|
(Against a reflection of the suite in the mirror, above, a cozy bed invites guests to enjoy a restful night at the Hotel Nelligan!) By George Medovoy, Editor I love small hotels in the historic cradle of cities, where voices from the past whisper plaintively, "Remember, remember." I found two such hotels in Old Montreal, where gaslights and cobblestone streets charm the visitor with history and romance. The Hotel Nelligan and the Auberge du Vieux Port, part of the Antonopoulos Group of fine Old Montreal lodgings and restaurants, sit within several quaint blocks of each other. At the 63-room Hotel Nelligan, a boutique gem set in a 19th-century greystone, I learned more than I had expected about this hotel. The place is named for Emile Nelligan, one of Quebec's great lyrical poets, whose romantic musings bridged the last two centuries. Thanks to chief concierge Luc Lavoie, I became familiar with Emile Nelligan's work. One afternoon, after I returned from a walk, Lavoie, sensing my curiosity, reached across the front desk and handed me a copy of Nelligan's collected poems. It was mine to keep! I was speechless and didn't quite know how to thank him for the generosity so typical of the attention paid to guests. I simply muttered, "Merci." I recognized Nelligan's face on the cover of the book immediately -- it matched the image that adorned the mantle place in my room. "Let him live," Nelligan wrote autobiographically, "and do him no harm! Let him go; it is a dreamer who passes." And now here I was, a dreamer myself, soaking up the history of this lovely North American city. (A doorman greets guests at the Hotel Nelligan).
For the visitor, history is everywhere in Old Montreal. One of my favorite relics on leisurely walks here is the charming Pierre du Calvet House, built in 1770 out of fieldstone by a Huguenot merchant who supported the American Revolution. Old Montreal is also a place where I love peeking into eclectic art galleries that hide behind gaily-painted Victorian doors, or catching fireworks displays over the broad portside promenade in the middle of summer. And as a change of pace, one can always catch a horse-drawn caleche and listen to the driver explain Old Montreal's history. One of the buildings you will pass, at 350 place Royal, is another of my favorites -- the old customs house, dating to 1836. (The best way to discover Old Montreal is at ground level!)
Now part of Pointe-a-Calliere, the Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History, it presents 600 years of Montreal's rich history, including interactive dialogues with personages from the past. By the mid-19th-century, banks and warehouse-salesrooms had turned Old Montreal into a busy commercial center. The Antonopoulos Group, which has made its reputation developing fine lodging and restaurants in Old Montreal, built the Hotel Nelligan into the existing façade of two warehouse-salesrooms on rue Saint Paul West, preserving original stone-and-brick walls. The two buildings, circa 1844, had living quarters upstairs, while downstairs customers looked for new fashions just offloaded from ships at port. The modern, interior transformation of the warehouse-salesrooms is totally upscale, with soft, warm colors, heavenly beds with goose down comforters and pillows, soft terry cloth Frette bathrobes…and umbrellas in every room. What a delight to come "home" to the Nelligan and find my bed turned down, the gas fireplace flickering, and the sounds of classical FM filling the room against the faint clip-clop of a horse-drawn caleche outside - the perfect backdrop for an evening devoted to Nelligan's poetry! After a restful night in my cozy bed, I went downstairs and selected a small table in the hotel's Verses Restaurant and treated myself to warm almond croissants and freshly squeezed orange juice for breakfast. (The cozy lobby of the Hotel Nelligan).
In a city renowned for good food, Verses executive chef Yann Turcotte, whose style is marked by a refined simplicity, gets high marks for my exquisite lunch: an appetizer of chilled asparagus covered with lightly grilled Quebec cheese, an entrée of pasta stuffed with leeks, and a glass of Chianti Classico St. Felice. The crème brulee dessert had the silkiest interior I have ever savored! Turcotte's menu follows the classic French model, allowing each item on the plate to express its unique flavors, whether it's the grilled filet of salmon or the ½ grilled lobster with garlic butter. And the wine list, well, it's simply magnificent. As the afternoon sunshine streamed across my table, I gloried in my new discoveries: this wonderful boutique hotel in Old Montreal…and its literary antecedent, the poet Emile Nelligan... Like the choice between two great wines, there is also something somewhat more rustic to choose from among Old Montreal lodgings, the Auberge du Vieux-Port, which is located in a 19th-century edifice on de la Commune East, facing the port. The Auberge features 27 rooms with hardwood floors, original brick-and-stone walls, exposed beams and comfortable brass beds. Depending on which room you select, you will be treated to a view of Montreal's Old Port on historic rue St. Paul. Most rooms are equipped with single or double Jacuzzis, while other room amenities include down comforters and soft cotton robes, high-quality bath products, a hi-fi stereo system, CD player, and computer data ports. A spiral staircase leads from the lobby downstairs to Les Remparts, the hotel's great restaurant. What a find it is! Chef Janick Bouchard's cuisine has earned the restaurant the 2001 and 2002 Tourism Montreal "Prix Ulysse" awards. On one of my adventures down the staircase, I could hear a recording of "It's Wonderful" playing over the speaker - an omen of good things to come! (Les Remparts is the wonderful restaurant of the Auberge du Vieux Port)
The salmon, one of the chef's specialties, is lightly smoked and then served with couscous, turnips, and bok choy. I had dessert on a love seat in a cozy corner of the basement restaurant, where the tarte aux pommes came with refreshing ice cream and blueberries. Yum! For a change of pace, I also dined on the rooftop terrace, with a view of the port with its small boat harbor. (You have the option of dining on the rooftop terrace of the hotel, with a great view of the small boat harbor)
Whatever you decide as far as where to eat at the hotel -- inside or outside on the rooftop terrace, it offers a chance to soak up the wonderful ambiance of one of Old Montreal's historic hotels. IF YOU GO...
www.hotelnelligan.com Deluxe and King Superior Rooms include king-size or two double beds and balcony overlooking the atrium. Loft Suites include king-size bed, fireplace, double Jacuzzi and glass shower. Additional services include fitness center, massage salon, valet parking, rooftop bar and terrace with panoramic view, and daily general manager's cocktail featuring wine and cheese. Reservations are recommended at Verses. www.aubergeduvieuxport.com Auberge du Vieux-Port also offers 11 spacious loft apartments, ideal for families, couples or business travelers. These spacious accommodations include a Junior Loft, seven Superior Lofts, one one-bedroom apartment and two two-bedrooms apartments. Located a short walk from the Auberge, each fully-equipped loft includes a kitchenette with microwave, stove, refrigerator, toaster, coffee machine, and cookware. Some lofts include wood burning fireplaces, along with washer and dryer. Nearby Place Jacques-Cartier, named for the French explorer who sailed up the St. Lawrence River to the island of Montreal in 1535, is a public square filled with sidewalk cafes, outdoor musicians, and working artists. For general information about Montreal, visit www.bonjourquebec.com, or call (877)-BONJOUR (877) 266-5687. For
information about Montreal, visit www.tourisme-montreal.org. (Click below for more travel stories).
| ||
READ
MORE
| ||
 |
