By, Jan Ross
The Auberge Bonaparte is one of those hotels.
You know the ones I mean.
Those hotels you see in movies and TV shows, those hotels that you enter through a discreet and classy door on a hidden side street into an intimate and beautifully furnished lobby with a warm fireplace flickering quietly in the next room. Those hotels which have a small and lovely restaurant adjoining them with skillfully prepared and quite, quite delicious food. And you wonder WHERE in the world those hotels are located because you want to stay in one of those hotels.
Now you know.
The Auberge Bonaparte is one of those hotels.
You know the ones I mean.
Those hotels you see in movies and TV shows, those hotels that you enter through a discreet and classy door on a hidden side street into an intimate and beautifully furnished lobby with a warm fireplace flickering quietly in the next room. Those hotels which have a small and lovely restaurant adjoining them with skillfully prepared and quite, quite delicious food. And you wonder WHERE in the world those hotels are located because you want to stay in one of those hotels.
Now you know.
Entrance to the Auberge Bonaparte.
We were fortunate enough to stay at this fabulous hotel during our visit to Montreal and it is truly a little jewel in the crown of Old Montreal. Conveniently located near the Notre Dame Basilica, museums, restaurants and shops of Old Montreal, it is also easy to access the Metro or even the Bixi bike stands which are throughout the city.
We were astonished and pleased when we arrived from the airport late in the evening on a very cold, very wet and very nasty night to find that Michael Banks, the Director of Marketing for the Auberge Bonaparte, had upgraded us to a suite. We didn't realize until later how truly special this was, since this small and charming boutique hotel has only one suite exactly like this one. With only 30 rooms in a variety of designs, this very special, cozy hotel is truly an oasis in the middle of Old Montreal.
Roomy bedroom
With beautiful hardwood floors, large French dormer windows and high ceilings with crown moldings, the rooms all have a view of the quaint cobblestone streets or the gardens and the beautiful Notre-Dame Basilica in the background. This was one of the few times we never turned on our TVs (just too busy!), but they do have cable TV with movie channels included. One thing that really pleased the two techies (computer! iPad! iPhone!) is that wifi is available in the rooms and it was extremely fast - always a plus! All rooms are non-smoking, which we consider an even nicer plus.
All of the rooms are perfectly lovely, but if you can possibly arrange a stay in the same suite we had, I recommend it. We love a suite whenever we can manage one because it's so nice to have a living room area, in case one of us wants to sleep later than the other one or even take a nap in the afternoon. The living room in this suite is quite large with a comfortable couch, two chairs, a TV and a nice mini-bar area which is great to stock with drinks and snacks for your stay. There is also a very nice terrace with a wrought-iron table and chairs that would be very pleasant in nice weather. We went out long enough to take pictures, then came back in to our warm and cozy room.
The bedroom is also a nice size with a lovely king-sized bed, a desk and another TV. But my favorite room was the bathroom. This beautiful, marble bathroom has a glass shower and - my favorite - a huge whirlpool tub. This would actually be a great place for a honeymoon couple! I admit that I did sit in a tub full of hot water for a few minutes trying to turn knobs and push buttons before my husband figured out for me that the switch is actually on the wall. You can set it for 10, 20, 30 or 60 minutes. So, just fill the tub, hop in and relax completely. I know I did!
There are several other rooms that also include a whirlpool tub and some have queens and king-size beds; you can decide which will meet your needs.
The other thing that really pleased us immeasurably was the fact that breakfast daily is included in the price of your room. We had no idea what to expect when we went down to the beautiful dining room that first morning - toast? an unappealing buffet? - but no worries. Breakfast is absolutely wonderful, with a small but complete menu that includes French pancakes, French toast, omelets cooked to order (delicious! try the brie and spinach, it's yummy) and several other items. The bread basket changes daily and I just hope you are there on the morning they serve chocolate bread because it is really a treat. Not only are the breakfasts delicious, they are also a nice way to save money for the other things you will want to do in Montreal! Room service is also available (if you get breakfast in your room, you are limited to a Continental breakfast) and their dinners are seriously to die for.
Lovely dining room.
This is truly a unique and wonderful place to stay in Montreal. Don't even consider one of those huge chain hotels when you visit - what you want is the Auberge Bonaparte!
When you are ready to travel to Montreal and stay at the Auberge Bonaparte, The Travel Authority is ready to help you plan that trip. You can call 1-877-AXP-1515 for information and details about these cruises. Be sure to print out this post or mention the code BLAMA to get the best deal on your trip. I would love to hear your suggestions for future blog posts. You can comment below or contact me by email at jan.ross@thetravelauthority.com. Thanks for reading - I truly appreciate it!
Safe travel!
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