Not everyone planning a stay in a big city wants to spend their time there in an equally big hotel. While modern hotels are certainly capable of providing luxury, convenience and a re-assuring sameness for travelers, there are those who would prefer to be more immersed in the spirit of the city they are visiting. This doesn’t mean they are willing to forgo a comfortable room and safe surroundings in order to stay at a hostel. Rather, they are looking for the combination of intimacy, convenience and fun that a bed and breakfast can provided. In Montreal, most bed and breakfasts create an atmosphere based around the historical nature of their neighborhood or building. The best districts within which to look for a bed and breakfast if you wish to be located close to the downtown core and nightlife are the Plateau and Old Montreal.
The Plateau
The Plateau is a neighborhood with sort of a split personality. On the western side there is St-Laurent boulevard, a lively nighttime hotspot filled with hipsters, clubs, concert venues and music. Towards the eastern edge is St-Denis street, traditionally the home of artists. boutiques and more family-oriented dwellings. St-Denis is also filled with some of the beautiful traditional architecture dating back to Montreal’s early past. This combination of history and tranquility make it an ideal location for setting up your home base in a bed and breakfast. On St-Hubert street, just a few blocks from St-Denis you can find Chez Taz, which is located in a townhouse built in 1885. Bob and Mariko’s Bed & Breakfast is located the same area, on Carre St-Louis, which is a beautiful park just off of St-Denis street. This park is directly connected to St-Laurent boulevard by the Prince Arthur pedestrian street, which is filled with buskers, restaurant terraces and art displays in the summer months. This B&B was actually Montreal’s first, and has been open for 25 years now in a home that is over 100 years old.
Old Montreal
Old Montreal is an upper-class, popular neighborhood located beside the historic Old Port of Montreal, which is one of the city’s top tourist destinations. The area is extremely busy in the summer, and is home to some excellent restaurants. It is also quite close to downtown. Angelica Blue is a bed and breakfast located right beside all of the action, on Sainte Elizabeth street, walking distance from both the Old Port and Chinatown. Hotel Champ-de-Mars offers a bed and breakfast-like experience right in the heart of the area, on Berri street. There are also many small boutiques hotels and hideaway B&B’s that can be discovered just by wandering through the cobblestones of this district.
Beware False Promises
Unfortunately, not every advertisement for a bed and breakfast in Montreal is made with the utmost honesty. The cachet of these two districts has lead many establishments outside of their boundaries to claim that they are much closer to them than they really are. As a traveler, it can be difficult to verify whether what you are reading on a business’ website is true or not, but if possible, make sure to use mapping software to check that the address you are given really does represent the area where you plan to stay.
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