My husband and I planned an overnight getaway to Montreal by train from Ottawa to celebrate my birthday a few weeks ago. For convenience to the train station, we often stay at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth, but Omni had a fantastic promotional rate of $99 a night so we decided to check it out. If the sidewalks had not been so icy, it would have been an easy walk to the hotel. As it was, a short cab ride did the job for about $8. The location of the Omni is excellent, bordering McGill University, right on the edge of Mont-Royal, and right in the middle of excellent shopping and restaurants. The room wasn't overly impressive, but it was very clean, big enough for what we needed, and had a very large bathroom with lots of marble. The TV was old (and not flat-screen), which seemed unusual for a high-end hotel, but no big deal. As it turned out, my husband came down with a virus while we were there, so we spent a lot more time in the room than we planned. We ordered room service for dinner and breakfast. The food was fine, not extraordinary, but it came promptly and was served with care. I booked a last-minute massage at the Amerispa downstairs. The massage was excellent, but the facility looked pretty tired. It could use some updating for sure. I also used the hotel hot tub on our final morning there. The health club that is beside it looks very good, with plentiful equipment. But the hot tub, change rooms and especially the "steam room" were not very appealing. I think there is a renovation coming up, and it definitely needs one. I didn't try the sauna because it was down the hall near the men's change room. I looked in and it was quite small and filled with some chatting men, so I took a pass.
So while some aspects of the hotel could definitely be improved on, we would stay there again with no hesitation. I am a stickler for good service and the hotel aced this aspect! Everyone we encountered, from the front desk to the concierge, to the room service waiters, to the doormen, to the health club attendant, was extremely friendly and helpful. We felt welcome and relaxed and that makes all the difference. If you're staying here, make sure to sign up in advance for the Omni guest program. It gives you free WiFi, newspaper, a large bottle of water delivered to you after you check in, and "morning beverages" delivered free each morning. We ordered orange juice and it was brought on a tray with two apples.
Finally, you should know that less than a block away is a great breakfast/lunch/coffee spot called Vasco de Gama. We thoroughly enjoyed the food and espresso and the staff were very friendly. On the morning we left, I walked to Au Pain Dore, a bakery also a little more than a block from the hotel, and picked up fantastic sandwiches for the trip home. I also bought a box of pastries...eclairs and lemon and chocolate tarts. They were insanely good!
All in all, if you can get this hotel for a decent rate, it is more than worth it! We hope to be back soon.
- Omni Montreal
- Omni Mont Royal
- Omni Hotel
- Montreal Omni
- Hotel Omni Mont Royal
