Review: Fairfield by Marriott Montréal Downtown

Because when you’re on vacation, you want to get away from the routine, I treated myself to a night in Montreal at the newly revamped Fairfield by Marriott Montreal Downtown, which replaced the Lord Berri. It was time for this hotel to say goodbye.

The Fairfield by Marriott Montreal, a category 5 Marriott Bonvoy hotel, allowed me not to drive after a dinner with friends. Moreover, this night became my fiftieth and officially opened the doors to the hotel chain‘s Platinum status.

I didn’t think I’d ever reach that status because the types of accommodation I use vary: house swaps, pet sitting, Airbnb etc.

But the February 2020 family trip to South Africa where we stayed at Protea Marriott Category 1 and 2 hotels, earned me several status nights.

Thanks to my American Express^® Marriott Bonvoy^TM Card, which gives me 15 Elite Nights for my membership or renewal status, followed by Marriott’s pandemic promotional offer, I got upgaded to a better room. You read that right: the lady was upgraded!

I wrote to the hotel the day before I arrived and asked them to acknowledge my new Platinum elite status. “Could I get an early arrival, upgrade and breakfast included please?”

Well, yes. Well, for breakfast, I hear it’s always free for everyone at this hotel.

I did get an executive room with a king size bed and a sofa bed. I also arrived at 13:00.

I want to give a shout out to the Grande Bibliothèque, which is starting to open its doors again in ways other than virtual. Have you already tried its music library?

I would tell you about the restaurants in the area. But the truth is that I was going to a friend’s house for dinner and had to leave early enough the next day to prepare for my departure to the rented cottage for the rest of my vacation.

But I’ll still provide the suggestions of a member who stayed at the hotel.

• At 1447 Atateken Street (formerly Amherst), right next to the hotel, the “Pourquoi Pas” espresso bar.
• At number 1481 of the same street, the restaurant “Alejandro”, whose Mexican cuisine is described as “fusion Brunch & lunch”
• O’Thym restaurant, at 1112 boul. Maisonneuve East, corner of Atateken.

The outside door of the hotel is locked, because of COVID, the receptionist tells me. If you do not have your room card , you will have to ring the bell.

Once inside, the employee is friendly. We do as we should, with the usual COVID measures: antiseptic gel for cleaning hands, mask, plexiglass, distancing, etc.

Gym, bar and dining room are closed.

No coffee in the lobby, no room service, no bottled water. Breakfast is in bags. So much for anti-virus measures.

The Fairfield by Marriott Montreal Downtown hotel looks like new.

The chandeliers hanging in the center of the lobby appear contemporary, and are surrounded by small pieces stuck to the wall that look like stars. In short, it sparkles.

The lobby, although small, offers a waiting area with a sofa and two comfortable chairs. A matching carpet defines the area. There is also a flat screen TV above the gas fireplace.

I liked the sobriety of the decor in shades of grey, caramel and orange:

• Grey for example for the sofa-bed, wallpaper, curtains, a lamp and the carpet.
• Orange tree for the office chair and sofa cushions.
• And the caramel that reminds us of the wood grain.

Used among other things for the headboard that goes up almost to the ceiling, a panel on which the television rests on the wall (with all the possible channels), for the piece of furniture that hides the small fridge and safe, and finally for the bedside tables integrated in the headboard.

The chair combines both grey for the seat and backrest and caramel for the stylish frame.

Sober and elegant, I told you.

The usual accessories

• a mini fridge,
• a safe ,
• the iron and its board,
• the coffee machine,

The ones you can ask for: a cot/crib. The receptionist told me that the hotel allowed families of five in the twin rooms.