Golden Square Mile, Downtown

Le Mount Stephen

★★★★★

Le Mount Stephen is the most atmospheric hotel in downtown Montreal, a place where you can have breakfast in a Victorian tycoon's dining room and sleep in a modern tower behind it. The heart of the property is the mansion of George Stephen, the Scottish-born businessman who became president of the Bank of Montreal in 1876 and the first president of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and who was later made Lord Mount Stephen. Completed in 1883 on Rue Drummond in the Golden Square Mile, the house was designed by architect William Tutin Thomas in an Italian Renaissance style with grey limestone walls, and its interiors are among the finest in Canada: ten fireplaces of onyx, marble and hand-painted tiles, 22-karat gold fixtures, stained and hand-painted glass and rooms panelled in fine woods. From 1926 the mansion housed the Mount Stephen Club, a private gentlemen's club whose guests over the decades included Princess Margaret and Pierre Trudeau. The Tidan group acquired the property in 2006, restored the mansion and built a contemporary tower behind it containing the hotel's 90 rooms and suites, so you enjoy modern rooms with the historic house as your lounge and restaurant. Bar George, a British-inspired restaurant and bar, occupies the mansion's grand salons and is a popular spot for weekend brunch and evening cocktails. The hotel has a fitness centre and massage therapy. Rates are upper range, generally a little below the city's biggest luxury names.

Rooms and style: the rooms in the tower are contemporary and comfortable, with clean lines, good beds and modern bathrooms, a deliberate contrast to the mansion's Victorian splendour. Ask for a higher floor for city views. The suites are spacious and work well for longer stays. The real luxury is having the mansion at your disposal: take your coffee in the salons, admire the staircase and fireplaces, and explore the house's details at quiet times.

Dining: Bar George plays on the mansion's British heritage, with dishes inspired by the British table, a well-made cocktail list and a dining room that feels like a private club. It is popular with locals for brunch and special dinners, so reserve ahead even as a hotel guest.

Location and who it suits: the hotel is at 1440 Rue Drummond, between Boulevard De Maisonneuve and Rue Sainte-Catherine, a few minutes from Peel metro station, the Underground City, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Bell Centre. It suits history and architecture lovers, couples and business travellers who want character rather than a chain. Families may prefer a hotel with a pool.