Quebec City’s Château Frontenac is hands down one of the most expensive hotels I’ve ever stayed in. Well, I’m by no means a 5-star hotel worshiper, but Château Frontenac is completely different from other top-tier hotels in the world. With nearly USD 500 a night for a standard room and 600 rooms in total, Château Frontenac is a castle-like hotel overlooking the beautiful St. Lawrence River.
Staying at Château Frontenac for a night or two can be seen as a stellar experience of my entire trip. I could just spend hours wandering around the grand halls, chilling in its river-view café, listening to the spooky stories, and having my muscles relaxed at the spa.
Château Frontenac Hotel has been going strong since the end of the 19th century, named after Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac et de Palluau, the governor of the French colonial period during his reign in North America. Château Frontenac goes by the title “one of the most photographed” hotels in the world. But what’s so special about it, anyway? Read on to find out in this ultimate review.
Where Is Fairmont Le Château Frontenac?
The hotel stands almighty at Rue des Carrières, looking out to the famous St. Lawrence River. It boasts an excellent location which is only 3 minutes walk away from Quebec Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame and 8 minutes walk from boutiques in Quartier Petit Champlain. Quartier Petit Champlain is a transport hub of the city, with many tour buses stopping by waiting for and dropping off travelers.
Being Canada’s most prominent holiday destination for more than a century, Fairmont Le Château Frontenac is steeped in history and architecture. Promoting the typical Châteauesque style to the fullest, its imposing design features five brick and stone wings and a central tower, putting on a dramatic wash-out color of red bricks and green roofs capping on the top.
The entire castle sits on top of a small hill and has been welcoming world-renowned celebrities, notable guests, and political figures including Dwight Eisenhower, Theodore Roosevelt, Pierre Eliott Trudeau, Ronald Reagan, Queen Elizabeth, and King George VI.
For the past 125 years, Fairmont Le Château Frontenac has hosted some of the most iconic events. One of the most memorable milestones tied to the reputation of Fairmont Le Château Frontenac is the conference about the agreements after the success of D-Day in 1944.
The Lobby
Walking into the grand hall, you will be hypnotized by a splendid atmosphere soaked in a marvelous French style. Even though there’s no high ceiling or flashy ornaments, the lobby is still a star on its own with dark wood walls and humble yet attractive chandeliers lighting up the whole space.
Deluxe Queen Room with City View
600 rooms are categorized into 12 different room types, ranging from Queen rooms to Deluxe and Suite. You can opt for a river view, city view, garden view, or a king suite to accompany your large family.
Unlike any other modern 5-star hotel, the rooms at Fairmont Le Château Frontenac seem as if they transport you back to the late 19th century with its typical old European design, cozy ambiance splashed in a beige, neutral tone.
As the room I booked is tucked away near the castle spire, the ceiling is hanging a little lower than most other rooms. The entire floor is covered with a dark color carpet to bring out a sense of nostalgia to the visual effect. They don’t use the hotel room card key to turn on the electricity. And most of the light sources lean towards the cozy yellow dim effect to make the room even cozier.
Regarding the sound-proofing effect, it’s not a 10 out of 10. As long as they keep their voices down when walking along the hallway, there won’t be a big problem with it.
The Amenities
Fairmont Le Château Frontenac is fully equipped with a standard set of amenities. The bed is fluffy and cozy. Since this room is made for two, they only have a small closet placed next to the door. Iron board is kept inside the closet which is handy if you need to get your clothes ready and neat before hitting the streets.
Most of the amenities in this compact footprint are equipped for essential use so there’s nothing extravagant about it. Travel magazines were ready on a small desk in the room’s corner before I walked in. And there is a small window with a roll-up curtain next to one of the beds.
The Bathroom
Don’t expect to be welcomed with a marvelous bathroom in this Fairmont Le Château Frontenac. Maybe some other rooms have bigger bathrooms but that was not my case.
No complaints though! I got everything I needed for a comfy stay. The floor is covered in black linear tiles. There’s a small bathtub right next to the toilet and sink. I love how they spruce up the square mirror for make-up purposes with decent lighting visuals to get my make-up done. Le Labo Rose 31 toiletries are well stocked. Overall, this is not a perfectly modern type of bathroom but still a decent, well-designed one.
Final Words: Is Fairmont Le Château Frontenac Worth It?
I didn’t have a long trip in Quebec and that’s why Fairmont Le Château Frontenac appeared to be a stellar choice to accommodate my comfy stay. Being able to spend some time in such a magnificent piece of history is worth every penny. And of course, Fairmont Le Château Frontenac is nowhere close to a cheap place. So even if you can sort out a sum of money for a one-night stay, I still highly recommend it. I regret opting for a low-tier type of room which turned out to be a lot smaller than I expected. Therefore, you should go for a bigger room type with a larger window if you plan to stay longer than I did.
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