Hotel Birks Montreal

Long ago, Hotel Birks’ building held the flagship location of the famed Birks jewelry brand, a French-Canadian counterpoint to Tiffany’s. While the space is independently owned and operated by a hotel group now, the property embraces its history through both its name and its grand aesthetic. The public spaces still give the impression of a jewel box, full of sparkling chandeliers, winking gold and silvered details, ornate room dividers, and globe-shaped light fixtures that give a passing resemblance to floating pearls. The front desk, up a flight of plush carpeted stairs, imparts a regal first impression. (Elevator access is available for the mobility impaired.) Service here is attentive and top-notch, from the bellmen whisking away luggage to the front desk clerks answering any questions.

The restaurant seems decorated with Instagram in mind, bathed in millennial pink, with velvety sofas done up in the rosy hue setting off a soft glow under golden room dividers and globe light fixtures. A circular bar in the middle gives the perfect spot for a nightcap.

Directly across the bar is the real deal—a proper jewelry shop selling Maison Birks’ gems along with Tag Heuler watches and other baubles, proving the hotel hasn’t strayed far from its roots.

Hotel Birks 19th-century building anchors one edge of Phillips Square, a pretty green park that draws the occasional food truck. It’s surrounded by handy businesses like a bank, a coffee shop, a pizza joint, and a Burger King. Anchoring another side of the square is La Baie d’Husdon, a Canadian department story that provides a helpful place to pick up any items you forgot to pack, and it connects to the underground—a boon when it’s frosty outside or you’re using public transit to get from place to place.

Phillips Square is located in downtown Montreal, surrounded by many more businesses and hotels and walking distance to several neighborhood sites. Saint Patrick's Basilica is a six-minute walk away, and McGill University is nine minutes on foot. The gates of Chinatown can also be reached in about 15 minutes. That said, some other sites are better reached by taxi or metro. Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal is a bit of a trek as a 20-minute walk (15 minutes by public transportation). And the cobblestone charm of Old Montreal and the port beyond is 23 minutes on foot (17 minutes by public transportation). Hip, lively Mile End—with its boutique shops and acclaimed eateries—requires about a 30-minute trip on public transportation or a 15-minute taxi ride.

Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport is about a 35-minute drive away, depending on traffic, or 45 minutes on public transportation.

Guest rooms at Hotel Birks do not disappoint—they showcase the same stately details that make the public spaces so elegant. Accents like gilded sunburst mirrors, white-leather headboards with nail-head trim, and damask print rugs give the room a stately air. Sculptural lamps in the shape of silver hoops also have discreet outlets and USB ports. Even the “do not disturb” signs are made of leather hanging on gold rope. And all rooms are anchored by queen or king beds, brass-pull bureaus, and writing desks.

Lavish touches include bathrobes, slippers, irons/ironing boards, doorman’s umbrellas, and shoe shine service. Rooms are also fully prepped for guests with the midnight munchies, with minibars stocked with local chocolates, plus Coke, Fever-Tree tonic water and sodas, VOSS water, mini liquor bottles, Veuve Clicquot, and more. Nespresso machines with coffee pods and an electric kettle provide a caffeine boost. And modern details abound too, such as Bluetooth speakers, flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, alarm clocks with USB ports, electronic safes, reading lights, and individual temperature control.

Bathrooms are just as high-end, done up in gray marble with glass walk-in showers. Toiletry kits go beyond the basics here, including Q-tips and cotton pads, shaving kits, dental kits (toothbrushes, toothpaste), combs, emery boards, shower caps, mini looflah scrubbers, along with the usual shampoos, conditioners, and lotions. Travelers will also find illuminated, magnifying mirrors, hairdryers, and scales in each bathroom. Showers have rainfall and handheld showerheads plus a peek-a-boo window to the main room that can be opened and closed for privacy.

But there are some letdowns: Most bathrooms lack duel sinks and a tub. Travelers have to upgrade to a Grand Montreal View, a Grand Montreal Terrasse, or one of the Suites to get a bathtub. These higher-category rooms can also give you more square footage, extras like gas fireplaces, balconies, and in the case of suites, separate kitchen and living spaces. They also have better views. Something that’s a bit of a miss with standard rooms, which offer unremarkable street views.

Still, given the Birks’ overall value, these shortcomings are mere details.

Hotel Birks has all the features you’d expect of a ritzy flagship property. On-site dining by Henri Brasserie Francaise covers all meals (breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner), wine and cocktails in the lobby bar, and room service. It’s worth noting that breakfast is not included in standard hotel bookings. The bar space can also be booked for private events, along with boardroom or salon spaces.

The Valmont Spa is the hotel’s signature spa with its own line of beauty products. It offers a steam room (aka Hamann) along with a full menu of treatments such as purifying facials or couples’ massages.

If there’s one weak link, it’s the gym. Compressed into an awkward basement room that looks like a converted office, it holds just three machines, a treadmill, a bike, and a stepper, with some free weights thrown on the floor like an afterthought. (There’s a reason there’s zero mention of the gym on the hotel’s website.)

Other amenities like concierge service, laundry and shoe-shine service, free Wi-Fi and newspapers, are all part of the hotel’s white-glove treatment.