The Ritz-Carlton Montreal

Opened in 1912, Montreal’s grande dame property is the city’s most pampering.

• Daniel Boulud’s on-property restaurant, Maison Boulud, which serves a lovely breakfast in the greenhouse-like atrium
• The stunning indoor pool on the top floor where guests can turn on a “current” to create a more strenuous workout while swimming laps
• The high-tech guest rooms, which have heated bathroom floors and electronic toilets

Since opening in 1912, the Ritz-Carlton Montreal has been a beacon for sophisticated travelers and international dignitaries, hosting the likes of Winston Churchill and Richard Nixon, as well as being the venue of choice for Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton’s wedding ceremony. The first hotel in the world to bear the name Ritz-Carlton, Montreal’s palazzo-style hotel was the site of the inaugural transcontinental phone call in 1916. Despite its lengthy history, the Ritz is not timeworn; a $200 million renovation (finished in 2012) completely modernized the hotel, while preserving the historical integrity of the building.

For sophisticated travelers, the Ritz-Carlton is the most luxurious property in Montreal, offering a level of service and accommodation that cannot be found elsewhere in the city. With 91 rooms and 31 suites, there are ample room types for families, couples or friends traveling together, and even the most basic rooms are plush and sleek. All accommodations boast high-tech bathrooms equipped with TV’s, rainfall showers and heated floors and counters as well as deep-soaking tubs. The higher category suites are corner rooms with great views, and some feature the marble fireplaces that remain from the original 1912 hotel. The Royal Suite is the largest in the city, at 4,7000-square-feet.

Every aspect of the hotel is state-of-the-art, from the saltwater swimming pool, heated with recycled waste energy from the kitchen, to the spacious gym with the latest exercise technology. The onsite restaurant, Maison Boulud, comes from legendary chef Daniel Boulud, and features multiple nooks including a greenhouse, patio and formal dining room. The Sunday brunch is a highlight. For Champagne connoisseurs, the Dom Pérignon Bar is the only one in the country.

The Ritz provides the cushiest, most luxurious accommodations in the Montreal area. While its downtown location is not incredibly convenient to the fun cultural areas, the city is so big that cabs are a necessity wherever one is located.