Decided to book a room through hotwire to spend a romantic night in Montreal during the week (we live on the South Shore). We were very excited when we foud out that we were going to the Ritz. The Hotel and the lobby were extremely nice and elegant but the rooms very disapointing. Rooms were clean but clearly need to be renovated. The tub and toilet are pink... (dating from 30 years ago). The bed was not that comfortable. Location is perfect is you are visiting Montreal and want to be close to the action, everything is walking distance or you can take the Metro. Parking is 30$/day which is way too expensive!!!. We stayed at the Intercontinental before which was much nicer.

We stayed here for a couple of nights in Feb 2008.

First the good ..... We enjoyed the location which is very close to the main shopping areas. It is also very handy for the Metro. Although we had a few issues with the room (see the bad points below) we did - in general - like it. It was large, spacious and comfortable. The bed was one of the softest I have ever slept on - very nice. The staff were also very friendly.

Now for the bad ..... Although the room was comfortable, the decor was "tatty" and the room smelled of vanilla from the Glade Plugin that was turned up full behind the chair. However, the most noticeable thing for me was the lack of a kettle in the room. Most hotels give you a kettle, a few cookies and the chance to make your own cuppa in the morning or evening. The Ritz-Carlton, it seems would prefer you to order a $6 room service one. We compromised and walked to the Second Cup a couple of blocks away !

Bottom line - So long as the room rates were suitably economical we would stay here again as the good points outweighed the bad ones.

I have stayed at the Ritz Montreal many times for business and experience always the same so I felt I needed to finally pass them along!!

1. poor plumbing (faucets never work in the shower-changed rooms twice). bathtub almost overflowed, I could not get it turned off.
2. bad smell in rooms! well great, if you love the smell of "fabreeze" room spray (so strong it was overwhelming)
3. room service slow, expensive -not great food
4. bed hard as a rock
5. air extremely dry!!!
6. bad lighting

Front desk staff always nice as with concierge but for someone looking at a nice room with the luxury touch this is not the place. I recommend the Vogue around the corner.

Upon entering the Ritz Carlton Montreal, it’s easy to imagine how grand this place once was. Today, it’s a shadow of its former self - but not an entirely unappealing shadow. The physical plant still remains grand at its core, but with the most recent renovation almost twenty years ago, furniture scuffs, wall cracks, and outdated heating systems abound. Our room was a “deluxe” room and was large and clean with a beautiful crystal chandelier and a functional grey marble bathroom (the marble clearly thrown up over what is a barebones hotel bathroom). The old marble fireplace in the bedroom had rather unceremoniously been boarded up and while the sheets were of the highest quality, the pillows and furniture was cheap and showed its age. The heat for the room was controlled by three separately controlled units stuck into each window. They must have served as airplane engines in their former lives based on their noise levels. The walls were thin and we were woken up by our neighbor’s alarm clock and television. Service remains competent but obviously strained. One desk clerk, one concierge, and a doorman were all I saw. The concierge also tried to direct us to what clearly turned out to be tourist traps that he had a personal relationship with. We didn’t eat in the dining room, but we did have a cocktail at the “Ritz Bar” which is the product of an awful renovation. Imagine taking the bar from an average airport hotel and stuffing it into the lobby of the Plaza. They also only had two red wines by the glass – certainly not the “Ritz Bar” that many reviews claim to have live piano music and nightly dancing. The “Palm Court” had two palms and the once grand fireplace had been reduced to a cheap looking gas unit. All of these comments must be balanced against the fact that the hotel is now unbelievably inexpensive ($150 a night during our weekend). Plans are underway to close the hotel and restore it to its former glory. I look forward to a return when that has happened since the “grande dame’s” fundamentals still remain strong, even in her diminished state.