OverviewLocated just south of Highway 148 and about a 3-minute drive from the banks of the Ottawa River, the Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello is popular with business and vacation travellers who prefer a resort-style hotel with an on-site spa and a golf course.
This hotel has 211 air-conditioned guest rooms, all of which offer satellite TV, a coffee/tea maker, a desk, a bathrobe for each guest, a hair dryer, and an iron and ironing board. Standard rooms offer one queen, one king or two double beds, and rooms with a separate living area, sofabed and jetted tub are also available.
Hotel amenities include an indoor and outdoor pool, a hot tub a fitness centre, a business centre, a spa, an 18-hole golf course, horseback riding, indoor squash and tennis courts, 19 meeting rooms and a gift shop. Accessible rooms are available upon request, and parking is $10 per night. Wi-Fi is $13.95 per day (although some rooms have Wi-Fi included in the rate), and pets are permitted for an additional fee of $35 per pet per day.
The Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello provides on-site dining at Aux Chantignoles (open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner) and Seigneurie Bar which is open for dinner.
The Manoir Papineau National Historic Site is a 3-minute walk south of the hotel, while Omega Park can be found about a 5-minute drive northward. Ottawa's city centre is about an hour's drive west, and Ottawa MacDonald-Cartier Airport (YOW) is approximately an hour and 15-minute drive southwest of the hotel. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Wi-Fi $13.95 in standard rooms, parking $10 per day, pets permitted for $35/day per pet (call date: Jan. 30, 2013).
The GoodThe majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive with much praise going to the hotel's staff, amenities, and rooms.
Many reviewers praised the hotel's staff and characterized them as attentive, friendly, accommodating and warm. One guest remarked the staff, "took great care of our team at every turn", while another stated, "The service was exceptional from the check-in staff to the spa staff".
Numerous lodgers were pleased with the hotel's amenities. These guests reported a large "olympic-sized" indoor pool, a fantastic spa, beautiful grounds, as well as dog-sledding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and hiking. One guest mentioned, "There are fun activities for the entire family".
The hotel's rooms were a source of several compliments by reviewers. They described their rooms as well-equipped and clean, with comfortable beds and strong Wi-Fi signals. It should be mentioned however, that those in standard accommodations reported their rooms to be small, while those in upgraded rooms and suites described their rooms as spacious. Several reviewers also found the bathrooms to be quite small as well.
The Bad
While most of the reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were a couple of common complaints among them about the prices and noise transfer.
Several reviewers had concerns about the hotel's prices. These guests were disappointed with the additional parking and Wi-Fi fees, and felt they should have been included in the price. Although the restaurants were reported as having well-prepared and tasty food, many guests felt it was overpriced, especially the breakfast buffet. Movie rentals were also mentioned as being expensive.
A couple of guests reported minor noise disturbances. They mentioned hearing the cleaning staff in the hallways, as well as guests walking in rooms and hallways overhead.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #1 out of 4 Montebello hotels from 342 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviews rated the hotel 8.7 out of 10 from 47 reviews.
Expedia.ca guest reviews rated the hotel 3 out of 5 with an 80% recommendation rate from 15 reviews.
The author called the hotel on January 30, 2013 to verify some information.
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Analyzed by Erin H.
Erin loves to travel, and considers it her personal mission to help fellow travellers get the inside scoop, both good and bad, on Canadian Hotels.
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