Le Café de la Terrasse, which is exactly what it sounds like, serving more casual international fare with a view. Le Château Frontenac is a large hotel, and slightly less personal than some of Vieux Québec’s smaller boutiques—but this is a place with character, offering a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Design junkies may be uncomfortable, but this hotel is unquestionably the sightseer’s and the gourmand’s favorite.