Lower Town (Old Port)

Hotel Le Priori

★★★★★

Le Priori is the romantic small hotel of the Lower Town, a place that pairs centuries-old stone with a warm, contemporary feel. It sits at 15 Rue du Sault-au-Matelot, one of the oldest and most atmospheric lanes in Québec City, tucked below the cliff between Place Royale and the Old Port. The building was once the home of Jean Baillairgé, of the celebrated family of Québec architects, and the hotel has kept the exposed stone walls, beams and deep windows while adding modern bathrooms and clean design. There are only 28 rooms, so service is personal, and the range is unusually interesting: standard rooms are compact and stylish, while the loft suites add a living area, a fireplace and a bathroom with a hot tub, and one junior suite has a private spa and a view toward Place Royale. Breakfast is included, Wi-Fi is free, there is a lift, and paid outdoor parking is available on site — a real convenience in the Lower Town. Traveller reviews are excellent, and the hotel recently celebrated its twentieth anniversary. There is no pool or spa, and it is not pet-friendly. The location is ideal for walkers: Petit-Champlain, the Musée de la civilisation, the ferry and the Old Port’s galleries are all moments away, and the funicular climbs to the Château. Fit: couples above all, history lovers, and travellers who prefer an intimate inn to a large hotel.

What makes it special is atmosphere at a fair price. The loft suites, with fireplace and hot tub, are among the most romantic rooms in the city for considerably less than the luxury hotels, and the quiet lane means peaceful nights even in high season. Morning walks to Place Royale before the crowds arrive are an extra reward.

Room craft: couples celebrating should book a loft suite or the junior suite with the private spa and Place Royale view; standard rooms are smaller, so travel light if you choose one. Reserve early for the Christmas season and Carnaval, when the Lower Town’s winter lights make it magical. Dinner options in the Old Port and Petit-Champlain are a few minutes’ walk.

Practicals: 15 Rue du Sault-au-Matelot, Lower Town; 28 rooms; breakfast included; lift; paid outdoor parking; not pet-friendly; no pool or spa. Fit: couples, history buffs and small-hotel lovers. Rue du Sault-au-Matelot is one of the oldest streets in the city, running along the foot of the cliff where the earliest settlement grew, and it is lined with restaurants and galleries. Staying here puts you in the heart of the Lower Town’s history while avoiding the crowds of Petit-Champlain at night.