Montreal's BEST Downtown Hotel? Homewood Suites Review!
Okay, buckle up buttercups, because we're diving headfirst into the chaotic, wonderful, and sometimes-a-little-wonky experience of Homewood Suites by Hilton Montreal Downtown! Forget pristine hotel reviews; this is the real deal, folks. Get ready for the raw, the real, and the remarkably opinionated. Because let's be honest, sometimes a hotel review feels…clinical. I aim to fix that!
Montreal's "Best" Downtown Hotel? Homewood Suites Review! (Spoiler Alert: Maybe!)
So, the hype. Everyone says Montreal. Montreal! Ooooh, Montreal. Okay, I'm in. And where to stay? Homewood Suites. Hmm, Homewood Suites. The name doesn't exactly scream "excitement," does it? More like "reliable and comfy." Which, I gotta admit, is sometimes exactly what you need after a flight and a long day of trying NOT to butcher a croissant (speaking from experience, sadly).
First, the Good Bits! (Because I Can’t Be Totally Negative, Right?)
- Accessibility: Okay, HUGE points here. They get it. Seriously. This is not a given. They have facilities for disabled guests. Not just say they do. I saw ramps, elevators, and the whole shebang. That's a huge win for inclusiveness, and it makes a difference.
- Free Wi-Fi in All Rooms!: Praise the wireless gods! Especially after that croissant-related-incident. The internet was fast and reliable.
- Cleanliness and Safety: Alright, I was expecting a gleaming palace of sterile perfection, but it was actually good. They were even using "anti-viral cleaning products," which makes me feel slightly less germ-phobic. Daily disinfection? Check. Staff trained on safety protocol? Seemed like it. Though, I did see one guy in the lobby sneeze into his hand… (yikes).
- Breakfast, Breakfast, Breakfast!: Breakfast! You know how some hotels claim to have breakfast, and it's just sad, sad…cereal? NOT here. Okay, so it's a "buffet in restaurant" situation, but it's a good buffet. Think eggs, bacon, pastries (I'd suggest you try the croissant, oh wait). They even do "breakfast takeaway service," which is perfect for those "I just need to get coffee and bolt" mornings. Not to mention, "Asian breakfast" and "Western breakfast." (Side note: Why is breakfast cuisine ALWAYS Western? Nevermind).
- The Suite Life!: Let’s be honest, the suites themselves are what really set Homewood Suites apart. Spacious. And that’s key. A separate living area, a kitchenette… Suddenly, you feel less like you're living out of a suitcase and more like you're, well, living. I’m a sucker for a good “seating area” and “sofa” after a day of wandering the city. A desk to get some work done. The “bathroom phone” seems a little excessive, but hey, who am I to judge?
The "Meh" and the "Maybe" (Because Nothing's Perfect, Not Even My Attempt at Writing This Review!)
- “Pool with view” (sort of): Don’t get me wrong, a pool is a blessing…but it just looks like it's inside. The view? Let’s be generous and say it’s of another building. I was expecting something more scenic. Am I being too picky? Probably.
- The Gym: (Or, The Place Where My Motivation Went to Die): It has a fitness center! Great! Except…well, it's a gym. Not exactly inspiring. The usual treadmills, weights, and the general aura of "look how hard I'm pretending to work out."
- Finding My Way: They have “door man” there. So, it made the hotel feel important.
- Parking: The Price of Convenience: Okay, so they have "car park [on-site]"…but the price? Ouch. I paid for "car park [free of charge]" in another hotel but…it wasn't downtown. If you're driving, factor that into the budget. Otherwise…Embrace the public transport. Montreal is actually awesome that way.
The "I'm Not Sure How I Feel About This…"
- The "Spa/Sauna" Situation: Again, it exists! But, honestly? I didn’t test it. I'm more of a "Netflix and a face mask" kind of spa-goer, so I can't comment on the quality.
- Meeting/Banquet Facilities. Okay, I'm not here for a giant conference. But if you are, you’re covered.
- "Pets Allowed Unavailable": My emotional reaction? Sadness. I wish I could bring my cat, Mittens. They should change this…
- The Soundproofing: My room faced a road. I could hear…stuff. Not constantly, but enough to notice. The "soundproof rooms" claim might be a slight exaggeration.
Food and Drink (Because, Let's Face It, That's Important!)
- Restaurants/Bar: There weren’t a lot of on-site options. (Again, downtown Montreal has a lot of options). But there was a bar. And a "poolside bar"…well, near the indoor pool. I had a "bottle of water." It was wet.
- Coffee Shop: The hotel has a coffee shop, which is vital. Coffee is essential, people. Essential.
- "Room service [24-hour]": Thank goodness. Because, let's be honest? Sometimes you just need a burger in your PJs. (Or, you know, a croissant…the good kind).
The "Things to Do" (Besides Eating Croissants!)
- Location, Location, Location!: Okay, the real win for Homewood Suites is the location. Downtown! You're in the heart of it. Walking distance to tons of restaurants, shops, and attractions. Museums, shows, you name it. "Taxi service".
- "Things to do": Montreal is a phenomenal city, and you're a great place to start.
Quirky Observations & Emotional Reactions (Because This Is Where It Gets Real!)
- The Elevator Anxiety: Seriously, elevators. They're ALWAYS a gamble. Will it be a slow climb? Or a sudden, stomach-in-my-throat drop? Every. Single. Time. This isn't a Homewood Suites-specific problem, but it's worth mentioning because…anxiety.
- The "Reading light" & "Wake-up service": I actually used both. They worked! (Small victories!)
- "Cashless payment service": You know you're in modern times when…
- The “Smile” Test: The staff were nice. Not that overly-fake, manufactured niceness. Genuinely helpful. (Mostly. There was one person at the front desk…but I'll let it slide).
- The “Bottle of Water”: I drank it. It quenched my thirst. (See, I'm all about the riveting details.)
The Verdict: Should You Book? (Drumroll, Please…)
Look, Homewood Suites by Hilton Montreal Downtown isn't perfect. But it's solid. It's reliable. It's in a fantastic location. And the suites themselves are a huge plus. If you need space, a comfy bed, and a good breakfast to kickstart your Montreal adventure, it's absolutely worth considering.
Overall rating: đŸŒŸđŸŒŸđŸŒŸ ½ out of 5 (with a potential for a fourth star if they let me bring my cat.)
A Compelling Offer (Because You Deserve the Best!)
Tired of Tiny Hotel Rooms? Craving Space & Adventure? Book Your Montreal Getaway with Homewood Suites NOW!
Here's what you'll get:
- Spacious Suites: Separate living areas and kitchenettes, giving you room to breathe and thrive. Forget feeling cramped!
- Prime Downtown Location: Explore Montreal's vibrant heart from your doorstep. Museums, restaurants, and amazing sights are just moments away.
- Free Wi-Fi: Stay connected, share your adventures, and research where the next best croissant is.
- Free Hot Breakfast: Fuel your explorations with a satisfying breakfast buffet.
- Wheelchair-Accessible Rooms & Facilities: Providing ease of access and comfort for all guests.
- A Memorable Experience: Montreal is unforgettable, and Homewood Suites gives you the perfect base to start.
But wait, there's more!
Book in the next 24 hours and receive a complimentary bottle of Prosecco upon arrival! (Because you deserve it!) Use code "MONTREALBEST" at checkout. Don't miss out! Montreal is calling! Book your Homewood Suites adventure today!
**(Disclaimer: This review is based on my personal experience. Your mileage, croissant consumption, and elevator anxiety may vary. I do not guarantee that they will change their pet policy.
Luxury Minsk Apartment: Unbeatable City Center Location (Nezavisimosti 35)!
Okay, buckle up, buttercups. This isn't your perfectly curated travel brochure nonsense. This is real travel, with all the bumps, the laughter, the existential dread, and the questionable food choices. This is my Montreal, Homewood Suites, and possibly sanity-losing itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival. Or, "Where the Heck is the Hotel?"
- 12:00 PM: Land at Trudeau Airport. Oh, joy. I always feel like a startled pigeon emerging from a plane. Breathe, deep breaths. Locate the baggage carousel. Or, more accurately, watch ten other people mill around before I finally spot the giant "Montreal" tag on my backpack.
- 1:00 PM: Taxi to Homewood Suites Montreal Downtown. Okay, so maybe I didn't book the most direct route. My driver, bless his heart, has the GPS going, but seems more interested in telling me about his ex-wife. Listen, guy, I’m still trying to recover from the stale airplane air, but I’ll listen to your tales of woe if you get me to the hotel in one piece.
- 2:00 PM: Check-in. "Suite" life, baby! Or, at least, a suite attempt at life. This place is… well, it's a Homewood Suites. Clean, functional, slightly generic. But the view from the 12th floor? Not bad. Actually, pretty good. Score one for Canada.
- 3:00 PM: Unpack. Or, haphazardly shove everything into drawers. The toiletries situation is a bit… stingy. Note to self: invest in better shampoo.
- 4:00 PM: First foray into the city streets. I'm thinking, maybe, an exploratory wander. Stumble onto a charming little side street, get distracted by the architecture. This is what I came for! And then… BAM! A rogue cyclist nearly takes me out! I swear, these Montreal cyclists are like angry, spandex-clad ninjas. Note to self: watch where you're going, and maybe invest in some life insurance.
- 5:00 PM: The search for food! I'm craving a good Montreal smoked meat sandwich. Wander around, get slightly lost. Is this the Latin Quarter? Is this the right direction? Google Maps: Friend or Foe? I don't know anymore.
- 6:00 PM: Eureka! Schwartz's Deli. The line is long, but I hear this is a right of passage! I'm ready to start a riot if they’re out of pickles. The meat. The rye bread. The mustard! My arteries weep with joy. I take a seat at some random table I grab when nobody's looking, and I’m in heaven. One of the best meals of my life.
- 7:30 PM: Lament the lack of a good cup of coffee after the meal.
- 8:00 PM: Wander. Get lost again. Find an amazing park. Sit and people-watch and overthink existential meaning.
- 9:00 PM: Back to the hotel. Exhausted. Watch some godawful Canadian TV. Try, and fail, to understand the Quebecois French.
- 10:00 PM: Collapse into bed. Thinking about the smoked meat sandwich, and the potential for a second one tomorrow.
Day 2: Culture, Calories, and Existential Questions.
- 9:00 AM: Free breakfast at the hotel. Standard fare, but free is free, right? The waffle machine… the bane of my existence. I swear, it's more temperamental than a cat. Finally wrangle a semi-edible waffle, and proceed to drench in syrup.
- 10:00 AM: Old Montreal. Oh, this is the postcard Montreal! Cobblestone streets, historic buildings, the works. I get seriously distracted by the architecture. I find myself stopping every two seconds to take pictures. I'm starting to look like that tourist. But whatever, I'm here to indulge in my own brand of silly romanticism!
- 11:00 AM: Notre-Dame Basilica. Stunning. Just… wow. I'm not even particularly religious, but I was moved to tears. Seriously. The stained glass, the gold… it's overwhelming. I'm fighting back the urge to lick the walls.
- 12:00 PM: A seriously long lunch at a fancy French bistro. (I mean, I'm a frugal traveler, usually. But hey, I'm in Montreal!) Escargots? Yes, please! I actually feel fancy for a moment, until I spill a little wine on my shirt.
- 1:30 PM: A wander through the shops. Buy a beret. Why? Absolutely no reason. But in Montreal, you must.
- 2:30 PM: Mount Royal Park. Hike up (okay, walk up) to the top. The view? Breathtaking. The city sprawled out below. More existential pondering. Am I happy? Am I doing the right thing? Should I move to Montreal and open a bakery?
- 3:30 PM: Back down the mountain. Legs aching, but feeling invigorated.
- 4:00 PM: Explore some museums.
- 5:00 PM: I AM SICK. I need some poutine. All other options are invalid. Find a poutine place that lives up to the hype - because poutine is serious business!
- 6:00 PM: Fail to resist a second round?
- 7:00 PM: Sit down at some cafe. Feeling really good. Talk about my day. Start to feel sick.
- 8:00 PM: Back to the hotel. Collapse. Order some ginger ale and try to forget about the impending ailment.
Day 3: The Aftermath, and an Attempt at Redemption
- 9:00 AM: Stay in bed due to illness. Skip breakfast. Curled up in a ball of misery, wishing I had a stronger immune system.
- 11:00 AM: Consider venturing out.
- 12:00 PM: Order some soup.
- 1:00 PM: Force myself to get dressed. Even a touch of fresh air is an improvement.
- 2:00 PM: I force myself to get out. Head to the underground city.
- 3:00 PM: Wander. Maybe get even a little lost - but this time, it's planned.
- 4:00 PM: Sit and stare. Feel less sick.
- 5:00 PM: Try to find something that's not a cheese-based meal.
- 6:00 PM: Back to the hotel.
- 7:00 PM: Pack.
- 8:00 PM: Early night.
- 9:00 PM: Goodbyes.
- 10:00 PM: Leave.
Final Thoughts:
Montreal, you are something else. A beautiful, chaotic, delicious, and slightly terrifying city. I didn't get to do everything I wanted. I ate way too much cheese. I got lost more times than I'd like to admit. AND I got sick. But I also had some of the best food of my life. I saw some incredible things. I felt deeply… something. And that, my friends, is what travel is all about. Now, back to the real world… and planning my return!
Escape to Paradise: Horizon Manor Hotel Doha Awaits
Okay, Spill the Tea: Is Homewood Suites Montreal Honestly the Best Downtown Hotel? (Because Let's Be Real, Downtown Montreal is a LOT)
Alright, alright, settle down, I'll get to the point. "Best" is subjective, right? Like, do you *love* walking uphill in a blizzard? Because some Montreal hotels demand that kind of commitment. Homewood Suites? It's a strong contender. *Really* strong. Think... a very well-behaved golden retriever in a city of stray cats. So, yeah. Best? Potentially. Depends on your chaotic travel energy. They're definitely up there. But hold your horses, we're gonna unpack this mess.
Location, Location, Location! How's the Neighborhood Around Homewood Suites? Is it Actually *Downtown* Downtown...or Just Kinda-Close?
Oh, it's downtown, alright. You're *in* it. Like, *in* it-in-it. My first thought when I walked out the door? "Okay, yeah, this is Montreal." Skyscrapers, a cacophony of French and English (depending on the wind), and that general air of slightly organized chaos that I adore. You're a stone's throw from everything. Like, literally, if you have a good arm and a lucky rock, you could probably hit a poutine place. (Don't actually do that. Poutine is sacred.)
Getting around? Easy-peasy. Subway stations are close, buses are plentiful (though, bless their hearts, Montreal bus drivers sometimes have a *very* relaxed approach to schedules). Walking? Depending on the season (and your tolerance for extreme temperatures), you can conquer pretty much anything. Just pack layers. Lots of layers. Even in summer. Remember my first trip? I thought "Oh Canada! Surely summer is summer!" Oh, the shame I felt that first night of the trip. I was shivering!
The neighborhood itself? Lots of restaurants, shops, and... well, other hotels. So you will never be alone. But that's the price of staying in Montreal's heartbeat. It's vibrant. It's alive. And sometimes, it's just a bit too loud at 3 AM. (More on that later. Noise complaints? Oh, *we'll* get to those.)
The Rooms: Are They Actually Suites? And More Importantly, Is the Breakfast Worth Dragging Yourself Out of Bed For?
Suites? Yep. Actual suites. Separate living area, a bedroom (sometimes), a kitchenette. Space for spreading out! This is a HUGE win for me. I'm a chronic over-packer, so extra space is life. And sometimes, let's be real, you *need* to escape the chaos of your travel companion. A separate room can save a marriage (or at least a friendship). I could go on a rant about how many "hotel rooms" are little more than tiny, overpriced boxes... but I won't. Not right now.
Comfort-wise? Generally, comfortable. The beds are good, the pillows... well, pillows are always a gamble, aren't they? I've had some hotel pillows that felt like concrete. (Why? WHY???). These were passable. Cleanliness? Solid. I'm a *very* picky person, and I didn't find anything that freaked me out. (That's a win.)
Now, the breakfast... Okay, this is where Homewood Suites *really* shines. Free breakfast? Check. The usual continental suspects (cereal, pastries, etc.). But also... *hot food*. Eggs, bacon, sausage, potentially even waffles! I *love* a good hotel breakfast. I mean, I live for it. On my last stay, they had a fantastic scrambled egg station; I went back for three rounds. This is a non-negotiable for me. If the breakfast sucks, the whole stay is tainted. Sorry, I don't make the rules.
Okay, Let's Talk Breakfast *Seriously*: Did It Actually Live Up to the Hype? (Because Hotel Breakfasts Can Be Tricky...)
Alright, buckle up. The breakfast. It's more than just sustenance; it's an experience. My first morning? I walked in, slightly hungover from a truly epic evening of Montreal cocktails (I regret nothing!). And there it was: *the buffet*. The glorious, shining buffet. Now, I've seen some hotel breakfasts. I've seen rubbery eggs. I've seen sad, soggy pancakes. But this... this was different.
The line wasn't *too* long. Okay, the coffee? Standard hotel coffee. But the eggs... They were fluffy, perfectly cooked. And they had *real* bacon. Not that sad, anemic stuff. Crispy, delicious bacon. I grabbed a plate, loaded it up, and found a little corner table. I was in *heaven*. I devoured everything. And then went back for seconds. And a third helping of those eggs! The chef at Homewood Suites *knows* what they are doing.
Later, I was chatting with a guy at the next table, who said he'd been coming here for years *just for the breakfast*. I almost cried. It's that good people! This is the breakfast that dreams are made of. I dream of it still! Consider this my formal plea to the Homewood Suites Montreal: *Please* never change your breakfast. Seriously, don't. My blood pressure depends on it.
Pool, Gym, and Other Goodies: What Else Does Homewood Suites Offer to Keep You Entertained (Besides That Delicious Breakfast)?
Alright, let's be real: I'm not a huge pool person. But they *do* have one. I think it's on the smaller side, so don't expect to be doing laps. But it's there, and it *looks* clean. And hey, a dip after a long day of exploring Montreal is always a good thing.
They also have a gym. I *say* they have a gym. I *looked* at the gym. I contemplated going to the gym. (I was wearing my gym clothes). Ultimately, I chose more poutine. So, I can't *personally* vouch for the gym's quality, but it looked decent. Treadmills, weights...the usual. Don't expect a state-of-the-art fitness center, but it'll get the job done if you're into that whole exercise thing.
They also often have evening receptions. Free drinks and snacks! Score! I'm not one to turn down a free glass of wine (or two). Check the schedule; it might depend on the day. Free Wi-Fi is, thankfully, a given. And on my last visitStay Collective
