W HOTEL - MONTREAL

Charcoal and lipstick red. It’s not the colour combo one might expect to find in a hotel lobby.

Then again, the “lobby” of the W Montreal doesn’t even look like a lobby. With subtle mood lighting, a collection of sofas arranged in conversation groupings, comfy cushions in black and white faux fur, cubed-shaped coffee tables in shiny red plexi-glass, and one three-petal chaise-a-deux covered in soft red terry, it’s more like a sleek nightclub (which it is, too.)

Distinguished by colour, texture and design, the W Montreal speaks to the senses.

Located in the Quartier International District within walking distance of both downtown and Old Montreal, the W could also be considered a rendez-vous of opposites. For if the exterior - the somber and stoic façade of the former Banque du Canada - is the Yin, then certainly the warm, welcoming, contemporary interior of W, is the Yang.

Inside the front doors, lights are dimmed to create mood, aromas change with season (mint, lemon or fresh grass for spring, for instance) signature music is played throughout the hotel and welcoming amenities change with time of the year. When I visited in May it was a fruit smoothie. In winter, guests might be welcomed with cinnamon tea and cookies. Music acts as a transition: louder in the public areas, subdued in elevators, then quiet in corridors as the buffer to a different type of music in guest rooms.

Colour therapy, too, plays a role. Red, a hue associated with energy, is used in the “living room” (other hotel call it a “lobby”) and other public areas. Calming greens and blues are used in the elevators, in the corridors and in the guestrooms. Wonderbar is a sexy violet.

W’s zen-influenced Away spa, continues the experience for the senses. The spa is small - just five treatment rooms - but what it lacks in spaciousness it makes up in ambience and five-star touches such as cashmere blankets and fresh orchids on treatment beds. Treatment beds here also have the most comfortable face cradles this face has ever encountered, and exotic teas served in stylish glass cups presented on silver trays. (Note to spas in other five-star hotels: ditch the disposable cups).

The spa’s signature product line [comfort zone] from Italy is in perfect harmony with the holistic philosophy of the spa. I booked the Shiatsu Lushly Ritual (a hand and arm treatment ideal for anyone who spends the day on a computer) and the Indian Aramasoul body treatment by [comfort zone], and both were totally relaxing and enjoyable. The spa offers a full menu of services plus packages priced (at the time of our visit) from under $200 Cdn. Special services include a private workout with a personal trainer, a private yoga session or a massage for your favourite four-legged friend.

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For more information on W Montreal:
www.starwoodhotels.com/whotels/index.html