Culture, Fine Dining, Beauty and Architecture: Experience Montreal

Hotel Le Crystal, Montreal

June 3, 2011- Montreal is a vibrant cultural metropolis right over the border into the Great North. It’s only a stunning scenic drive away from New York headed north into the upper Hudson. The drive takes you through lush green mountains, rolling streams and quiet lakes where you might catch a fisherman casting away as the landscape swirls by. Once you hit the Jacque Cartier Bridge, a beautiful city sprawls across the river with an eclectic waterfront awaiting you full of skyscrapers and classic European architecture. Call me biased, but as a proud member of the worldwide McGill alumni, a trip to Montréal is more than just a short getaway and always one of the most awaited trips of the year.

The newly constructed Hotel Le Crystal is the perfect place to begin a long weekend, and it caters to a visitors every need at the sumptuous, all suite five star resort. Staying at a boutique hotel means the possibility to have it all, from the Executive Suites to the Penthouse, to the conference center, French restaurant or the urban day spa. Each room is sprawling and luxurious with views into the downtown to lookout on after a busy day exploring the city. Located in the heart of town across the street from the city’s most prized location, the stadium where the fabled Montréal Canadiens take to the ice, the hotel is the perfect place to base your adventure whether one is in the city for a long weekend, the Formula 1 Grand Prix or the Jazz festival. The gem that is Montreal once the snow melts and tourists take to the streets are the countless world renowned activities going on in the city almost every weekend.

Every trip to Montréal requires a long stroll along the St. Laurent River in the Viex (Old) Montréal. The remnants of when Montréal was the prize of the British crown and striking Old World architecture was built up along quiet cobblestone streets. But as great as this part of town is, do not fall in with the other tourists and stay just there. There is the McGill campus that always deserves a nice tour and the streets of St. Denis and St Laurent, both hip and happening strips of restaurants, lounges and boutiques. Next time you need a fresh taste of the Old World, a splendid meal and memorable night on the town skip the cross pond flight and head up to Montreal.

By: Igor Bratnikov