Perhaps my love of Montreal prevents me from raving about this hotel; It's a perfectly nice example of an Embassy Suites in many respects. I've stayed here several times and have never regretted doing so...it's just that the antiseptic sameness of the place strikes a discordant note to my Montreal expectation matrix.
This Embassy Suites has an interesting duality going on; the rooms are some of the nicest in any of the chain but the breakfast and to some extent the staff, are below the standard I've come to expect. Location is great - gateway to old Montreal and proximity to the Metro. This strikes me as a great base of operations for a family vacation to Montreal as opposed to a business hotel.
The rooms range from spacious to massive. They are well-designed, functional and make excellent use of space. The beds are very comfortable and the housekeeping standard is excellent.
The staff is friendly enough, but somewhat lacking in the helpful department. Not complaint worthy - just enough to notice having to ask a lot of follow up questions.
There is a free breakfast and cocktail reception as is the custom in the chain. Others have provided positive comments but I must respectfully disagree. I found the quality of the food to be sub-standard. Why on earth would you serve a frozen paste bagel when either Fairmount or St. Viateur can supply you with fresh at the same price? Sorry - it had to be said! There is also a decided school cafeteria vibe to the set up.
If you are able to score a room at a bargain price you'll be quite pleased - especially compared to some of the other properties that appear on the "Surprise! You're staying here." bargain hotel sites.