Le St-Martin Hotel Particulier Montreal

Le St-Martin Montreal Hotel Particulier attracts leisure and business travelers alike who want a convenient downtown base that's less frenetic than larger chains found in the city center. Its lobby, furnished with butterscotch-yellow leather seating centered around a double-sided fireplace, makes for a stately entrance. But the hotel's most atmospheric spot is its stylish restaurant. Inside, choice seats are along the banquette, where a flattering, hot-pink glow is cast from a fixture lining the wall above. Conversations are amplified in the cavernous space, so those looking for a more intimate atmosphere should ascend the mirror-paneled, curved staircase to the balcony. Here a handful of tables along the railing offer perched views of the street and scene below. During Montreal's glorious summers, guests crowd sidewalk tables on the terrace or make a beeline for the heated outdoor pool on the second floor, especially because there isn't room for many in the water.

Le St-Martin Montreal Hotel Particulier has a fantastic DowntownMontreal location amid boutiques restaurants, bars, entertainment, and some of the city's best museums. It's one block from Rue Sainte-Catherine, a main thoroughfare, and five minutes on foot to the Eaton Centre, a major shopping mall. The Peel Metro station is a convenient one-minute walk. Getting to Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport is usually less than a half-hour drive. - One-minute walk to Peel Metro station

• Five-minute walk to Eaton Centre
• 11 minutes to Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art via metro
• 14 minutes to Montreal Museum of Fine Arts via metro
• 16 minutes to Latin Quarter via metro
• 20 minutes to Basilique Notre-Dame de Montreal via metro
• 22 minutes to Montreal Biodome via metro
• 23 minutes to Old Montreal via metro
• 27 minutes to Plateau Mont-Royal via metro
• 29 minutes to Jean Talon Market via metro
• 29 minutes to Parc du Mont Royal via metro
• 23-minute drive to Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport

The high-contrast decor in guest rooms give them a sophisticated and pulled together look. Warm cream and white textiles and walls are set against espresso furnishings and slate-gray accents. Highlights include ivory tufted headboards trimmed with wood, fireplaces, and marble sinks set on vanities with tapered legs. Guests often comment that beds are extra plush. Luxe details like attractive silver trash bins and ice buckets give an elegant finishing touch. The large, elegant bathrooms are bound to impress. Traditional sconces flank mirrors, bath products have stylish yellow packaging, and items like tissues and glasses are neatly tucked away on built-in shelves. There's also plush towels, terrycloth robes, and slippers. Units start at a generous 375 square feet; suites afford up to 1,000 square feet of space. All rooms are outfitted with flat-screen TVs, iPod docks, minibars, microwaves, Keurig espresso machines with free Lavazza coffee pods, desks with ergonomic chairs, safes, and irons and ironing boards. Higher-category rooms add fireplaces, sound systems, seating areas with high-back armchairs and ottomans, and bathrooms with tub/shower combos and removable showerheads, plus double sinks. Suites add sofas, and some have separate work areas. The top-of-the-line suites are similarly furnished and have entryways, larger seating areas with sofas, and immense bathrooms with soaking tubs facing flat-screen TVs, plus walk-in showers.

The hotel's star amenity is its restaurant, which consistently receives high marks from guests. It offers a continental breakfast with eggs -- not included in the room rate -- and has a short a la carte menu with treats like crepes, Montreal bagels with gravlax, and grilled cheese with duck confit. Lunch and dinner menus feature imaginative mains with locally sourced meats and cheeses. The restaurant's bar is more for dining solo than downing drinks, so hit the lobby's fireplace lounge if you're just having cocktails. Another perk is the heated outdoor jet pool, with a pretty footbridge and tiny patio with plants. While secluded, it can feel a bit claustrophobic, as it's long, narrow, and sandwiched between two buildings. However, it's one of the most peaceful spots to relax on-site, as the hotel doesn't have a spa. The 24-hour gym is also a tight squeeze in a space that isn't much wider than a hallway. It's flooded with natural light and has up-to-date equipment, but there's only three cardio machines. High-speed Wi-Fi throughout the property is free, and there's no charge to use the lobby's desktop PC or to print, but the hotel attaches a fee to valet parking.