Review: Fairmont Le Château Frontenac | ALL

Location

Since 1893, the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Quebec has majestically overlooked the St. Lawrence River. Located in Old Quebec, it sits atop Cap Diamant.

Over the years, this 610-room hotel has become the most photographed in the world and has welcomed numerous personalities from around the globe.

I have always wanted to sleep in this historic castle, for as long as I can remember.

However, I had a problem: my budget at the time did not really allow it. But I found a way to afford it for less and without going into debt (my tips are below).

So, to celebrate a major wedding anniversary, I booked using my tips at the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac to mark this event with my husband and the kids.

Parking

From St-Louis Street, the hotel entrance is accessed after passing under the arches. Parking is handled by valet service only, at a cost of $40 per day. Entries and exits are unlimited.

There are free charging stations for electric vehicles. Upon arrival, the valet plugs in the car. So, ours had a 100% full battery when we left.

When we want to leave, we just have to call the Royal Service of the hotel about fifteen minutes in advance so that our car is ready and directly at the entrance.

Reception and registration

Fairmont’s customer service has always been fabulous. After staying at the Fairmont Manoir Richelieu as well as the Fairmont Tremblant, we found the same attention to detail. The staff ensures that everything is to our liking and has all the answers to our questions.

Upon our arrival, the last day of the Quebec Winter Carnival was in full swing and the entrance hall was particularly busy. Despite this, we didn’t wait long to check in.

Here is a view of the reception area, when it was much quieter.

Then, we received the keys, information on the activities during our stay as well as 4 free tickets of the day for the Dufferin Terrace slide, including 4 free beverages.

The room

We were on the 5th floor, just above the main entrance and the valets. Despite the constant arrival and departure of vehicles during the day, we heard nothing from our room. Everything was well soundproofed.

The decor of the room was modern and warm, in shades of brown, beige and vintage blue.

Two large strawberries dipped in pink chocolate were waiting for us on the desk, with a card from the Château Frontenac. The note congratulated us on our anniversary.

French doors led us to the bathroom, with its white and gray marble walls.

It was rather small, but functional.

Hotel services

Restaurants

Three restaurants are available for guests of the Château Frontenac.

Bistro Le SAM: For lunch and dinner
Place Dufferin: Offers breakfast and the fabulous afternoon tea
Restaurant Champlain: Open in the evening for gourmet meals and for the splendid Sunday brunch

In addition, adjacent to the hotel, at the level of the Dufferin Terrace, there is a Starbucks.

There is also the 1608 Bar, which was temporarily closed due to health measures during our stay. They have a vast selection of specialty drinks of all kinds. It has since reopened.

We opted for Place Dufferin for breakfast. The view of the Dufferin Terrace was magnificent, with dog walkers and joggers walking in front of us.

Swimming pool and fitness room

The pool and fitness room are located on the 6th floor. I was unable to work out because the gym was closed during my visit. It has since reopened.

Games room

On the ground floor is the large game room. You can play pool, ping-pong, and foosball.

Numerous board games in French and English are available, from simple card games to Toc, Rummy, Scrabble, Search and Find, to 1,500-piece puzzles.

Customer Experience Fees

For each night spent at the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, a customer experience fee of $20 is added. Activities vary according to the seasons and events in Quebec City.

I don’t carry this kind of fee in my heart. But it was beneficial for what it brought us afterwards.

During our visit in February, the services offered included the loan of sports and leisure equipment, such as snowshoes, fatbikes, crazy carpets, and other games for winter activities. It was perfect for going for a walk on the Plains of Abraham without bringing all the necessary equipment from home.

Also, we enjoyed the Dufferin Terrace slides ($11 value for 4 people) and free hot drinks for each day.

The Fairmont Le Château Frontenac also offers yoga classes and discounts for museums, workshops for alcohol tastings, as well as guided tours. Families can do a treasure hunt or a rally.

Tips to reduce your bill

Second night free promotion

The two nights at the Fairmont Château Frontenac cost $319 each.

My tip #1: Thanks to the second night free promotion from Destination Quebec City, the second night of $319 was removed from my bill. Only the taxes remained to be paid.

So the total bill was $620.

This 2-night stay at the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac included:

NBC Rewards Points

Tip #2: Use my credit card points to pay part of the hotel bill.

I booked my stay with my National Bank World Elite Mastercard. Currently, there is an exclusive promotion for Milesopedia readers, offering up to 70,000 points and a rebate of the $150 annual fee for the first year.

My point balance is just over 38,000 points. Every 12,000 points earns $100 in credit.

So, I have enough to use 36,000 points, saving $300 on my hotel stay.

I could have also booked a hotel with my points via the National Bank Travel Agency à la Carte, which would have required only 10,000 points for a $100 credit.

But to get the 2nd night free promotion, I absolutely had to book directly on the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac website.

So, after my stay, I went to my NBC credit card profile to exchange points. In the My Rewards section at the very bottom, you select “Redeem” under the Travel section.

Another window opens to select the desired credit card.

There are also other ways to redeem NBC rewards points, but since I wanted to celebrate an important date and treat ourselves, I opted for travel!

Then I click on “Refund your last stay“.

I select the 36,000 points needed, which gives me a nice $300 credit on my travel expense. I click on“Exchange“.

There you go! It’s done.

A confirmation page will then appear.

The $300 credit will appear on my credit card account within 72 hours. I will be able to see the deduction on my next credit card statement.

Within seconds, you also receive an email as confirmation.

In total, the savings is $619 for my wonderful stay :

Net, my stay therefore cost $160 per night for my stay at the fabulous Fairmont Le Château Frontenac. That’s excellent, especially for a luxury hotel of this caliber!

Plus, I can check this item off my bucket list. Stay at the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac: Done!

Conclusion

This luxurious stay lived up to the expectations of the whole family.

The refined customer service, the services offered, and the plush beds were perfect. For this high level of service, the location, and the quality, the price was justified.

Moreover, it is always surprising to see that the staff I interacted with remember my name throughout my stay!

The kids’ best memory was the slides on the Dufferin Terrace. But for my husband and me, this celebration at the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac was much more romantic! Mission accomplished.

To go further with Accor ALL

To maximize your stays and point accumulation, consult our complete guide to the Accor Live Limitless (ALL) program.