Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth
What We Love
- Fairmont Gold rooms (on the 18th and 19th floors) have expansive views of Montreal and offer free WiFi and a continental breakfast
- Located right over the train station (accessible by hotel elevator) with easy access to the Metro and Underground City (shopping, restaurants and movie theaters)
- A storied history, including John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Bed-In for Peace; the duo wrote and recorded their anthem “Give Peace a Chance” in a bed here
- Fully staffed health club with spa treatments, fitness equipment, indoor pool and hot tub
- Free bike rentals
- READ MORE: 72 Hours in Montreal
What To Know
- Valet parking is $29 per day plus applicable taxes
- WiFi is approximately $16 per day (free if you are a member of Fairmont’s free loyalty program, the President’s Club)
- Fairmont Gold rooms are located on the 18th and 19th floors and include a personal concierge service featuring free continental breakfast, cocktail canapés in the evening and free WiFi
- Kids (ages six and under) eat free at Le Montrealais Bistro; meals for kids ages seven to 12 are 50 percent off
- Electrical outlets in many rooms are not always conveniently located, but, hey, hotel guests in the 1950s didn’t travel with as many electronic gadgets
Amenities
- Babysitting
- Bar
- Eco-Friendly
- Gym
- Handicap Accessible
- Parking On Site
- Pet-friendly
- Pool
- Restaurant
- Room Service
- Spa
Overview
The Review
With a stay at Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, you’ll be centrally located in Montreal, steps from Place Ville-Marie and Cathedral-Basilica of Mary Queen of the World. This 4-star hotel is close to Notre Dame Basilica and Saint Joseph’s Oratory.
Make yourself at home in one of the 982 air-conditioned rooms featuring minibars. Cable programming provides entertainment, and wired and wireless Internet access is available for a surcharge. Private bathrooms with shower/tub combinations feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers. Conveniences include phones, as well as desks and coffee/tea makers.
Pamper yourself with a visit to the spa, which offers massages, body treatments, and facials. If you’re looking for recreational opportunities, you’ll find an indoor pool and a 24-hour fitness center. This hotel also features wireless Internet access (surcharge), concierge services, and babysitting/childcare (surcharge).
Grab a bite to eat at the hotel’s restaurant, which features a bar, or stay in and take advantage of 24-hour room service. Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at a bar/lounge. Full breakfasts are available daily for a fee.
Featured amenities include a business center, limo/town car service, and express check-out. Planning an event in Montreal? This hotel has 49998 square feet (4645 square meters) of space consisting of a conference center and meeting rooms. A roundtrip airport shuttle is provided for a surcharge at scheduled times, and self parking (subject to charges) is available onsite.
How to Get There
Reviews
True, regular rooms are quite small and a bit dated. The place is also quite expensive. But I treated myself to an upgrade, and “Gold” is really great – well, with the exception of them charging for drinks at the Gold bar, which is unnecessary and should be included in the surcharge. But the reception staff up there is great, even if things go wrong they deal with it very well. Wouldn’t come again, due to the price, but enjoyed my time while it lasted.
Had not been here in a few years and was pleasantly surprised with entirely new decor and restaurants. Apparently underwent full renovation in 2017 so all has been updated without losing the Fairmont charm and quality above all.
I get it. John Lennon and Yoko Ono stayed here for their in-bed protest-- in 1969. The Queen Elizabeth Hotel 'dines out' on that fact in decor, marketing and messaging. But fine hotels must build their brand and reputation on more than just some famous guests. Worse still, is when the prices charged seem more linked to history than amenities and service.
Where to begin? How about parking. The entrance to the hotel's underground parking is well hidden with a too-small sign amid other parking services in the area. The valet parking was slow. The walk from the valet area to elevators was far too long and there were no carts available for luggage. When we checked out at the end of our stay, we waited over 15 minutes for our vehicle. Very understaffed.
Lobby and Reception. Unlike other fine railway hotels in the storied Fairmont chain, the Queen Elizabeth lobby lacks any charm whatsoever and resembles more a indoor market than a stately hotel. It's not easy to find the check-in desk.
Check-in. When one reserves a room months in advance and receives a confirmation email, it's reasonable to assume that on arrival, it should be a breeze. Not so when I was there. It took 45 minutes to check in as the staff could find no evidence of my booking. I had email proof of course. But even confirmation numbers in the emails were of no value to the hapless staff at the desk. The delay on check-in caused me to miss eating before my scheduled event.
The room: Ridiculously small, charmless and poorly equipped. The amenities were not 4 or 5 star. Basic soap, shampoo and conditioner. No shoe-shine cloth. No sewing kit (I needed one for a missing button on my tux). Three star hotels are often better equipped and provide more space at one-third the cost.
The price: The total bill for two nights was $867.00, including valet parking. Paying almost $450 per night this hotel was probably the worst part of all. A total rip-off.
Luxury hotels should provide matching service, rooms, amenities and style. The Queen Elizabeth Hotel is not a luxury option. But by all means, if you want to stay where John and Yoko ate toast in bed over 50 years ago, this could be the place for you.