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As I told you in my article on the Courtyard by Marriott Quebec, we tried several hotels in Quebec City. I will talk about our visit to the Delta Hotels Trois Rivieres Conference Centre in another article.
But let’s focus on the detail of our very pleasant stay at the Quebec City Marriott Downtown, which was very different from the Courtyard.
The Quebec City Marriott Downtown Hotel is a category 6 hotel of the Marriott Bonvoy program. For this trip, we did not use our points. So we paid for our overnight stay with the Marriott BonvoyTM American ExpressMD Card: a great way to earn 5 points per dollar and take advantage of Marriott Bonvoy’s current promotion.
Our Titanium Elite status has enabled us to benefit from an upgrade to the upper-tier bedroom, a suite with a queen bed and a sofa-bed (upon request via the Cat, 24 hours before our arrival).
The Quebec City Marriott Downtown hotel is ideally located for those who want to enjoy Quebec City. It is close to the Porte Saint-Jean, which offers an unobstructed view of the city.
The Québec City Convention Centre is a few minutes’ walk away, and the hotel is 12 minutes from the Château Frontenac and the Gare du Palais. Or about 25 minutes from Quebec City’s Jean Lesage International Airport.
A few paid parking spots are available nearby, otherwise public parking is available at a rate of $5/hour or $18/day on D’Youville Street.
There is a lot of activity in the area. All you have to do is step outside and feel like a tourist in Quebec City.
In summer, Place D’Youville is the meeting place of hard-core skaters from early morning until late at night. The children enjoyed watching them perform jumps. In winter, it is a skating rink.
There is also the Palais Montcalm, a music centre that overlooks the square, as well as the Capitole Theatre and the multidisciplinary company Ex Machina. With the current situation, in-person presentations are suspended, but may resume depending on how the pandemic evolves. Keep an eye on their programming!
You can visit the fortifications of Québec with the Artillery Park or the Dauphine Redoubt if you would like to learn more about Québec City’s military and social history. The Morrin Cultural Centre offers guided tours of sinister prison cells and the Victorian College, among others.
Once past the fortified Porte Saint-Jean, stroll through the streets of the old city and go to the Château Frontenac, then descend to the lower part of Old Québec via the funicular.
Our children loved to have fun in the fountains at City Hall Square. Here are a few snapshots of my walk with the kids:
The entrance of the Quebec City Marriott Downtown hotel is welcoming, thanks to all the lovely flowers. You enter the hotel lobby through sliding doors, where a display unit informs you that the use of the mask is mandatory within the hotel.
Stickers on the floor advise us to keep our distance from other customers and a display allows us to disinfect our hands.
The hall, although a little narrow, is very pleasant and warm with a beautiful central wooden staircase leading to the meeting rooms, as well as an imposing crystal chandelier.
On the ground floor there are two lounges, each on either side of the front door, with separate areas to relax in:
There is a lovely stained glass window over the front door that adds a touch of authenticity to the place.
Behind the staircase is the modern and warm hotel bar. Finally, to the left of the staircase is the front desk and dining area with tables and chairs. The chairs and light fixtures are quite modern.
Because of COVID, the hotel was somewhat empty and lifeless. However, the next day, customers were enjoying the facility even though no food service was offered.A Plexiglas plate had been installed at the reception desk. Our receptionist is very courteous and tells us where our room is, 213. Just take the elevator down the hall.
The building is old but well maintained. And the facilities have just been renovated. Our room is located not far from the elevator, which is silent and does not disturb us.
Not insignificant, everything was well thought out during the renovation. The hallways are illuminated by various overhead lights and the walls are covered with light-coloured wood. A mirror is installed in front of the elevator in case you need to comb your hair or look at yourself before you meet people. We liked it.
The suite is located in an angle, so the room is bathed in light. It is spacious and comfortable. The furniture is recent and modern and we like the contrast of wood and black steel.
At the entrance to the room is the bathroom door on the left and a coat hook for jackets and coats. I like the idea, rather than having to put my coat in the closet. We rarely use the wardrobe, except in winter, when we have several clothes to hang, so we can have a tidy room. But I’ve forgotten a jacket in the past.
On the right side, there is the “kitchenette” and the wardrobe, where you can find an iron and an ironing board. The kitchenette includes:
A large black-framed mirror is next to the kitchenette, and then there is a desk with a beautiful white and gilded lamp, and the telephone. Above the desk, notice the large flat screen.
The living room is quite big, with a sofa bed, a table that goes under the sofa and another on the side.
A lounge area with an armchair, a table and a side light are also present. A large frame above the sofa completes the decoration in the same shades as the lighting fixtures.
The bedroom is separated from the living room by a door and is equally luminous.
This time, we have a queen bed. The headboard seems to be made of leather. There is a wall light on each side of the bed, with two shelves and two reading lights.
A wireless iPhone clock radio is available on the shelf, as well as another phone.
Finally, to complete the room, a chest of drawers with a luggage rest and a footstool are placed in front of the bed. There is also a flat-screen TV and a small coat hook.
No superfluous decoration. The room is large, clean, bright and above all, comfortable. That’s what we love. It’s also well separated from the living room (a bonus for us, because of the children).
The bathroom can be entered through the door in the hall, or the sliding door in the bedroom. Sliding doors are beautiful, but the downside is that it doesn’t provide the greatest privacy. Some people may not like that. It’s not a problem for us.
The bathroom appears to be split in two. On one side, the vanity unit with a modern tap basin, a large mirror above the vanity, a magnifying mirror hanging on the side and the hairdryer in a bag at the door. Note that the bath products were already present when we arrived (in contrast to the Courtyard in this COVID period).
Hand and shower towels are placed under the vanity.
Finally there is another large mirror in front of the vanity, probably to give an impression of grandeur to the somewhat narrow room.
The health policy differs from one hotel to another. We like that there are cotton swabs and cotton pads wrapped individually, although I must say it perplexes me, because of the whole COVID situation.
On the other side of the wall, facing the sliding door that leads to the bedroom, is the modern shower with sliding glass doors and the toilet just in front. I also like with the hand shower in addition to the shower head, which is not always the case in hotels. The hand shower is so handy with children and avoids a lot of crying.
Because of COVID, the rules are changing! No breakfast buffet is offered (gee, I’m starting to miss it! I love pastries) but a menu is proposed by the receptionist as soon as we arrive at the hotel.
In fact, it is a breakfast box that needs to be ordered in advance and is available the night before, or the morning.
The bag is actually a nice cardboard package. We’re a long way from the buffet breakfast, but the kids are happy. That’s the main thing.
Phew, there’s a gym for the jocks! For me, walking is enough, but I know for some it’s an essential part of their stay. Jean-Maximilien likes to take advantage of gyms when he can.
The gym features a variety of equipment with a TV screens, including a weight bench, dumbbells, an exercise all, a bike, a running mat and an elliptical machine. A flat-screen TV is also on the wall for those who do floor exercises or use dumbbells.
Note that access to the middle machines is blocked, in order to comply with the distancing rules.
Sincerely, I really enjoyed my stay and would have liked to stay another day. I have to admit that I feel better in modern hotels, and this one was successfully renovated, at least to my taste.
Staff members are attentive and courteous when you meet them. And the location…! The only caveat is the lack of a pool, because we love to swim with the children, but our outings soon made us forget about it.
To maximize your stays and points earning, check our complete Marriott Bonvoy program guide and our best Marriott Bonvoy credit cards ranking. For personal use, see the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card. For business expenses, the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card earns points on every business purchase. And if a points purchase promotion is running, take advantage via our Marriott Bonvoy points purchase guide.
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