Housed in a 19th-century bank on the edge of Old Montreal, Hotel Le St-James’ imposing façade features ornate moldings and details fully restored to their 1870s grandeur. It stands out among the surrounding buildings.
The property is equally revered for its guest list, services and individually collected antique appointments. The grand chandeliers, rich drapery and dark woods all suggest Hôtel de Ville in Paris, which is exactly the point at this Parisian-influenced hotel.
The town’s elite inhabits XO Le Restaurant most weekend evenings, gaining global star status when Hotel Le St-James becomes the Ferrari Team hub during Formula One week each June.
Even among the hubbub, the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star hotel’s staff works tirelessly to craft an experience as customized as the 61 rooms and suites adorned with antique finds.
The property is equally revered for its guest list, services and individually collected antique appointments. The grand chandeliers, rich drapery and dark woods all suggest Hôtel de Ville in Paris, which is exactly the point at this Parisian-influenced hotel.
The town’s elite inhabits XO Le Restaurant most weekend evenings, gaining global star status when Hotel Le St-James becomes the Ferrari Team hub during Formula One week each June.
Even among the hubbub, the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star hotel’s staff works tirelessly to craft an experience as customized as the 61 rooms and suites adorned with antique finds.
Our Inspector's Highlights
- An air of sophisticated luxury becomes evident the instant you enter the marble lobby and are directed to the well-appointed library prior to check-in.
- The owner’s talent as an art and antiques collector is evidenced throughout the hotel, from the sculptured busts to the unusual chandeliers that hang in the gathering spaces to a Venetian set of drawers in one of the guests rooms.
- The concierge services are exceptional. Ask for just about any convenience in the city and it will likely be arranged.
- Whether it’s your first stay or you’re a frequent visitor, you’ll be treated with customized attention as detailed as setting a specific room temperature, aromatherapy and musical preference.
- The terraces from the rooftop suites provide the best vista of Montreal this side of Mont Royal itself.
Things to Know
- Montreal traffic is at its worst along the narrow labyrinth outside the hotel in the old city. Luckily, the property offers a shuttle service to get you wherever you need to go.
- Hotel Le St-James remains a favorite haunt of A-list celebrities, so occasionally the lobby can get full when a global name takes up residence, which happens often.
- XO Le Restaurant is a very hot ticket, so make sure to secure dinner reservations when booking your room. Request a more intimate table away from the lounge, especially on weekend nights.
- Like other features throughout the Montreal hotel, Le Spa draws from the property’s banking history — it’s inside a vault dating back to 1870. The exposed granite walls make it unique among the other treatment rooms found around the world.
The Rooms
- Many hotels claim one-of-a-kind rooms, but at Hotel Le St-James, every piece of furniture has a backstory because each one was hand-selected by the owner.
- The Frette linens found on the beds are meticulously ironed each day by the housekeeping team, adding to the elegant European feel.
- The marble bathrooms convey an exclusive men’s club vibe both in size and accoutrements.
- The bedrooms on the lower floors receive less light due to the hotel’s financial district location, where it is surrounded by modern office buildings.
Nearby Attractions
- Old Montreal (aka Vieux Montréal) remains the busiest tourist destination in the city, so it’s always best to visit the major landmarks, such as Notre-Dame Basilica, during the off-season or at least off peak hours.
- Cirque du Soleil debuts all new shows on the Old Montreal waterfront, so check with the concierge to see if a new spectacle is under the big top.
- History buffs will want to visit Pointe-à-Callière, Montreal’s museum of archaeology and history that gives a look into the 350-year-old city. For art lovers, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal often feature culturally French exhibits that do not appear elsewhere in North America.
- The Notre-Dame Basilica, a Gothic Revival church completed in 1843 and just one block away from the luxury hotel, reveals plenty about the city’s individualism. The series of stained glass windows, usually reserved for biblical themes, instead depict Montreal’s own religious history.
- The nearby neighborhood of Little Burgundy, once full of deserted warehouses, has become a center of haute cuisine thanks to Joe Beef, a bistro-meets-farm-to-table phenomenon. The Liverpool House and its sumptuous oysters reside next door.
Amenities
24-hour room service 
Babysitting services
Bar
House car
Meeting rooms
Pet friendly
Restaurants
Spa
Getting There
355 Saint-Jacques Street, Montreal, Quebec H2Y 1N9
TEL514-841-3111
TEL514-841-3111
NEARBY AIRPORT(S)
YUL (18-26 min)
