Le Mount Stephen

Montréal’s hotel scene is unique in North America, largely because of the high concentration of historical atmosphere in Vieux Montréal, the city’s old quarter. But there’s plenty of personality, architectural and otherwise, to be found elsewhere around town. The so-called Golden Square Mile is the historic commercial district, and among its regal old edifices is a stunning neo-Renaissance structure that was originally the home of one the city’s movers and shakers, Lord George Stephen — and it’s for him that the structure, in its new guise as a luxury hotel, is named today: Le Mount Stephen Hotel.

Don’t get too attached to the 1883-vintage façade, however. Though the historical building contains the restaurant and the bar, both of which make the most of their beautifully preserved 19th-century spaces, the guest rooms occupy a modern addition — and we do mean modern. As you check in you’re transported straight to the 21st century, into rooms and suites that are not just contemporary in style but loaded with up-to-date comforts like chromatherapy showers, Toto washlets, and Nespresso machines. The best of them are truly extravagant, adding massive skylights, fireplaces, and bathtubs, while the three-bedroom Royal Suite spans the entirety of the 11th floor.