Staying in Canada’s Most Iconic Luxury Hotel

earlier this year I stayed at the iconic Fairmont Bam Springs and I had a surprisingly great time it was very expensive however and that got me thinking on what their other luxury hotels are like specifically this one the Chateau front neck in Quebec City perhaps Canada's most iconic hotel with a reputation of it being the most photographed hotel in the world so let's see if it lives up to all of this hype as we check in during the holidays and stay in their High level of luxury Fairmont gold but most importantly let's see if it's worth the Steep [Music] price like all of Quebec City this hotel has a vast and Rich history its Central land within the city of course had multiple uses over many decades and even centuries the front neck ultimately came to fruition as a 170 room luxury hotel in 1893 and just like the Bam Springs Hotel it was developed by Canadian Pacific Railway over the next few decades its popularity would warrant multiple expansions with other new Wings most significant of which was a central tower which was completed in 1924 that would span over 17 floors and Feature A striking steeped roof in fact this whole structure was a gorgeous example of Chateau design with elements of French Renaissance architecture truly cementing this hotel as an icon of the city its popularity wouldn't even be deterred by a de devastating fire in 1926 wait wasn't that the same year the B Springs Hotel burned down coincidence yeah probably even all the way to 1993 it saw another expansion with the addition of more hotel rooms and an indoor pool this capped off the hotel with 610 hotel rooms with such an iconic hotel that has been around for over 125 years it of course has seen some notable uses too it's hosted pretty much every Canadian Prime Minister kings and queens of the British monarchy it's hosted various world leader Summits and even played a hand in World War II where this very conference room was location where Winston Churchill Theodore Roosevelt and Canadian Prime Minister William lion McKenzie King had planned both the Battle of Normandy and following the war mapped out what post-war Europe would look like and of course on top of all of that the hotel has hosted many celebrities and even played the backdrop to film and television like Alfred Hitchcock's I confess and even a Korean TV drama called Goblin so the hotel was obviously very beautiful and the building itself is flanked by Parks a massive Boardwalk area and beautiful historic streets it all feels so surreal and it's hard to believe that you're still in Eastern Canada but I guess it's why Quebec City is often touted as the most authentically French city outside of France so it's not hard to believe that the hotel is now designated as a National Historic Site of Canada funny enough even though I'm from Ontario I actually only knew about this hotel as a kid from epcot's Canada Pavilion which is what the centerpiece structure is based on so it's always been an icon of Canada and ever since I first visited Montreal I have fallen in love with the unique culture architecture and people of Quebec and Quebec City has always been on my bucket list so let's check in and head up to our room which is a Fairmont gold one king bed City View the cheapest Gold Room they offer I think this room upon First Impressions is very comfortably appointed it feels warm and quite cozy especially with this spectacular unobstructed view over downtown Quebec City the 16th floor where we're located is just one from the top and we're actually just at the base of the steeped roof so we have this unique iron grading that covers the window the windows actually open up quite generously here and watching the Parliament building light up is just a real treat all of the materials feel solid and the overall design is certainly higher end the bed was comfortable with very soft and premium feeling sheets the bathroom too was cozy and felt very luxurious it was mostly cladded with real marble not the fake ceramic stuff at Disney's Riviera and had very luxurious appointments like this leather wrapped tissue box and rose scented bath product the shower didn't have a rainfall head which was a little disappointing for this price point though it did have a very strange sour nozzle that I've never seen before the floor was also not heated which would have been a nice touch again for this price point and for the fact that this is in a colder climate overall the room is very nice though a little small but I think that can be forgiven based on the fact that this is a very old structure and that they are limited architecturally on how large these rooms can actually be something I instantly noticed while spending time in this room however is just how much better the Fairmont ban Gold Room was there it just felt a lot more elevated with many more Modern Luxury touches now In fairness this room is generally cheaper than the B Hotel so I suppose it makes sense however there are some larger problems that I don't like here the TV for example looks like it's from 2011 and has a very prevalent and very annoying flickering issue no matter what is being played on it that is simply not acceptable for a luxury Club level hotel room there's some other annoyances too the Wi-Fi speed was pretty lackluster and unlike the fermont bamp with a modern fridge drawer this is a fully stocked fridge with no room to put your own stuff all filled with overpriced beverages there's also snacks provided as well as premium beverages above the cabinet that are on these tacky pressure plates according to the in room menu this wine is $50 and I'm really hoping the bottle of water beside it because it's not exactly listed on here is not $9 that would be absolutely absurd at least the provided tea and coffee are complimentary really all of this feels a bit greedy considering this is the highest category the hotel offers not to mention the access you get to a lounge where most of the stuff is already complimentary I'm just under the belief if a hotel is charging you significantly more for an elevated room that is supposed to come with complimentary food and beverages in this case double the normal room rates it should not have the same greedy Hotel practices to try and squeeze every last dollar out of you the BAM property doesn't do this I hope these anti-consumer practices are retired okay so the room is nice but not as nice as other luxury hotel rooms but this is Fairmont gold after all which means you get access to the gold Lounge this gold Lounge is located on the 14th floor of the front neck and also features its own gold check-in desk and concierge here they serve breakfast in the morning evening or derves and a very limited single option dessert plate after 8:00 p.m. otherwise some light snacks are left out throughout the day and you can always make or have someone make yourself a tea or coffee or just grab a to-go drink from the refrigerators the quality of the food was pretty good and the selection was also good but not great I have to say once again though After experiencing the gold Lounge at the Fairmont B This truly pales in comparison both in the size of the lounge and the selection which felt like it was half of what the B Lounge offers missing here too was the extensive drink options like smoothies and build your own hot chocolates all very premium offerings which were sorely missed here a full bar is also available to guests however all alcohol is at an extra charge however it is nice that the friendly Lounge staff will make whatever you want that is on offer okay I want to quickly thank this video sponsor sent bird both myself and Emmy are actually pretty excited about the sponsor but especially Emy since she's actually really into fragrance sent bird allows you to try all types of highquality name brand perfumes at an affordable price you select what you want to try out and they'll deliver it right to you in these really handy generously 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the link in the description below aside from our Gold Room there are plenty of other room categories to choose from since the architecture of the building is so varied and since there are 610 hotel rooms each one is going to be slightly different in size and shape I actually asked the marketing team there if I could have a peek into some other rooms and they actually agreed towards the bottom of their offerings you have a one Queen Deluxe Courtyard view there's a lot of room here and maybe it's a little Bland looking though the bathroom is almost as nice as the gold bathroom there's also a signature one king this one with a water View and a fireplace uniquely inside the turret there's various Junior Suites one-bedroom Suites gold level Suites and then there's the executive suites named and themed after famous figures who have stayed here in the past we got to see The Churchill Suite in this case ornately decorated for Christmas it has Winston Churchill artifacts behind art a large living room and dining room a beautiful master bedroom room and an on Suite with a freestanding bathtub it's very beautiful but also very expensive if you want to see a full walkthrough of this room I have it over on my Instagram at Brighton travels now if you're wanting to find food or drink outside of the lounge and elsewhere in the hotel well the front neck has many options to choose from aside from a full Starbucks that's open to the public on the boardwalk deck there are three main restaurants and two main bars Place du is open for breakfast Sisto for more casual lunch or dinner and then the fine dining prefix only champagne restaurant truthfully all of these restaurants are absolutely stunning particularly the champagne which has truly breathtaking ceilings however all of these restaurants as you probably could imagine are on the price your side with the champagne's highest prefix menu coming in at $189 a person if you're more interested in drinks well the 16008 bar will cost you several organs with cocktails raising as high as3 55 though like the restaurants the sticker shock can be alleviated somewhat by how stunning the space is it's gorgeous and Fairmont seems to always nail these environments now there is one brand new bar called Ilia that is only open in the Summers on their outdoor pool Terrace speaking of which the front neck has a full gym facility a pretty nice pool and a small spot as for other amenities there are two main shops that line the in our case Christmas tree Concourse off the main lobby they sell high quality and even handmade items which is pretty cool to see perhaps the best amenity this hotel offers though is the history itself from the moment you walk inside the ornate woodlin Lobby is both historic and impressive it's lit by various chandeliers and antique sconces which all create an authentic Ambience like no other there's plenty of Nooks to explore from this weird Spanish inspired staircase to the massive and Grand halls with hand painted ceilings many trim piece pieces are embedded with goldplated emblems and it's just all so impressive I especially love how the hotel Embraces that history and seeks to educate on the boardwalk level there's this winding Museum of sorts that really gets rather thorough and even presents artifacts up on the conference room level there are all types of photos accompanied by historical facts I absolutely love this and you could easily spend several hours perusing the halls and educating yourself taking it all in and this continues when you step outside the hotel too it's easy to see why people call this the most photographed hotel in the world I mean it's absolutely stunning and the more you look at it the more architectural detail you discover it's absolutely magnificent now I know everyone yells at me when I don't try the hotel's food out for myself but the truth is there are so many highly rated restaurants in the area that I would be insane not to try some local establishments out some of the restaurants we tried out of the hotel were M Liv andri champ with some drinks at Pub St Patrick and the incredible baru which is built into the side of the hill and has exposed Stone wrapping all the way around it it also has some of the best bar food I've ever had but then there's the city streets of old Quebec in of itself just a few minutes walk from the hotel in every direction is stunning the cobblestone streets Meander in different directions plazas with grand churches line the streets every building has a shop or a restaurant on the ground level there's a department store I mean it's just a pedestrian's paradise a total walkable City one that truly feels like it was plucked straight from Europe and constructed in North America but you may also notice that the Chateau front neck is perched on top of a steep hill well again just Steps From the property you can take a rather easy set of stairs down or the finicula which first opened in 1879 we went during the Christmas season in old Quebec and just when you thought the city couldn't get any more magical the streets in this area are straight out of a movie The Light layer of snow over the Cobblestone the Christmas trees lining the streets the color of the storefronts the lights draping over them the quietness of it all in the evening it's just truly magical it is the very definition of a winter wonderland there are fire pits that seem to be lit all day and all night and while most shops do close at around 5:00 p.m. it's certainly wor the stroll through this Village at night it's a shockingly beautiful area all with the Chateau front neck looming above you never too far away perhaps the most surreal Street in this area is the central Christmas tree sitting out front of the notredam DI Victa a church first built in 1723 this Plaza might also look familiar as it was the standin for a little town in France in Steven Spielberg's 2002 film Catch Me If You Can so all of this is fantastic but let's talk price and more specifically how much I paid to stay here for one night in our base level Gold Room it came to $571 with taxes and Resort fee but that's without parking from what I've been able to gather this is one of the cheapest rates this room is sold at in fact I got it on a Canadian resident discount offer Fairmont had been promoting as for the more standard room categories well the lowest they start at are around $319 a night before taxes and fees this Deluxe Courtyard view not far from it signature rooms like this can be had for around $440 and a junior suite at around $470 gold rooms start at 539 and the larger themed Suites like the Churchill Suite they are on average around $4,000 a night which is definitely not worth it these are also the base prices for the least desirable times to travel basically the winter over the summer you better believe these rates begin to climb with a standard room costing at least $700 and my Gold Room reaching nearly $1,200 all before tax now Fairmont is a part of the aore Loyalty program so all of these rooms except for the larger Suites are eligible for 5 to 10% off and of course they do have special offers here there which is again what I took advantage of for this trip and it's how I got my gold room for less than the base rack rat you can also book these through points by going to a core but that's a process I'll leave to you really that's pretty expensive but In fairness the front neck is only one of two real five-star hotels in Quebec City the other is intriguing though it's called the LA Capital Hotel and it's of course not as iconic as the fermont but it is in a pretty good location has a beautiful facade and has modern luxurious looking rooms and amenities a standard room there can be had for as little as $255 now if you want to stay Central in the old Quebec area there are tons of tiny Bo boutique hotels scattered all across the historic streets many of which have really good reviews and can be booked for as little as $120 like the hotel manua Morgan which is basically as Central as the firmont some other nearby hotels like the O dead Dam can be as low as $284 during the peak of summer so when you compare it to the $700 plus across the streets well that gets a little hard to justify so with all of this in mind let's give the Fairmont Chateau front neack an actual rated score we'll start with the location you're staying here to see old Quebec City and you couldn't be any more Central it's an easy 10 out of 10 amenities are pretty good you have all the basics multiple food options and a lot of great historical points of interest however the food options apart from Starbucks are very almost prohibitively expensive and there is a lack of complimentary options as historical tours are at an extra cost it's a 7 out of 10 luxury and quality is pretty good the hotel is kept up well though the luxury gold offerings are lacking compared to Rivals and even other Fairmont hotels I'll give it a six out of 10 service was also very good but again at this price point and compared to others it was lacking in a few areas that would warrant attend at the B hotel for example we received welcome chocolate and a personalized note which was absent here so I would give it an 8 out of 10 finally there's value I'm judging this on what we paid for our trip and not what it could be over the summer which if that were the case it would probably be much lower taking into account on what we received the quality of everything and its location I would give it a 7 out of 10 as it is on the cheaper end of when it comes to luxury Club level rooms it's also all about supply and demand here there are barely any other five-star luxury hotels and this is the only one that offers a club level that brings the total score to 38 out of 50 which is threeway from the Fairmont B though 15 points ahead head of Disney's contemporary resort club level offering no matter what this is a spectacular hotel and in some ways I have to understand why fermont is charging this much for their rooms it's a vast building that's over a century old and it must take a lot to keep it up as a luxury hotel if you plan on spending some time here in the winter I think it is worth spending at least a night here to experience this unique atmosphere in the summer however you're probably better off supporting a boutique hotel somewhere close by buy for much cheaper as for the gold category well I think I would keep my $200 premium and either save it or spend it elsewhere in the city as the gold offerings here simply aren't worth it but I will say that you absolutely need to come to Quebec City Christmas or not it's a beautiful place that is unlike anything else in North America I absolutely loved my time here and I truly cannot wait to return since at the time of this video's release we are coming to the end of the year and I just wanted to say thank you so much for tuning in into this channel to watch my videos I've always had an interest in the hospitality industry and of course a lot of opinions on it so by you watching and supporting my content allowing me to review these places without a filter well I don't know it's just really cool that you find my reviews valuable to at least some degree I should also note that thanks to sponsors like scentbird they also help these videos you know exist again promo links are in the description below but all of this is exactly what I set out to do so seriously thank you so much for supporting this content content if you want to follow along with my other Adventures that maybe don't make it to YouTube go follow my Instagram account as well and of course if you're not subscribed to my main Channel where I make short documentaries well you should probably do that too anyway guys my name is Jake and thank you very much for [Music] [Music] watching

Channel: Bright Sun Travels

Views: 682,937

Keywords: Le Château Frontenac, chateau frontenac, fairmont, fairmont banff, bright sun travels, full review, high quality review, histroy, full history, quebec famous hotel, luxury hotel, luxury hotel canada, quebec, 5 star hotel review, hotel review, luxury resort, jake williams, honest review, expensive, beautiful hotel, iconic hotel canada, castle hotel, north america, fairmont gold, tour, hotel tour, room tour, suite tour, ultra luxury

Id: rqnGKJwW3zk

Length: 21min 0sec (1260 seconds)

Published: Mon Dec 18 2023