Review: William Gray Hotel, Montreal

William Gray Hotel – Location

The William Gray Hotel is a glass tower overlooking two historic buildings, the Edward William Gray House and the Cherrier House, dating from the 18^th century.

A historical monument since 1969, the William Gray Hotel building overlooks the famous Place Jacques Quartier. It is thus ideally located in the heart of Old Montreal, near St. Paul Street E and Notre Dame Street E.

By staying here, you are in the heart of the action to visit the Old Port, the Notre Dame Basilica and the rest of the city; and to enjoy the festivities Montreal offers both in winter and summer.

William Gray Hotel – Check-in

Check-in at the William Gray Hotel was quick.

Those who come by electric car can benefit from two charging stations in the indoor parking lot (upon availability).

William Gray Hotel – Room

The William Gray Hotel has 127 rooms and suites. For this stay, my room is on the 7th floor: 708.

The corridors of the common areas are glazed and offer beautiful views of the rooftops of Old Montreal.

The Deluxe room is in contrast with the historic character of the building: here, we find concrete ceilings and large windows.

The King bed in this Deluxe room is exceptionally comfortable. We also find a yellow armchair with an ottoman.

A television is fixed on the wall, and a space can be used temporarily as an office.

A welcome gift from a hotel is always appreciated. Here, the hotel had prepared a plate of mignardises and a bottle of sparkling water. All this is accompanied by a note and the Concierge’s business card.

Next to it is the mini-bar, coffee and kettle area. I particularly appreciate the Nespresso coffee machine.

In the wardrobe, there is a safe as well as two high-quality bathrobes and an ironing kit.

Let’s move on to the bathroom. This one is huge (I think it was designed for the passage of people with reduced mobility).

There is a bathtub and a separate shower area with high-end tiles.

The whole thing looks particularly refined.

William Gray Hotel – Maggie Oakes Restaurant

Integrated into the William Gray Hotel is Maggie Oakes Restaurant.

It’s a place where I usually have business meals when I come to Old Montreal.

William Gray Hotel – Breakfast

For breakfast, the Maggie Oakes restaurant offers a variety of egg choices, healthy bowls or fresh fruit.

My choice was the Benedict eggs with smoked salmon. A good way to start the day!

William Gray Hotel – Dinner

For dinner on the evening of my arrival, I also chose to try Maggie Oakes Restaurant (for the record, this restaurant offers dry-aged meats):

Starting with one of my favourite cocktails: the Espresso Martini.

Followed by tagliatelle with cream of sauvagine cheese:

And my favourite dessert, a maple crème brulée:

William Gray Hotel – Perché Restaurant

In season, you can enjoy the Perché rooftop terrace.

Perché is a terrace in the Old Port of Montreal offering an intimate lounge area with a sophisticated and warm atmosphere. Nestled on the 4th floor, the terrace offers a healthy California-inspired culinary menu, all in a lush setting. Perché is the ideal place to enjoy the summer season in the heart of Old Montreal.

William Gray Hotel – William Gray Terrace

The William Gray Terrace is located on the 8th and top floors of the William Gray Hotel. This terrace offers an unobstructed view of Place Jacques-Cartier, the St. Lawrence River, and Montreal’s Ferris wheel.

It’s a place where Audrey and I used to go regularly for a drink when we lived in the neighbourhood.

Although I didn’t get to experience it during my night in the William Gray Hotel, you should know that this terrace is also open during the winter thanks to geometric frameless and transparent heated domes.

You can book this unique experience via Opentable (minimum of 4 to 6 people required depending on the dome and a maximum of 8 people):

• $125 per person for dinner (alcohol not included; 2-hour reservation)
• $55 per person for brunch (alcohol not included; 1.5-hour reservation)

William Gray Hotel – Café Olimpico

Behind the lobby, you can find an institution of Old Montreal: the Café Olimpico. You will be able to taste many coffees, espressos and pastries. Either on-site or in the comfortable spaces of the hotel lobby.

William Gray Hotel – Other services

William Gray Hotel – Common areas

One of the attractions of the William Gray Hotel is its lobby. Indeed, you can find a pool table and friendly spaces to work or have a coffee. There is even a store where you can buy clothes:

It is a delightful space, bathed in natural light, thanks to a gigantic glass roof.

We find the hotel’s meeting spaces (approximately 10,000 square feet) upstairs.

William Gray Hotel – Gym

Do you like to maintain your workouts while staying in a hotel? The gym at the William Gray Hotel is very well-equipped.

You will find :

• A LifeFitness Row GX Trainer Rower
• Two Keiser M3i Spin bikes
• A LifeFitness Life Cycle Elevation recumbent bike with 16″ touch screen
• Two reclining benches
• Three treadmills » LifeFitness Elevation treadmill with 19″ touch screen
• Two elliptical trainers » LifeFitness Elevation Elliptical Cross-trainer with 19″ touch screen
• Bosu balls » Escape Steady Balls (55-65-75 cm) « 
• Rubber Hex Dumbells (5-8-10-12-15-20-25-30 pounds) » free weight selection
• Selection of weighted balloons (2-4-6-8-10 pounds)
• Kettlebells (6-8-24-32-40 pounds)
• Yoga mat
• Gliders
• Skipping rope

All overlooking a street in Old Montreal with natural light.

William Gray Hotel – Spa

The William Gray Spa is located on level -1 of the hotel.

With an area of 520 square meters, the Spa William Gray offers various treatments, including a Thermal Circuit with :

• A halotherapy room filled with Himalayan salt
• A Finnish sauna
• A steam room
• A cold room
• Herb-infused sauna
• Modern showers
• High quality Gharieni beds
• A hot quartz massage bed
• A Spa Wave sound therapy system
• An outdoor swimming pool (in season)

You can benefit from a preferential rate if you stay at the hotel.

You can enjoy a spa tour even without staying in a hotel. Rates will depend on the day and time of the week.

In addition to the Thermal Circuit, the Spa William Gray offers various services:

• Treatments for the body
• Facial care
• Beauty treatments and manicures/pedicures
• Massages (Swedish, relaxation, deep tissue, etc.)

William Gray Hotel – Swimming pool

As you can see, having visited the William Gray Hotel in the winter, I was unable to enjoy the outdoor pool.

To do this pool justice, here is a photo in season:

William Gray Hotel – The ecological touch

Finally, by staying at the William Gray Hotel, you will be able to see the various efforts made by the establishment in terms of ecology.

For example, the William Gray Hotel is implementing measures to save energy and reduce its carbon footprint, including installing timers, LED lights, white elastomeric roofing and automated thermostat controls. The hotel has also implemented measures to reduce water waste and consumption, including low-flow toilets, biodegradable products, aerators, and flow restrictors on faucets.

The hotel also prioritizes local products for catering at the Maggie Oakes restaurant and collaborates with charitable organizations.

Concretely, as a customer, we see these different actions throughout the establishment.

William Gray Hotel – Around the hotel

By staying at the William Gray Hotel, you can walk to many points of interest in Old Montreal, but also in Downtown Montreal, such as:

• Place Jacques Cartier
• Old Port and Ferris Wheel of Montreal
• Old Port attractions(SOS Labyrinth, MTL Zipline, Ice rink)
• Bonsecours Market and Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel
• Notre-Dame Basilica
• Saint Paul Street
• Montreal Science Centre
• Pointe-à-Callière Museum
• Phi Center
• AML Cruises and Bateau-Mouche
• Montreal en Histoires

William Gray Hotel – My general impression

The William Gray Hotel is a great option for a stay in Old Montreal. Whether it’s for a night out on a short romantic getaway in the city or for a longer stay, there’s something for everyone.

The main attractions of this hotel are:

• Its rooftop terrace with a breathtaking view of Old Montreal
• Its spa which will provide you with an excellent moment of relaxation
• Its multiple culinary options

Check regularly for offers from the hotel to book your stay.

To book your stay, use a credit card that offers more points for hotels (= travel expenses). This is the case, for example, with the HSBC World Elite^® Mastercard^® which offers 6 points per dollar!