Old Quebec charm at its best
Fairmont Le Château Frontenac has stellar views of the St. Lawrence
The Fairmont Le Château Frontenac is Quebec City’s crown jewel. The verdigris copper roof of this pied-aterre for the rich and famous dominates the city’s skyline. Price: Prices range from $204 per night for a basic room to $2,339 nightly for an executive suite. Location: It sits high atop Cap Diamant, overlooking historic Lower Town, beside La Citadelle. The hotel is within walking distance to all Old Quebec attractions, with great views of the St. Lawrence River. Dining: There are many options within the hotel. Consider these:
Champlain Restaurant: Oak panelling, plus a majestic fireplace with tremendous river views, the Champlain offers regional cuisine. Some reviewers rate it the best table in Quebec City. Bistro Le Sam: Modern furnishings abound at the bistro, including freeform chairs in a traditional setting with contemporary touches. The bar offers a huge array of cocktails. “Sit at the bar here, tell them what you like,” says PR director Marie-Claude Brousseau. “They’ll create you a drink on the spot.” The menu is more casual: think crab cakes, fish and chips and burgers.
1608 — Wine and Cheese Bar: This is a newly renovated venue which features its own cheese room with a huge selection of artisanal Quebec cheeses, as well as an extensive wine selection. Comfort and design: No surprise the chateau was designed in an architectural style called “Chateau.” It features towering spires, steep roofs of green oxidized copper, and medieval-like turrets topped with candle-snuffer roofs. Common areas have been updated with vibrant colours and tones but retain a classic appeal: mahogany panelling, carved stone detailing, and marble staircases. Slip into a bathrobe and slippers in the comfort of your room, or book an Ice Cider Body Wrap or Couples Massage in one of the eight treatment rooms at the Spa du Château. Service: Of 1,530 TripAdvisor Reviews, 1,000 respondents rated Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac “excellent” and 318 considered it “very good.” I found service excellent throughout my stay, particularly at the Champlain Restaurant. Fairmont Gold Service, as with all the Fairmont properties, is superior. Downside: As part of the old CP hotel tradition — which offered stopovers for transcontinental travellers — some of the rooms seem small. The smallest rooms are only 175 square feet. Mark Stevens visited Quebec and the Fairmont Château Frontenac with the assistance of Tourisme Quebec, who didn’t review or approve this story.