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The HONEYROSE Montreal hotel is just a stone’s throw from Place des Arts and the eponymous metro station, so we headed there by public transport. The De Bleury North exit is located closest to the hotel’s main entrance on De Maisonneuve Boulevard, but due to municipal works in the vicinity of the hotel, we had to switch to the De Bleury South exit. The hotel offers valet service from a vehicular entrance on De Maisonneuve Boulevard.

The hotel’s anthracite-colored brick exterior is rather drab, but allows a peak at the interesting terrace of Muze restaurant, located on the hotel’s 5th floor. The outdoor terrace of Commodore Restaurant/Café also has a lot of potential, but was closed due to construction work going on all around the hotel.

Once through the main entrance, we’re plunged into the 1920s and the Art Deco era. The decor is rich and impressively detailed.

There’s lots of wood, pastel colors (including an overdose of pale pink), chandeliers and a huge white staircase rising three stories. Velvet sofas, leather chairs, bookcases filled with various objects and tables with floral motif inserts line the lobby from reception to the Commodore Restaurant/Café at the far end.

Since I hold Titanium loyalty status with the Marriott hotel chain, I often get an upgrade to a superior room or suite in the days leading up to a stay. In this case, since I couldn’t see any movement, I did the test of booking a suite online; without success, which is strange. Indeed, it is documented that some hotels withdraw the availability of suites a few days before the date of a stay so as not to have to make them available to guests with a high status with the hotel chain… So I proceed to the virtual check-in on the Marriott Bonvoy mobile app and address the question to the hotel staff using the chat.

I’m told that due to an event, no suite is available, but I’m informed that a corner room with bath will be assigned to me. I take this opportunity to make a reservation for the terrace of the Muze restaurant at 6 p.m. for the aperitif and another for the Commodore Restaurant / Café at 8 p.m. for dinner. I also confirm a late departure for 3 pm.

On the morning of September 8, I see room number 1014 appear in the mobile app and I’m charged for the security deposit, but the mobile key is not activated. Once at the hotel reception desk, we’re handed two pink magnetic keys with the hotel logo, which are very pretty.

To the right of reception, we take one of the three elevators to our assigned room on the tenth floor. These are sublime, with their subdued lighting tinged with golden yellow.

Once on the tenth floor, the doors open onto a windowed corridor featuring a velvet sofa, several good-sized natural plants and a period-inspired telephone. These plants and telephones can be found throughout the hotel’s common areas, including the reception and pool areas.

The corridor leading to the bedroom is painted all black, floral patterned carpet covers the lower third of the walls and a green carpet with strange patterns covers the floor; the whole thing is dark and not particularly successful. Considering the sumptuousness of the hall, one would have expected a few wood inserts, notably the bedroom door frames.

The door to room 1014 opens onto an almost 5-meter-long corridor containing the thermostat, coat hooks and a full-length mirror. The corridor then branches off to the left, revealing the bed and shower cubicle in transparent glass at the top, which then becomes opaque and gradually takes on a pinkish hue all the way down.

Once past the shower cubicle, you can contemplate all the furniture and the bedroom, which looks very comfortable. There’s a good-sized TV set on a table that doubles as a desk, where a piece of passion fruit cake and a handwritten note have been left.

A few more steps and it’s love at first sight. The bathroom is huge! The white marble floor stretches for some fifteen meters and reveals a free-standing bathtub, a closet, the vanity and, at the far end, the toilet cubicle lined with pink glass, just like the shower cubicle. The windows in this corner room let in lots of natural light and offer a view of the Place des Arts esplanade.

When it’s time for an aperitif, we take the elevator to the 5th floor, where the Muze restaurant is located. We pass the bar with its benches, again noting the use of wood and the typical Art Deco geometry.

We take our place on the terrace, which features a retractable roof and gas burners that extend its use from early spring to autumn. It offers a partial view of Place des arts and Place des festivals, but considering the angle, it’s probably not possible to get there to see the shows on the main stage. Wooden benches on which flowerbeds are mounted divide part of the terrace into different sections. The benches are covered with floral cushions. The table assigned to us is cramped and very close to the neighboring tables, so we feel a little cramped and, as a couple, we lack privacy considering we’re surrounded by two groups of friends. The other part of the terrace allows more people to be standing, so there’s little furniture and a walk-up bar.

The cocktail menu and wine list offer something for everyone. However, the beer menu leaves a lot to be desired, especially considering the array of microbreweries on the streets of Montreal. Mister orders an IPA, which turns out to be unavailable, and settles for a random red in a can. Madam opts for an expensive European mass-market beer in a single 330 ml bottle. We accompany it all with a platter of charcuterie to stave off our hunger. The service is simple but effective.

We take the elevator again, this time to the first floor. It’s 7:40 p.m., and apart from three customers at the bar, the Commodore restaurant is empty. We’re offered a seat wherever we like, and opt for a quarter-circle bench near a window for added privacy. Madam orders a Negroni, Mister an Old Fashioned to accompany the dozen oysters shared as an appetizer. For the main course, Madam opts for the grilled Angus beef top sirloin, while Mister opts for the duck confit. Fully satisfied, we skip dessert (the piece of cake we received as a welcome gift is waiting for us in the room). The service is impeccable, and the bill arrives promptly. We’re happy to return to our room to enjoy the long night’s sleep we enjoy since becoming parents. We’ll be treated to a magnificent concert of jackhammers until after 11:30 p.m., as the work around the building is apparently urgent…

Lunch offered with the Platinum Elite status or higher of the hotel chain Marriott is a credit of $17 per person for a maximum of 2 people, excluding taxes and a 15% service charge added to the total amount of the invoice before the application of the two credits. A quick glance reveals that the aforementioned $17 credit doesn’t cover any of the dishes on the menu at no extra charge, especially if you’re planning to have a $3.50 filter coffee.

Madam opted for the traditional breakfast with two bacon eggs and sausage at $18, while Mister chose the steak and egg at $34 and we shared. The former was appreciated, while the latter disappointed, especially considering the price. The meat was cooked to the desired doneness, but tough (very difficult to cut) and rather dry.

The service is courteous, but really too slow, especially considering the low traffic. We waited a good ten minutes without a menu, another ten minutes before placing our orders, thirty minutes before receiving our dishes, the salt shaker we asked for arrived at the very end of the meal (the customer at the next table never received the mustard we asked for) and we had to ask for the bill three times in almost twenty minutes, a bit fed up…

In addition to the above-mentioned restaurants, the hotel also houses a space on the fifth floor called l’Atelier de Julia, which can be booked for private gastronomic events.

The hotel building also houses the IVY apartments on its upper floors, with which it shares certain facilities. The 15th floor features a gym, dance studio, swimming pool, dry sauna, whirlpool and terrace with sun loungers. Certain areas of the 15th floor are reserved for residents of the building only, and are not accessible to hotel guests.

The pool is sumptuous and the view breathtaking. The pool area is surrounded by sun loungers and plants of the size found in many parts of the hotel. We lounged there for a good hour to enjoy our late departure.

The hotel’s third floor offers a variety of rooms for events. The decor is partly based on that of the hall, but more minimalist.

Finally, the hotel is home to two boutiques: M Fleurs, located on the second floor via the huge staircase in the lobby, and the hotel boutique, just to the left of reception, selling Art Deco-inspired items, snacks and soft drinks.

The departure formalities were completed at the speed of light; I was given confirmation of the amounts of the three transactions recorded in the room and the folio was e-mailed to me.

The overall look of the hotel offers a romantic setting ideal for a romantic evening. It’s conveniently located close to the Quartier des spectacles, Place des Festivals and Place des arts, which are very lively in summer. The food offer around the hotel is generous and diversified. My wife and I particularly appreciate the Le Central food court, a few minutes’ walk away, but a detour to the IGA in Complexe Desjardins is quite feasible. A Société des alcools du Québec branch is located at the corner of boulevard De Maisonneuve and rue City Councillors, but closes early, except on Thursday and Friday evenings when opening hours are extended to 9 p.m.

We will continue to explore other Montreal hotels affiliated with Marriott Bonvoy for our next staycation, but we look forward to returning to the HONEYROSE hotel in the future.