Le Mount Stephen

The story of Le Mount Stephen is a tale of two buildings, each with its distinct personality. The first, a stately Italian Renaissance home, was the residence of George Stephen, the first president of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Now preserved as a historic site, the home has interiors that could compete with Downton Abbey, with rich wood paneling, stained-glass windows, and gold light fixtures. A total of ten onyx fireplaces adorn the rooms. Despite feminine details like crystal chandeliers and floral wallpaper, rooms have the dark, masculine feel of a gentlemen’s club, which is entirely accurate since the home was later converted into a men’s club that hosted high society and visiting dignitaries. Today, it holds the Bar George, serving all meals and, in their words, “strong hooch.” The restaurant is absolutely mobbed at brunch, particularly on special occasions such as Mother’s Day. The mansion’s rooms also frequently host private events and weddings.
The other building is the hotel itself, a modern addition that’s a 180 from the historic original home. The lobby is strikingly bright, light, and open, covered in white and gray marble and illuminated with recessed lighting and floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s not entirely divorced from the stately vibes of the adjoining manor house—there’s a wall-mounted crest, giant porcelain urns, and a carved grand piano—but it’s clearly the new-millennium version of luxury. And it’s to their credit that the hotel didn’t try and duplicate the same look, because the beauty of this hotel is in this contrast between the old and the new.
Le Mount Stephen draws comparisons to its neighbors the Four Seasons and the Ritz-Carlton, all within a single block’s radius. But of the three, Le Mount Stephen has the most personality.

Location is a major selling point for Le Mount Stephen. It’s smack-dab in the middle of Downtown, right on the ritzy Golden Square Mile, an area developed around the late 1800s and early 1900s, which once lined with grand estates, a handful of which still stand. Other luxury hotels surround the nearby blocks, along with institutions like the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, just five minutes away on foot. Many landmarks are also in walking distance, such as the Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral, just eight minutes away on foot, and McGill University, a nine-minute walk toward Mount Royal park. Shops, eateries, and the entrance to the underground are all nearby, too.
However, not everything is accessible by foot. Old Montreal, with its cobblestone cuteness, cafes, and little shops, is a good 25-minute walk away, and reaching the Old Port will take 30 minutes walking. A better option to reach both of these points of interest could be a 12-minute taxi ride or 20 minutes on public transportation. For business travelers, the Montreal Convention Centre will require a 10-minute drive or 15 minutes on public transit. Likewise, reaching trendy Mile End, with its buzzy restaurants, bars, and bagel shops, takes a 14-minute drive or 30 to 40 minutes on the bus or metro.
Reaching Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport requires a 25-minute drive or 45 minutes to an hour on public transit.

Le Mount Stephen has a dizzying 12 room categories, starting with the entry-level Premium Queen rooms and going all the way up to the Royal Suite. But the easiest way to assess the property’s accommodations is simply to divide them into guest rooms and suites. Of the guest rooms, the two major categories are Premium and Deluxe. Both have nearly identical decor and amenities, with the main difference being overall square footage, moving from the Premium Queen’s 350 square feet to the Deluxe King’s 530. Within these categories, travelers can book rooms with either king or queen beds (both a single queen or a pair of beds), accessible rooms, or connecting rooms.
Decor throughout is tasteful and subdued, awash in coffee- and cream-colored textiles. Platform beds covered in plump white duvets anchor the rooms, backed with oversized leather headboards in a cafe au lait hue. Blond-wood nightstands and writing desks complete the rooms, and some are large enough to hold additional seating, like a beige chaise lounge or loveseat. Overall, rooms could use a splash of bright color, although the occasional teal chair or throw pillow brightens things a bit.
Bathrooms are just as elegant, with illuminated magnifying mirrors, angular double sinks, and walk-in showers with enormous rainfall showerheads, dubbed “rainforest showers”. Some of these rooms also have enormous soaking tubs, and all have Japanese-style Toto toilets. Pampering details like bathrobes, slippers, and extensive toiletry kits with items like toothpaste and razors add to the luxurious feel.
Amenities across all room categories are appropriately modern and high-end, including Bluetooth speakers, HDTVs with internet connections, reading lights, free Wi-Fi, electronic safes, umbrellas, and full minibars with snacks like M&Ms, Pringles, and alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks. Nespresso machines and electric kettles are on hand, too.
Suites continue to pile on the square footage and the amenities. Signature Suites, for example, look like an extended version of Deluxe King rooms, adding a four-top table and a sofa. These all have street views. The Signature Plus Suite makes the most of the view with slanted floor-to-ceiling windows. Sky Lofts resemble duplex apartments with one and a half bathrooms, terraces, fireplaces, and gorgeous hand-painted bathtubs. And the ultimate is the Royal Suite, a first-class residence, with three bedrooms and two and a half baths, two terraces, a full kitchen, and its own private elevator access.

Le Mount Stephen’s main feature is simply the historic house it’s linked to. This is a Montreal sight worthy of touring on its own. Adding to its appeal, this landmark also holds the Bar George, a celebrated restaurant serving all meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, brunch) and between-meal bites, along with a full bar. The breakfast spread (not usually included in rates) has a Britannia theme, with eggs, blood pudding, sausage, tomatoes, bacon, baked beans, mushroom toast. Former bedrooms of the historic house have been converted into private dining rooms, and the ornate carved woodwork, onyx fireplaces, and stained-glass windows galore give any meal here a regal, Old World look. The red velvet armchair near the fireplace also provides the ideal spot for a nightcap.
Given it’s looks, it’s no surprise that the hotel also hosts its fair share of weddings and events. Meeting rooms are also available on the premises.
The on-site spa may be small, but it offers a full range of treatments—the massages alone range from Swedish to sports to deep-tissue to Thai. And a basement fitness center on the premises holds Matrix spin bikes, treadmills, steppers, recumbent bikes, weight-lifting machines, free weights, medicine balls, and other exercise equipment.
One notable absence: There’s no proper business center in the hotel, although loaner laptops are available to guests. Other services include 24-hour room service, concierge, laundry, shoe-shine, and parking (valet or self). An on-site ATM, free newspapers, and free Wi-Fi round out the amenities.