Hôtel Levesque

It's the middle of the night and I'm still awake, with only a few hours until I have to get up. The walls and doors are so thin you hear everything. It's almost impressive, a curtain seems like it would block more sound than that door. The hotel hosts parties, which is fine, but with the poor building materials it feels like you're right there at the party. I've stayed in cheap motels with more privacy. Edit: I went down to reception three times, but they couldn't care less.

There's a Starbucks on the ground floor, open 6am to 8pm, which is a great alternative to hotel breakfast. Reception can help book the restaurant and bar on the second floor. The hotel is a good business-style option just off the highway, with ground-floor rooms accessible from outside through glass doors as well as from inside. It has a gym and a small indoor pool. The gym isn't open 24 hours, and has a couple of treadmills, one bike, an elliptical, a weight machine, and a limited selection of weights. There's also a spa with limited cosmetic services.

We paid $220/night for one night through Expedia and were given room 229 in the old part of the building. It seems that because we arrived at 7 pm and had prepaid through Expedia, this was the room they chose for us. The hotel appears to have two connected buildings, but the photos only show the renovated new section, not the old one. The room was dated and smelled a little stale. Even the iron I tried to use had something burnt onto it. We weren't impressed. We spent three hours in the spa area for $30 each and enjoyed it, but nobody explained how to use the facilities properly, and we were alone in there. The sauna had no light. My husband hit his head on the ceiling because it was so dark and poorly designed. Both the service and the facilities could use improvement. If Expedia bookings get the ugly rooms, please tell us before we overpay.

We picked this area to be near the river and spot Beluga whales. You can see the river from the hotel, but it's across the street and a fair distance away, with wires and other obstructions that get in the way of photos. The hotel was nice and fairly modern, with open parking that can fit oversized vehicles. Breakfast was excellent, and our waitress was attentive and kept our coffee hot, fresh, and full.