HOTEL NELLIGAN, MONTREAL

by Anne Dimon

Steps from Montreal's famed Notre Dame Cathedral, visitors to this romantic city will find a place for romance, martinis and poetry. From my loft-style suite on the second floor of the Hotel Nelligan, I can hear the soft clomping of horses pulling colourful caleches past the lobby entrance.

It's a rhythmic, soothing sound and when combined with the lure of a king-sized bed decked in luxury white linens and stacked with fat, goose down pillows I'm soon enticed into an impromptu afternoon nap.

The 63-room Hotel Nelligan is one of about half-a-dozen boutique hotels that, over the last few years, has helped bring new life to a handful of the 19th century banks, warehouses and office buildings that line these narrow, cobbled streets. An $8.5 million restoration/renovation project, 'it's a charming and wonderful example of salvaged history,' says Keith Bell from San Diego. He and friends have been guests at the Nelligan for nine of a 14-day Quebec holiday.

Except for massive floor to ceiling windows opening up onto Rue Saint-Paul, the hotel's stark, grey stone facade looks pretty much like it did back in the 1800s when the building (actually it was two buildings) housed commercial enterprises, a pharmaceutical manufacturer and wholesaler and various offices. But inside, the Nelligan is anything but austere. Warm colours, cozy conversation groupings, comfortable leather settees, rich woods and soft lighting combine to create a space that is warm and welcoming.

Beyond décor, the hotel’s most interesting structural feature is the space that was once a narrow alleyway between the two buildings. Now enclosed and capped with glass, it’s a bright, airy atrium with-rod iron balconies allowing those free from vertigo to gaze down from guestroom floors onto the bar and lounge area.

At the stylish bar, the bartender points out that the martini is the specialty of the house. “We’ve been called the second best martini bar in Montreal,” she says proudly.

Next to the bar, Verses Restaurant is an elegant space with white linen table cloths, exposed stone and brick walls and those striking floor to ceiling windows that open up onto the street. They give the restaurant a patio feel and allow guests to enjoy the passing parade of horse-drawn caleches. Entrées are priced from $23.

Like the hotel itself, the restaurant, is named for Emile Nelligan, Quebec’s most celebrated 19th-century poet. History tells us he spent hours at neighbourhood poetry readings. You’ll find snippets from his poems framed and displayed here and there throughout the hotel including guestrooms.

If you notice a number of guests chopping on apples while reading in the lobby or walking down corridors stopping to enjoy works by local artists, don’t be surprised. Strategically placed throughout the hotel are bowls of polished, green apples. Help yourself! This too is a trademark of many lifestyle hotels. And, here in Old Montreal, many of these hotels come with an added feature: the soft clomping of horse hooves to lull you into an afternoon nap.

For more: www.hotelnelligan.com

Anne Dimon is a spa and wellness travel writer and founder/editor of www.traveltowellness.com