Le Meridien Versailles

On the street-level, Le Meridien looks like any other nondescript chain hotel: a gray mid-rise building trimmed with black awnings and a few flags marking the entrance. But inside it’s another story. Its interiors can hold their own against the local boutique hotels both in style and substance. The super-stylish lobby sets the tone with low-slung chairs, sputnik lighting fixtures, and gilded room dividers marking out the lounge from the bar area. It’s modern by way of “Mad Men” showing off plenty of ‘60s flair and a generous use of gray everywhere in the sofas and textiles.

The restaurant and bar feel a bit more buttoned up, with white tablecloths and brown leather seating. But a few details like chalkboard menus, white ceramic knickknacks, and a wall-sized photo mural of Sophia Loren make it a bit chicer.

Guests are far and away business travelers, making the most of the well-appointed meeting spaces and the boutique atmosphere. But the spring and summer does bring a sprinkling of tourists on getaways.

Le Meridien’s location is one of the things that guests rave about unanimously. It’s ideally situated, both for sightseeing and for being smack-dab in the center of the city. The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is just down the street, a six-minute walk away, and the Canadian Centre for Architecture is eight minutes on foot, too. The base of Mount Royal park is also accessible in eight minutes’ walking time. Academics are well-situated to reach McGill University in a 15-minute walk. Business travelers, however, will need to take a 10-minute taxi ride or a 25-minute metro ride to reach the Montreal Convention Centre.

Other attractions, like the charming cobblestone lanes of Old Montreal, are also a bit of a trek and will require a 10-minute drive or around 30 minutes on public transportation. And Notre-Dame and the Old Port are around another five minutes away from there. Travelers that prefer the Vieux-Montreal vibe should opt to say closer in one of the boutique properties there, like Le Petite Hotel.

The hip neighborhood of Mile End, with its boutique shops, chic coffee shops, and famed restaurants, will require transportation as well: 15 minutes by car or 40 minutes on public transportation.

Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport is approximately an hour away by public transit or a 25-minute drive.

Rooms at Le Meridien maintain the chic, boutique-hotel vibe from the public spaces, with the uniformity expected of a chain hotel. Inky blue accent walls ground the pale gray-and-beige wallpaper and pewter-hued rugs. White leather headboards and spotless white bedding feel appropriately restful, while swivel gray armchairs infuse the space with more mid-century modern style. But the most charming detail is the Lucite “disco ball” lights used as bedside lamps—a much needed decorative touch, since rooms are devoid of artwork.

Rooms span five categories, starting with Classic Queens at 225 square feet and moving all the way up to the Penthouse suite. Standard rooms are the Deluxe, with either one king or two double beds. Amenities across all categories are upscale: electronic safes, irons and ironing boards, robes, slippers, hairdryers, flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, iHome docs, and individual temperature control. Minibars are well-stocked with items like chia bars, Champagne, juice, Coke, and miniature bottles of booze, and free bottled water is on hand. But one amenity was notably missing—coffee machines. Instead, every guest is given two vouchers for the coffee bar downstairs that are replaced daily. But we suspect most guests won’t appreciate getting dressed and riding an elevator down to their first cup of coffee. For guests that need their first cup before they interact with the world, they can request a coffee machine from the front desk.

Bathrooms betray a bit more of the chain-hotel aesthetic, with plain gray walls and white sinks and toilets, but they are nicely outfitted with luxe Malin + Goetz toiletries and magnifying mirrors. Most bathrooms have glass walk-in showers with rainfall and handheld showerheads. Only five rooms remain with shower/tub combos, so if you’re a bathtub devotee, it’s worth making that request when booking.

When it comes to features, Le Meridien checks off all the boxes, although some more thoroughly than others. On-site dining and drinking are courtesy of the Maiolo Restaurant and Bar directly across from the front desk. Restaurant is Italian-style (a giant mural of Sophia Loren pouring Champagne into coupe glasses will tip you off) and serves all meals, although breakfast is not usually included. Those willing to pay extra can expect a full hot and cold buffet with fresh fruit, juices, cereals, eggs, meats, cheeses, and pastries. A complete coffee menu is also on offer at the bar, which serves an ongoing bar-snacks menu throughout the day. In the summer, the terrace here opens up and live music plays. A back room in the restaurant also offers private dining with seating for eight and street-level views. Room service is available, though it ceases taking orders in the wee hours.

Business facilities here are well above the norm. The four meeting rooms here are wonderfully sunny with street views from tall windows—not a given in many of the hotels that stuff their meeting rooms in windowless spaces on lower floors. These rooms are also tidy and outfitted with A/V equipment, and catering is available. There’s also a business center with two public computers available around the clock.

The 24-hour fitness center is wedged into a tiny space, but it has windows and gets nice light (unlike many of the basement gyms we visited in other area hotels). Two treadmills, a recumbent bike, kettlebells, free weights, medicine balls, and other equipment covers the bases.

Concierge, laundry service, and valet service are all on hand, as is free Wi-Fi and newspapers. Pets are allowed, with advanced notice. Service is friendly and attentive, and on our visit, we witnessed the doorman rush outside to check on a bystander that had slipped and fallen, which speaks to the staff’s care for guests and non-guests alike.

The hotel has a partnership with the local Architecture museum and guests get free entry with their room key.