Trendy Vibes, Comfy Beds with a big Side of “Meh”
I stayed at Hotel Vogue Montreal (Hilton Curio Collection) for two nights in early October (Oct 9–11), on a trip mixing business and pleasure. I booked a One King Deluxe on the 8th floor, and while the stay was comfortable and the hotel has a great deal going for it, it didn’t quite live up to the charm or magic I remember from past visits.
The Good Stuff (aka Why I Slept Like a King):
•Bed – An absolute cloud, and the linens were top notch. I recently stayed at a 5-star in Toronto where it felt like I was sleeping on a pile of bricks. Vogue’s mattress was a dream to sleep on. A+ for you Vogue!
•Luxurious Bathroom - With a deep jetted soaker tub and separate standup shower, the marble bathroom was so luxurious I briefly considered moving in. I took advantage of the tub both nights I was there, and after being out and about all day it was life changing.
•Location – Situated right off Ste-Catherine Street, the Vogue offers easy access to everything you may want or need. Business meetings, cocktails and poutine are all just steps away, and the close proximity to several Metro stations, allows you to be pretty much anywhere you want to go in the city easily and cheaply.
•Renovations – The top to bottom renovations completed in 2022 have given the hotel a chic, upscale vibe. The hallways and common areas are stunning, and the room itself felt very comparable to a similar class of room I recently stayed in at the Four Seasons across the street, but without the Four Seasons price tag. Bravo!
•Serenity - Despite being downtown, it was very quiet during my stay. Even though the hotel was busy, I barely heard a peep from other guests or the street below. (Being on the 8th floor certainly helped).
•Bellmen – The Bellmen were delightful; friendly, welcoming, and always ready with a smile or a helpful word.
•Checkout – The clerk was great; friendly, helpful, and seemed like someone who really enjoys working with people. The Bellmen stored my bags for me, asked if I needed transportation, wished me safe journey and welcomed me to return again. Perfect send off!
The Not-So-Great:
•Check-in was...Frosty - The front desk clerk was professional and efficient, but about as warm and welcoming as a Montreal sidewalk in February. No smile, no sense of welcome just vibes of “Why are you bothering me and who let you in here anyway?” The desk was not busy at the time, and I’ve had the same experience with this clerk before, so it was not a one-off which is unfortunate.
•Early Check-In Fee Drama – The early check-in fee was most surprising, and the way the news as delivered even more so! I arrived at 1:30 PM, knowing I was quite early and that the room likely would not be ready. The clerk checked then informed me that was indeed the case, but nicely offered to call me when the room was ready, to which I said “That would be great!”. After which she quickly added “Excellent I will do so and if you take the room before 4:00 PM there will be an early check in-fee!” It felt like I was being offered a cookie and then told it costs $20 after I have already taken a bite. She did call when the room was ready, but I did not return before 4:00 to take it. Quite frankly this policy is BS, I realize this is something that happens at hotels in NYC and Las Vegas, but this is Montreal and I have never been asked to pay an early arrival fee unless it was a prearranged guaranteed early checking upon reservation with any hotel in the city…and I have stayed at many. For me this is a huge black mark against the hotel. If the maid staff were having to change their cleaning schedule to accommodate my arrival then I can understand, but if I am only wanting to gain access to the room once it is ready by their standard routine…sorry that’s just a cash grab. That they would rather their guests sit on the street with their bags until 4:00 PM tells me something…and it is not “Thank you for choosing Hotel Vogue!”
•Bag Storage - Although my may not be ready for several hours, no one offered to store my bags for me. They did do so gladly when I asked them which was great, but I had to ask I think they would have just watched me walk out the door loaded down with them had I not.
•Zero Info on Hotel Amenities Given - Not a word about the restaurants, bar, gym, in-room dining or anything else the hotel had to offer was given at check-in. I brought workout gear but ended up going to a gym down the street because I did not feel like playing “Find the Fitness Centre.”, I spent a great deal of money on food and drink while in town, entertaining 2 different groups of clients with dinners, enjoying cocktails and other meals on my own, some of which I quite likely would have spent at the hotel. Instead, I went to other local establishments that I knew. Very much a missed opportunity for the Vogue. (The salesperson in me was screaming…there is money walking out the door!!!).
•Mood Lighting in the room was... moody. And not in a romantic way. More like “I hope you weren’t planning to read anything while you are here.” The room lighting was quite dim, even with all lights on. It created a cozy ambiance but wasn’t ideal for working or reading.
•Doormen - I think they still have them, I saw the same handsome well-dressed guys standing near the doors multiple times, but they always seemed deep in conversation with other members of staff or people sitting outside the café to notice guests with bags coming and going. Come to think of it, I think I actually held the door open for one of them at one point! Lol Perhaps they were undercover?
•General Guest Service & Hospitality – By and far the front of house team are professional and super nice, you can see they really try hard to support the wants and needs of their clients to the best of their ability, but something is off for the style and level of hotel the Vogue aspires to be. In general, the team need service training to bring things up to the right level. They seem to genuinely feel they are giving 5-star service, but in many small but important ways they are missing the mark. Things are not broken; they just need polishing. That is a coaching and quality improvement issue, not really their fault.
Final Thoughts
Was it a bad stay? Not at all. The room was very comfortable, the location was perfect, and the tub was life-changing. But the lack of warmth and hospitality, especially compared to how things used to be under the stewardship of the Loews Hotel Chain was disappointing.
The Vogue once felt like something special a real gem in the heart of the city. It had the feeling of a boutique hotel where staff were genuinely happy to see you, wanted you to enjoy your stay, and were very happy to see you had returned if they remembered you from an earlier visit. Now it is more like, “Here’s your room, please don’t touch anything while here and if you could sleep somewhere else that would be perfect. Oh, and by the way we advise you to be out by 11:00AM or the Gendarmes will be summoned to escort you to curb.”
Would I stay again? Maybe. But I am not rushing back. In a city full of amazing hotels at a variety of price points, Hotel Vogue has gone from my personal hotel of choice to a solid B option.
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