Sonder by Marriott Bonvoy Gare Saint Denis Apartments Downtown

The service was friendly and really fast, and the location is prime. Parking nearby at UQAM was only $15.50 a day. Montreal is expensive, so the price felt understandable for the area, but I’d give the hotel a 3 at best. The bed and floor were surprisingly clean, though other parts of the room weren’t. The bathroom was gross, with something stuck in the drain and what looked like a blood stain on the tub. The tub also felt as if it might collapse. The walls are paper thin, so you hear everything in the hall, and even your neighbour having loud sex at 6 pm.

The location is the main plus, with amenities nearby. Otherwise, there wasn’t much to praise or complain about. The rooms fell short on cleanliness and functionality. The AC was tucked behind the curtains, so it just blew air into them. Such a strange setup.

The sink in our first room wouldn’t drain and overflowed a little. Dirty water came up from the drain with a disgusting smell. Staff tried to fix it and said it was a known issue. After that, we were moved to a smaller room that wasn’t clean either: there was no duvet on the bed and someone else’s garbage in the bathroom. They offered us that room for 150 CAD, and it was the only option after the first room had filled with water and dirt from the plumbing problem. We got a refund and had to go to another hotel. Please don’t stay here if you expect a clean room or a working bathroom. The positive reviews must be fake. Management should be ashamed of selling unfit rooms and leaving staff to deal with problems they ignore. Fix the plumbing, replace the disgusting water-damaged ceiling tiles and floorboards, and don’t sell rooms that haven’t been cleaned. Truly awful.

Lots of places to eat nearby, and the hotel is well placed by rue St Catherine. The charming rooms have a fridge and coffee maker. It’s a straight 10 minute walk to the lovely Vieux Port area, and Berry Uqam Métro is just 3 minutes away for the 747 airport bus. A good pick for travellers watching their budget, highly recommended.