Hôtel Le Crystal is the perfect city oasis both in style and comfort. The hotel and onsite restaurant, La Coupole, have been in business for eight years, offering visitors a high-end lodging and dining experience in Montreal.
The hotel’s located on Rue Montagne just below St. Catherine Street in the Quartier du Musée, filled with both high-end and chain stores (comparable to Vancouver’s Robson Street), numerous cafés and restaurants as well as relatively easy metro access. One of the two nearby metro stations, Lucien L’Allier is currently undergoing renovation so I’d advise walking to Avenue Stanley and catching the Peel metro instead.
Speaking of museums, there are two exhibitions on at the moment worth catching: Metamorphoses: In Rodin’s Studio at the Museum of Fine Arts (through October 18) and Horst: Photographer of Style, the first major retrospective of Horst P. Horst of Vogue Magazine fame as well as one of the 20th century’s most influential fashion and portrait photographers. When Horst joined Vogue in 1931, modeling was still in its infancy.
This exhibit (on at the McCord Museum through August 23) portrays a highly creative genius inspired by Dali, the Hollywood film industry, theater and world travel.
Stepping inside one of the hotel’s 131 suites feels like entering a small apartment. The main hall splits off into a full bathroom with both rainfall and telephone/handheld shower systems plus lots of space to hang used towels, part of the hotel’s commitment to lightening its environmental footprint.
As well, your room key card gets inserted into the wall to activate lights, ensuring electricity is saved when you leave the room. The ultra-modern suite contains a bedroom with a fully closeable blind keeping it nice and dark at bedtime for a fitful rest. A compact kitchen offers a two-burner De’Longhi hot plate, Nespresso machine, tea kettle and water cooker, microwave and cutlery/dish ware for simple meals or snacks.
Quebec-made, organically-produced Oneka bath amenities are stocked in the bathroom. These products are created with boreal plant extracts and contain both natural and eco-friendly ingredients. Free wifi is available with the option for connecting up to five devices in the room.
Escape the traffic below and chill up on the 12th floor Oasis with a saltwater pool, two saunas, outdoor hot tub and complete fitness center with stellar views of the city leading up to Mont-Royal. The full-service Amerispa is also located on this floor.
[La Coupole Executive Chef Jean-Benoît Courcoul]
Dining at La Coupole
This Laurentian-inspired bistro occupies two levels with a commanding crystal chandelier in the center. A patio seats guests in the warmer months.
Dishes here use local artisanal products located between the St. Lawrence River and Laurentian forest. There’s a nice selection of Quebec and international wines available. I started with a crisp glass of Morgan Bay Chardonnay to go with six Gooseberry Bay (PEI) oysters on the half shell.
Assiettes du Québec are showcased here and include a range of cheeses, smoked fish and charcuteries. For an extra $10, add a portion of half-cooked mead foie gras to your plate. Many dishes are named to include the producer (Poitrine de Volaille de La Ferme des Voltigeurs: chicken breast with Levisticum leaves under the skin, fetid currant meat jus, black mustard seeds, roasted La Gabrielle potatoes, $18).
I much enjoyed the combination of flavours in the smoked Arctic char with Saint-Clarks sur Richelieu Farms buffalo milk yogurt with turnip and roasted walnuts, served with bright red watermelon chunks. This made for a perfect summer dish while sipping away at my Chard.
The Zone de Confort section of the menu equates to a club sandwich, burger or poutine (with the option to add pulled duck or foie gras to the poutine for $8/$10 respectively).
Don’t skip the best maple tartlet in town served with crushed nuts and whipped cream (I later made it even more decadent with the addition of homemade maple ice cream on top). La Couple offers a romantic spot for fabulous flavours of the region.
Lounge music added to the relaxing atmosphere — La Coupole’s recently received an interior (and menu) refresh from top to bottom. Black leather chairs with wooden floors and tables add a modern feel to nicely complement that beautiful chandelier.
If I Could Improve One Thing
Don’t skimp on thread count! A five-star hotel should translate to high-quality sheets, bedding and mattresses. While the duvet was soft and plump, the sheets were a little too rough for my liking.
Hôtel Le Crystal is located at 1100 rue de la Montagne.
I was a guest of Hôtel Le Crystal for the purpose of this feature. Opinions, as always, are my own.
