Sleeping in a foreign country: Quebec – eTurboNews.com
I recently visited Quebec… it has been many years since my previous visit, and I had somehow forgotten that this destination requires the presentation of a passport and patience to endure the security and immigration lines. The good news is (at least for the moment) there are excellent relations between the USA and Canada and it is a relatively safe destination where Americans are still welcome.
Airport
It is an easy trip to get to Quebec from NYC and Air Canada flights to Quebec’s Jean Lesage International Airport are clocked at 4 +/- hours. Modernized in 2006 with an investment of almost $66 million (with new facilities scheduled to open 2017), over 1.4 million passengers use this portal yearly to get to Quebec.
Popularity of Quebec
What draws so many people to this City? What encourages visitors to spend almost $2 billion (2012)? Quebec is a 365, 24/7 destination! There is no better or best season or time of day for visiting Quebec; the city is always picture-book perfect, the restaurants deliver gourmet – level dining, the Canadian wines are never out of season, and the hotel accommodations range from B&B to executive level panache. Quebec is not going to be a one-time bucket list experience; it is so rich in history and culture that the first time is only a preface to repeated visits.
Where to Stay in Quebec. My Personal Favorites
History Begets a Hotel
Before Tony Price, a fifth-generation resident and business executive of Quebec acquired the Ilot Hunt historically important real estate site (that now features the award winning Auberge Saint Antoine boutique hotel), the space was known for its crumbling warehouses and apartment buildings.
In an unusual public-private partnership with Laval University, the City of Quebec and the Ministry of Culture, Price developed a plan to excavate, incorporate and display many of the artifacts that were found at the site into his hotel project. The archeological dig, directed by Reginal Auger, revealed treasures of old Quebec; the site was important in wartime and a center for merchant trade occupied by the British, French and Irish.
In 1992 the Auberge Saint Antoine Hotel was opened on the Ilot Hunt site and guests can now experience the excavated artifacts that are integrated into the interior design of the property. Offering guests a choice of 83-rooms and 12-suites the property is considered the Top City Hotel in Canada by Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards (2012). It has also won the Robb Report The World’s Top 100 Hotels (2013), TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice Awards (2007-2015), ranked among the US News & World Report’s Best Hotels (2015).
The hotel development was under the direction of the architectural firm of Jean Cote & Associates starting in 1993. The Panache restaurant and the Auditorium, (the only amphitheater of this type in the province) was planned by the firm of Lemay & Michaud. The interior design was orchestrated by Philip Cozzi of New York and lighting was designed by Photonic Cream with Alex Morganthaler and Martin Gagnon. Room interiors were developed by the Martha Bate Price, Monique Amyot and Lucy Price team who created individualized rooms that integrate whimsy and tradition into comfortable, unique and tasteful environments.
Creating a World-class Hotel
Crafting an outstanding boutique hotel in a competitive market like Quebec is not easy. If you have a brand to backstop a marketing campaign the challenge may be less daunting; however, when there is just you, your hotel, and a mission to fill the rooms at a luxury price point, the role of the General Manager becomes paramount. Since 2011, Jean-Louis Souman, the General Manager of the Auberge St. Antonie (a member of Relais and Chateaux) has been tasked with this demanding assignment and has successfully moved the Auberge into its current eminent position.
Souman was formerly associated with the 5-Star Hotel Le Bristol of Paris where he directed the property for 30 years. Before the Bristol he was associated with the Caledonia Hotel in Edinburgh, the Hotel Hilton (Paris) and Hotel Sheraton (Paris). Distinguished for his management expertise he is the recipient of the French National Order of Merit where he joins (among others), President Charles De Gaulle (statesman), President Francois Mitterrand (statesman), Jean Paul Belmondo (actor), and Jacques Cousteau (oceanographer). He was also awarded the Gold Medal of Tourism for his contributions to the industry.
For Bon Vivants
Creatively involving the community into the operations of the hotel, Souman started Jazz Evenings at Café Bar Artefact in cooperation with the Quebec City Jazz Festive where he is Chair of the Board of Directors and linked the hotel with the Institute of Tourism and Hotels of Quebec where he is an official Ambassador. He is also a member of the board of the Association of Business People in Old Quebec and, as a member of the Chaine des rotisseurs, (the oldest and largest wine and food society) brings a new level of gourmet excellence to the hotel’s restaurant, Panache.
Louis Pacquelin leads the dining experience at the Panache. Originally from France where he worked in several Michelin as well as being associated with Jean Marie Gautier and the Coutanceau family, he also trained with Alain Ducasse Group. A hands-on Head Chef, Pacquelin has brought the concept of farm to table to new heights. The produce is sourced primarily from the hotels’ organic gardens on Ile d’Orleans and from small local producers. The wine lists includes 700+ opportunities from 14 countries and the cellar inventories over 12,000 bottles from private imports and vins de garde.
High-end room and public space amenities have not been overlooked. The spacious posh rooms offers goose-down duvets, luxury linens, a Bose sound system, atmospheric lights and the public spaces look more like an art gallery than a hotel hallway.
saint-antoine.com
Hilton Quebec
Only a 20 minute drive from the city’s Jean Lesage International Airport, and the central bus and train stations merely five minutes away, this 4-star city center property, located next to the Convention Center and opposite the National Assembly is an excellent choice for business and leisure guests who want to be in the commercial/government zone of Quebec as well as within walking distance of the Old Town.
It features amenities expected from the brand that include a heated outdoor swimming pool, a gym with modern equipment, a 23rd floor posh concierge lounge/dining room with an awesome view of Quebec and the St. Lawrence, and a delightful staff that really does try to make the life of the guest as pleasant as possible. The modern and spacious lobby is tastefully decorated with chocolate-brown leather couches and is a perfect meeting/greeting point; the back-lit bar features dark-wood accents and attracts locals, traveling business executives and leisure visitors almost 24/7.
Nearby Saint-Jean Street offers a collection of galleries and shops while an easy walk to Cartier Street features trendy restaurants and buskers.
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