During this visit to Montreal, we stayed at the Marriott Chateau Champlain, which even though the hotel itself is not anything truly special, the location makes it a perfect choice for anyone who chooses not to drive around the city. Upon arriving at the Central train station, we followed the signs that pointed to Rue De La Gauchetiere, which led us outside on a sidewalk. It is possible to walk from the outside of the train station to the hotel, but you have to cross a street or two, and during weekdays there is definitely some traffic that you will have to contend with. I suggest following the escalator down that is right next to the door that leads outside and following the signs to the Bonaventure metro station. The Marriott is connected to this station by an elevator that brings you to the Grand Hall or Lobby. Since I am a travel agent, I pay special familiarization rates at Marriott Hotels, so this hotel of course was extremely well priced for us; however, I can say that the average rate that you would normally pay during that time was approximately $150.00 to $200.00 Canadian. My travel experience, both as a hotel guest and a travel agent, leads me to believe that this is not actually a bad rate when one realizes how conveniently located this hotel is. The staff at the front desk was very friendly; however, I requested a room facing Dominion Square, at which point we were advised that the room was not ready even though it was approximately 3:30pm, and that another room was available currently, but it was on a lower floor and was on the opposite side that we requested. Of course, we were rather disappointed, but we were in a hurry to check in, so we accepted the available room. Our room was comfortable, tastefully furnished, and had a large picture wind shaped like a half moon. The bed was very comfortable, the bathroom was extremely small, and the view from the room was rather ugly, as unfortunately we had a view of several construction sites and an office building on our left. Since we were on a lower floor, we heard quite of bit of traffic too, but mostly during the daylight hours. As for other noises that could be heard from our room, it was almost silent. Every once in a while, we heard the guests that were staying in the room next to us exiting or entering their room, but that was it. All in all, this was a very nice hotel, and I am sure I would choose to stay there again. The convenience of this hotel's location, the friendly and extremely helpful concierge and other staff, and the excellent rate we paid per night helped to make this a truly relaxing and fun trip.
For more information regarding the Marriott Chateau Champlain, click on the following link: http://www.marriott.com/epp/default.asp?MarshaCode=YULCC