Château Laurier Québec Hotel, located on the popular Grande-Allée Street, is at the door of the best attractions in Quebec City and in close proximity to the Quebec City Convention Centre.
A Weekend in Quebec But it Felt Like Europe
When I describe Quebec, I use the word “quaint” because the historic architecture and cobblestone streets make you feel like you’re walking through the streets of Europe (including the language), yet you haven’t left North America.
Located in eastern Canada, Quebec is Canada’s largest province, and French is the official language. And travelers like us need to respect that fact by learning and using a few common French phrases when approaching Quebec people.
For example, if during a conversation you say, “bonjour,” “merci,” and “s’il vous plaît,” you will quickly see it’s appreciated vs. just expecting them to speak English to us.
Besides being excited to taste authentic Canadian food, we were excited to explore Old Quebec (UNESCO World Heritage Site,) the iconic Château Frontenac, Basilique Cathedrale Notre-Dame of Quebec, and get the nerve to walk across the bridge over Montmorency Falls.
Finding the Right Canadian Hotel
Our goal was to stay smack in the center of the Quebec City action but finding a hotel that was affordable was a bit of a challenge.
I first fell in love with the most beautiful accommodations in the area, the castle-like Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, but the $550 per night price tag was hefty.
Then, we found the Hotel Chateau Laurier Québec, a four star hotel with thousands of positive traveler reviews on TripAdvisor, for half the price at just $237 per night. That fit nicely in our Canada travel budget for a 3-night stay so we made our reservations.
Hotel Location
We flew into the Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport, and then a quick, 30-minute drive to the hotel.
To give a location perspective, a flight from New York City to Quebec is less than two hours, yet you’ll feel like you stepped into a different world.
The town of Old Quebec is an easy walk from the hotel, but note that you walk slightly uphill on the way back. If you prefer, you can take a five minute taxi ride or grab a bus outside the hotel. The variety of restaurants in the area makes it such a great location for accommodations.
Nearby landmarks include the Upper Town, the Plains of Abraham, and Basilique Cathedrale Notre-Dame of Quebec. Be sure you dress appropriately for the weather.
About the Hotel
The Hotel Chateau Laurier Quebec is a family-run property housed in a contemporary six-story building with a rather seamless, plain façade. With so many floors, you might describe it as a sprawling city hotel offering 280+ rooms in a range of types, styles, and sizes.
As soon as we stepped into the lobby, the classic design gave off a fancy yet cozy vibe. Amidst the white walls is a beautiful chandelier, with beige-colored tiled flooring, and a brown patterned carpet. There are leather sofas that make the perfect, warm seating location on chilly days and nights thanks to a grand fireplace.
Upon check in, the staff was very friendly and helpful. I think they may have giggled at my attempt to say, “Bonjour” and “Merci”.
I must point out that the hotel had a fresh, floral scent in the air. I’m not sure if that was intentional but it was so refreshing.
We were also offered a beverage upon arrival. I’d tell you what it was but we politely declined saying, “Non, merci.”
Outside the lobby, there is a central courtyard, paved, not fancy but ideal for sitting and planning out our sightseeing for the day.
This hotel is very big, divided into different areas, that may cause some confusion when you check in, but in no time, you learn to easily navigate the halls, just as we do when we board a large cruise ship.
Hotel Amenities
The hotel features a small indoor saltwater pool. There’s an outdoor spa area with a sun terrace, a garden, large hot tubs and sunbeds. After trying both, I highly recommend you spend some relaxation time in the steam room and Finnish sauna during the less crowded late afternoons when most guests are heading to dinner.
The spacious fitness center that’s open 24/7 offers free weights plus cardio and weight-lifting machines. It wasn’t overly crowded and we managed to get in a workout each morning.
The hotel has a small convenience type store on the ground floor. It stays open until 11pm, great for picking up snacks, sandwiches, coffee, and other beverages. The brownie was a delicious, satisfying treat!
The wine dispensers was a unique touch as we had never seen them in a hotel ever before. It’s like a clever vending machine offering self-service alcoholic drinks in the lobby. The Kupa Station offered filtered water.
The concierge services were a huge help with logistics of seeing as many of the area’s highlights in our condensed amount of time.
While you can pay for a continental buffet breakfast at the St-Hubert restaurant located on the ground floor of the hotel, there were many restaurants nearby that offered breakfast as well. We had breakfast at the hotel, a rotisserie chicken restaurant chain, the first morning but we weren’t overly impressed (a bit pricey).
Room service was much appreciated when we arrived back at our room late one night exhausted but still hungry.
Underground parking is available at a rate of $29 per day for self-parking, or $34 per day with valet service. I recommend you pay the extra few dollars and go with the valet. Electric vehicles get both charging and parking free of charge.
While there are more than a dozen meeting rooms, as frequent business travelers, it was nice to know that guests can hook up to the internet in the lobby and get free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel.
Hotel Guest Rooms
While I only got to view our reserved Classic King Room, among the hundreds of rooms in this hotel, you can choose from different styles: classic, luxurious, and contemporary. You get what you pay for so I’m sure the luxury rooms are spectacular.
Our room had a dated, patterned beige carpet and wood-framed King Bed. The ceiling was high, room was brightly lit from the windows, and it overlooked Grande Allée Street.
We slept pretty good as the bed was comfortable with its firm yet squishy mattress, yet the pillows were uncomfortable (a bit to firm for my liking.)
I wouldn’t describe our room as overly spacious, but we did lock in the lowest room rate, so we weren’t expecting something grand. The closet was very small as well but to be honest, we packed casual clothes, allowing us to live out of our suitcases.
The room had typical hotel amenities, nothing really stood out as special. The bathroom was a bit outdated with a stark white tile floor and brown vanity, again nothing noteworthy.
On the bright side, immaculately clean is the only way to describe the room and bathroom -both impressively maintained.
As expected from a city location, there was some noise from the streets below, but we personally had no issues with noise at night. The concierge told us that in residential areas of Quebec, they observe “quiet hours” in the evenings so even tourists are asked to be respectful of this.
Dining and Drinks
While we were contemplating taking a food tour in Quebec, we just ran out of time. However, we still managed to try many foods local to the region.
We must recommend Restaurant La Buche, Ophelia, 1640 Bistro, and Chez Rioux & Pettigrew.
Our favorite Quebec foods, desserts, and beverages included Poutine (fries topped with fresh cheese curds and gravy), Tourtière meat pies, sweet crepes with bananas, strawberries, Nutella, and whipped cream, and sparkling apple cider.
Our Favorite Attractions
There were so many attractions just minutes from the hotel! We did pay for a guided walking tour of Old Québec – A UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Our guide explained every aspect in minute detail. We learned about Old Quebec, Upper Town (Haute-Ville), Quartier Petit Champlain, and Plains of Abraham (large urban park, site of 1759 battle between the French and British), as we strolled along cobblestone streets.
The Notre-Dame de Quebec Cathedral was stunning and seeing this landmark in person is a special sight. We also wandered along the Dufferin Terrace, a boardwalk that overlooks the river and leads to the Citadel of Quebec and the funicular.
While we loved all highlights of the tour, our ride on the funicular to Fairmont Le Château Frontenac was one of my favorite afternoons in the city. Château Frontenac is the iconic hotel and National Historic Site of Canada that literally towers over the St. Lawrence River.
The other favorite was walking across the bridge to Montmorency Falls. It’s said to be even taller than Niagara Falls, so there was something very cool (and scary) about walking right over the loud, cascading water!
Note: Quebec uses the Canadian Dollar (CAD). Credit cards are accepted, but we carried small bills for tips.
Takeaways: Do I Recommend the Hotel?
Located conveniently near Old Quebec, we thought that the hotel offered a reasonable value for the room we stayed in. Our only cons of this hotel is that the less expensive room type is dated, small, and lacked exciting room amenities but should we stay here again, we might opt for more luxurious accommodations.
- Walking distance to attractions
- Onsite restaurant and bar, room service available
- 24/7 fitness center and spa with a variety of treatments
- Indoor saltwater pool and outdoor area with hot tubs
- Convenience store in hotel
- Valet, self-parking, and electric vehicle charging
Author Bio: Originally from Long Island, New York, Donna Wright now calls Deland, Florida her home. An avid traveler, she has journeyed by air, land, and sea, to many cities in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean to exciting destinations like California, Arizona, Las Vegas, San Diego, Myrtle Beach, Lake Tahoe, Reno, and more.
This content is provided for general informational purposes only and should not be considered travel or consumer advice. Inn amenities, prices, policies, and availability may change. Readers should verify all details independently and use their own judgment when planning travel.