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| - A tale of two spaces...luxury and not
The Renaissance is a new hotel in downtown Montreal offering a hip, post-modern take on the Marriott brand. The public spaces are beyond fabulous with swings in the lobby, fun art on the walls, and an open 'library' worth spending some time in. East - the hotel's bar/restaurant - is truly a delight and provided one of the best meals I've ever had in Montreal. The staff were wonderful, there is an evening turndown service, and there was a nice fluffy robe and a Nespresso coffee maker in the room. And the location can't be beat - downtown next to a plethora of great restaurants, bars, shops, and museums (and Montreal's underground city and the Metro).
But the problem - the elephant in the room so to speak - is that aside from the bed the rooms are rather awful. Start with the fact that there is no desk - only an approximately 18" x 30" extension of the TV console that already has a desk lamp, the phone, and (worst of all) a Bose speaker glued in place competing for space. I was barely able to make enough room for my little 13" portable and I don't think you could fit a full size laptop. The chair - a 'desk chair' only in the loosest sense - was hard and uncomfortable as was the 'chaise lounge' along the window. A business traveler would find working in the room more or less impossible.
Part of the problem is that I feel mislead into expecting something rather different. I know that tastes differ but I can't reconcile the phrase "luxury boutique hotel" with rooms that resemble nothing so much as the aspirational dorm rooms/1st apartments you see mocked up in your local big box furniture/design store.
Another disappointment was the 'pool' - which turned out to be a rooftop plunge pool only open during Montreal's short summer. Now I very much enjoyed the Marriott rooftop pool in my recent stay in Miami Beach...but in Montreal I was more hoping for an indoor pool with a nice hot spa. That there are no tubs in the rooms made this lack particularly annoying. Lastly, the 'security theater' elevators which prevent guests from visiting friends, family, and co-workers on other floors were another annoying touch.
In short, for guests who are looking for nothing more than a bed and a great place to hang out this hotel is 5-star perfection. But for the business traveler or a family wanting a pool for the kids a 1-star avoid at all costs. And so the 3-star A-OK review.
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