Le St Martin Centre-Ville

I had two glorious nights here over Labour Day weekend. The king suite upgrade, with its soaker tub and fantastic city view, was so lovely I’d have stayed in the room if I hadn’t needed food. The hotel was gorgeous, clean, and creative, and the staff were fantastic. Downtown Montreal was a great experience too, with easy access to restaurants, museums, art galleries, and other fabulous hotels. I liked it enough to plan a return at Christmas. Can’t wait to go back!

The city was fantastic, and we had a wonderful trip, but this hotel experience was the part we struggled to move past. We won't be returning, and I'm sharing what happened so other travelers can make an informed choice. There are several other hotels nearby that may be better options. The trouble started with the deposit. A few days before arriving, we called to confirm we could pay the $300 deposit by debit and were told that would be fine. At the desk, the receptionist said the machine wouldn't accept our card and suggested our card was the problem. We had just used it at a shopping center, used it again at a restaurant that evening, and our bank confirmed there were no holds or blocks. Our debit Visa was also said to have failed. No one tried to troubleshoot or showed empathy; the receptionist seemed irritated and treated it as our fault. We were told we couldn't stay without a credit card. We explained we deliberately use debit and cash and don't carry high-interest credit cards or lines of credit, then asked whether an exception or cash payment was possible. After some resistance, staff said they would ask the regional manager for an “exception,” again making it sound like we were at fault. My wife walked two blocks and withdrew about $1,000 with the same debit card. We paid cash for all three nights and the deposit. There was no apology, acknowledgment of the inconvenience, or compensation for the stress and time involved. We also weren't initially given a receipt. When we returned to ask for one, we were told they “don’t provide receipts,” which was very concerning for a large cash payment and a held deposit. Check-in was another communication problem. Before the trip, we asked when the room would be ready and were told it should be available by 1:00 PM. We arrived in Montreal early, left our bags with valet, and were again told we could check in after 1:00. When we came back around 3:30, we were asked to wait another 20 minutes because the room wasn't clean yet. It took closer to 25-30 minutes before they said it was ready. The front desk staff were unfriendly and closed off from the start. For the rest of the stay, we were never greeted warmly or treated with basic courtesy. The same poor service continued in each interaction. Our main issues were with one or two front desk staff working the evening of Friday, December 12th. The whole situation set a negative tone, though thankfully we didn't let it ruin our trip. Still, we won't stay here again.

The comfortable, clean beds were one bright spot, and the rooms were very clean too. Staff were nice and helpful, and the AC was good. But even in the “luxury king with fireplace” room, I couldn't justify paying this much again. It feels like you're paying for the location more than anything else. My biggest issue was the lack of a microwave. I had to throw food away after meals, which is ridiculous when even Motel 6 has a fridge and microwave. A basic $60 microwave would have been enough. Rooms costing over $200 a night shouldn't be missing something so basic. Breakfast cost an extra $20 per person and was cold. The bathroom's wooden sliding doors gave almost no privacy, so you could hear and smell everything. The TVs were dated, with basic cable and no way to mirror a device. The elevator was frustrating too. Instead of efficiently serving both sides, it seemed to bounce between floors. You might get picked up several floors from the lobby, then it would go to the top, collect someone, slowly head down, and stop at several floors instead of taking you straight to the lobby.

The room maids were good, though the reception staff could use a bit more charm. There's currently no restaurant or bar, but plenty of local places to eat. Public areas in the hotel are limited, and the bistro is being refurbished. They also charged a security deposit to the card at check-in.