Since we’re lovers of the outdoors and hiking trails, we decided to spend a weekend in Quebec City so we could go for a getaway at the nearby Parc National de la Jacques-Cartier. So we chose to stay at Hotel PUR, Quebec, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel.
Hotel PUR, Quebec, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel is a category 4 hotel in the Marriott Bonvoy program. For this stay, we did not use our points. So we paid for our nights and rather than proceed with the Marriott BonvoyMD American ExpressMD* Card, we used our Marriott gift certificates acquired as part of the -15% promotion.
The Tribute Portfolio hotel chain distinguishes itself, thanks to:
Hotels that display stunning design elements, use colour boldly and exhibit remarkable art installations.
Launched in April 2015, Tribute Portfolio is a collection of high-end independent hotels. There are nearly 55 Tribute Portfolio hotels around the world. By the way, I have already stayed in a Tribute Portfolio, The Vagabond Club, during a stop in Singapore in the context of a Mini-Round the World trip (MRW).
The Tribute Portfolio are part of the Premium category in the Marriott Bonvoy program.
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Remember that we visited this hotel during the COVID period.
Hotel fact sheet (Hotel PUR, Quebec, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel)
The hotel has 18 floors, 238 rooms and 4 suites.
The Hotel Pur, Quebec, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel is located in the heart of Quebec City, in the Saint-Roch district, and less than 20 minutes by car from Quebec City’s Jean-Lesage International Airport. There are many shops in the surrounding area.
The Convention Centre or the gate to Old Quebec City through the Porte St-Jean are a 15-minute walk away.
Our goal was to take advantage of the weekend to explore Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier, located 30 minutes north of Quebec City. Dogs are now accepted under certain conditions in SEPAQ parks. On this Saturday in December, the weather, although cold, was magnificent and we made the most of the possibilities.
Of course, I also took the opportunity at sunrise on Sunday morning to do my solo jog and tackle a 14 km run along the Rivière-Saint-Charles linear park. I went through sectors 1 through 4. I’m a year-round runner, especially since these days clothes are adapted to all climates, so there’s no excuse?
By the way, for the runners among you, I suggest the application OpenRunner to give you route suggestions when on the move.
For example, here is what the app suggested to me, starting from the hotel. I only use this app for route ideas. During my races, I use my Fitbit watch (for my race stats) and I integrate it into my Strava account.
The main hall is spacious, airy and warm with its many armchairs and long double-sided natural gas fireplace. There is also a pool table and a wine bar.
Unfortunately, due to COVID, both the pool table and the wine bar were closed.
There is also a “business” area with 2 work computers. The style is modern with a sleek design, with subdued recessed lighting illuminating elements in shades of white, black, grey and caramel. The whole gives a lounge style to the hall.
The reception desk is on the left side of the lobby. Because of COVID, the employees are protected by huge plexiglass panels. I liked the originality of the decor at the reception. Its mural of thick wool woven from a set of threads stretched from ceiling to floor reproduces the letters PUR.
Having told the hotel in advance that this stay would constitute our 74th and 75th nights of the year for the Bonvoy program and thus allow us to reach the Titanium status, the hotel graciously upgraded us to a Presidential Suite to mark this important “milestone”.
The hotel has 8 room types:
Our room was the presidential suite. It is the room 1802 located on the 18th floor (west orientation therefore without a view on the Saint-Roch church).
Fun detail: each floor has a long narrow mirror in front of the elevators to indicate the floor we are on. On this mirror is a line reproducing a telephone wire on which birds are resting.
Each floor has the corresponding number of birds. So in the 3rd floor, there are only 3 birds on the wire whereas at 18th floor, there are… yes, 18. Have you noticed?
The suite is very large (101 m2), the equivalent of 3 regular hotel rooms. From the outset, the double door hints at its extraordinary size.
We enter a huge space in a modern and industrial style with bare concrete columns dividing the living room from the work area/dining room.
In front of us, a caramel leather sofa covered with a glossy black synthetic fur comforter, an ebony black leather armchair, a glass table on a concrete base, atom sculptures, a lamp on an articulated arm, stork tables, and dog sculptures skillfully recreate a welcoming, modern, stylish living room.
Two-foot vertical partitions descend from the ceiling and run along the walls, recreating a sophisticated and modern look. The large 47-inch wall-mounted LCD TV allows viewing from anywhere in the living room. Unfortunately it is not a Smart TV so it is impossible to watch Netflix, for example.
A beautiful large window provides natural light to the living room. Moreover, being on the 18th floor, the view of Quebec City is clear.
The living room has 4 independent light switches so that you can choose the desired atmosphere.
This is a living room intended for its primary function: relaxation. There is therefore no sofa bed and the room does not “convert” into a bedroom for other guests or children.
The suite is clearly distinguished from other conventional suites by this work area annexed to the living room. The central element is a large table made of a combination of wood and glass. This versatile table can easily accommodate 8 guests comfortably seated in caramel leather chairs matching the living room sofa.
A decoration placed in the centre of the table mimics the shoots of young herbs, giving a lively and refreshing look to the room. An elongated luminaire suspended and centred above the table and a false ceiling with recessed side lights gives this area a warm, executive style.
The table can be used as much for a working session as for a group meal. A side table holds a Nespresso coffee machine and a medium-sized refrigerator completes this area.
It is easy to imagine animating a work session while having food and refreshments at hand. This alternative is more intimate than booking a more “conventional” conference or meeting room. All the more so since the bedroom door closes to limit access to our “guests” to the living room and work area.
This is all the more appropriate as a shower room (sink and toilet) as well as a cloakroom are also private to this area of the suite (living room and work area). The two rooms (living room and work area) are therefore completely autonomous and do not require any “intrusion” into the bedroom itself.
Here too, a beautiful large window provides natural light and a clear view of Quebec City.
The work/dining area also has 4 independent light switches, which again allows the type of lighting to be changed as required.
Finally, both the living room and the work/dining area as well as the bedroom are covered with the same zebra carpet offering a cosy atmosphere to the suite.
The bedroom is a room annexed to the living room which we access from the centre, with the bed on the left and the bathroom on the right. A door isolates the room from the rest of the suite.
On the left is the King size bed. On each side there are the typical lamps, reading lamps and shelves. Numerous discreet electrical outlets under the side shelves also hide USB outlets.
Above the bed, a beautiful large mural artistically reproduces the facades of Quebec City.
A flat-screen television is located on the wall opposite the bed. As for the living room, this is a conventional TV and not a SmartTV.
Under the television, a work desk makes it possible to work in a more “intimate” way than in the work area of the suite. It is equipped with all plugs, both electrical and USB. In fact, that’s where I wrote this review from! On the right side of the desk, there is a mini fridge, while on the left there is a space for suitcases and underneath, two storage drawers.
A large two-door wardrobe closet completes the storage space in the bedroom. The safe’s in there.
Once again a beautiful large window provides natural light. The suite has no balcony or terrace and the windows do not open.
It should be noted that the bedroom and the living room/work area each have their own air conditioning system, allowing the temperature in each room to be adjusted differently.
I appreciated the recessed and subdued lighting in the room as well as the modern and stylish decoration.
The layout of the bathroom is rather original. In fact, the shower walls are in fact mirror-effect glass walls, commonly known as “spy mirrors”. Thus, from a dark room, it is possible to observe the interior of a lighter room without being seen. On the lighter side of the room, the wall looks like a classic mirror. So when the bathroom lights are turned off, all you see is this large mirror wall that is actually the entire shower!
So we enter the bathroom along the back (also a “spy mirror”) of the shower and we arrive face to face with a beautiful deep bath. The aesthetically pleasing long spout emerges from the floor, runs along the outside of the bath and then curves like a silver swan over the bath.
And the faucet is actually a swivel handle that swings around an axis between the stop and the desired water temperature. An L-shaped mirror covers the wall at the foot of the bath while large aqua-coloured tiles cover the side wall of the bath. Useful accessory, a black bath tray allows you to put books, glass or beauty products on it.
The bathroom sink and countertop are ivory white. The sink has a sloping design, while the tapware is in the style of the bath with the slim, curved spout and the swivel handle as a faucet. A large mirror joins the one at the foot of the bath and contributes to the illusion of grandeur.
There are no rounded shapes in the bathroom (bathtub, sink, countertop, shower). Even the toilet is square!
As for the shower, black tiles cover the floor and the half wall separating it from the toilet, to accentuate the effect of the “spy mirrors”. Indeed, as mentioned, the shower acts as a separation between the bedroom and the bathroom.
Once again the chrome fittings are very clean with a long, narrow shower head ending in a rain shower. Water controls are small levers at the base that you pull towards you to modulate both water flow and temperature.
The bathroom is equipped with 5 independent light switches so that you can choose the desired atmosphere.
Contrary to some hotels that use an ecological approach to beauty product containers (shampoo, conditioner, liquid body soap), we had mini containers.
Note that due to the design of the bedroom in the suite, there is no door between the bathroom and the bedroom. This concept is in line with the residential design often found when there is a bathroom adjoining a bedroom.
I would have appreciated a little more hooks in the bathroom, whether it’s for hanging towels after the shower or a dressing gown.
The presidential suite offers a large multi-functional space. Whether you want to hold a private business meeting or simply relax, the modern and industrial design invites you to unwind.
Well-designed, the addition of a washroom and a separate cloakroom allows you to receive guests while preserving the privacy of the “bedroom” area. The suite is intended for single or couple use, but only two people can sleept there as there is no sofa bed.
Underground parking is available for a fee ($24). In addition, four charging stations for electric cars are also available.
Personally, we opted for the public parking at the Jardin Jean-Paul L’Allier (450, Parvis Street) located near the hotel, the cost being only $8 per day on weekends.
However, entries and exits count as 1 access. Thus if car use is frequent during the day, it is preferable to choose the hotel parking that does not limit the entries and exits but rather operates by day of use.
Unfortunately in this time of COVID, there are no breakfasts. In “normal” period however, breakfasts are available at the hotel.
In our case, we bought our breakfast at the Café Van Houtte which is connected to the hotel and accessible from inside the hotel lobby.
The restaurant Table is also closed during this period of COVID. It’s a pity because the restaurant has a good reputation and it offers a magnificent view of the Saint-Roch church just behind the hotel.
In fact, due to the pandemic context, no food services are offered in the hotel, either in the dining room or in the rooms.
FINALLY an open and accessible swimming pool in this period of COVID. And it must be said that the hotel’s heated indoor swimming pool is magnificent.
Located on the 3rd floor, it is a rectangular pool of about 15 meters, big enough for those who want to swim lengths (4 corridors). Large windows provide plenty of light.
Unfortunately the annexed sauna is closed in this period of COVID.
The hotel has a fitness room. It is also located on the 3rd floor and is separated from the pool by a large glass wall. Unfortunately in this period of COVID, the fitness room is closed.
The hotel offers 1,303 sq. m. of event space divided into 11 rooms, ideal for a conference, business meetings, reception or wedding.
We had requested and obtained a late check-out for this stay.
The Hotel PUR, Quebec, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel is a beautiful hotel with a modern and contemporary design.
We really enjoyed the privilege of being upgraded to the presidential suite on the top floor. This suite is really well designed by its natural and artificial luminosity, its decoration including sculptures and less common materials, its large work/dining area.
The ingenious use of a spy mirror between the bedroom and bathroom amplifies the suite’s sophisticated style. Moreover, since there is also a bath separated from the shower, it allowed us to relax. We also very much appreciated the use of the magnificent swimming pool accessible during this period of COVID.
Savings are here:
