Quebec/Montreal advice

[d9704011]

3 hours ago, lx200gps said:

there is a large, less than top tier mall with a Walmart right next to the hotel.

You're being very generous on this.  About the only reason(s) I can see for staying at the QI are it's proximity to Scores in the shopping mall and the price, especially compared to the airport Marriott.

 

Big advantages of staying at the Marriott include:  no fussing around with airport shuttles, being near the US departures for a morning flight, access to restaurants in the airport and relatively stress-free transit on 747 bus if one really desires to head into Montreal for a few hours.

 

I think I'd reconsider my hotel arrangements, overall budget and farting around tolerance.

[lx200gps]

3 hours ago, d9704011 said:

You're being very generous on this.  About the only reason(s) I can see for staying at the QI are it's proximity to Scores in the shopping mall and the price, especially compared to the airport Marriott.

 

Big advantages of staying at the Marriott include:  no fussing around with airport shuttles, being near the US departures for a morning flight, access to restaurants in the airport and relatively stress-free transit on 747 bus if one really desires to head into Montreal for a few hours.

 

I think I'd reconsider my hotel arrangements, overall budget and farting around tolerance.

Yes, I sure was.  Also, FWIW there's a decent little Italian restaurant called Da Mangione in a strip mall just around the corner from the QI. Beats a Scores 8 days a week. If the poster can swing it, the Marriott is an absolute slam dunk for a hotel when facing an early morning departure. Second closest alternative would the big Sheraton almost next to the terminals

Edited September 7 by lx200gps

[Birdnutty]

8 hours ago, lx200gps said:

The Quality Inn at YUL is on the other side of a very busy highway from the airport, though there is a large, less than top tier mall with a Walmart right next to the hotel. Is there a reason why you chose the QI over, say, the big airport Marriott which is physically inside the International terminal and would make catching an early morning flight MUCH easier? As you suspect, there's pretty much nothing anywhere near the airport worth "touristing", you would have to taxi or Uber into downtown or Old Montreal, about 20 km and maybe 30 minutes if you're lucky. Don't bother going back to the airport proper if you're at the QI, take one from the hotel. Fortunately, as a result of massive roadwork projects over the last decade there are dedicated bus/taxi lanes almost all the way from the edge of downtown to the airport along Highway 20 to make the trip a bit easier. There are public buses which you could take but the experience would probably take a lot longer and be far less convenient than an Uber. Which day of the week and what time of day would you foresee going into downtown? Montreal has some VERY bad traffic owing to the never-ending construction, and traffic jams can be quite bad. Heading to and from downtown or Old Montreal from the airport would be less difficult on a weekend.

I had absolutely no information to go on when booking a hotel, and we've always been pretty lucky with Choice Hotels.  They had a good price, so I booked it. I had and have no clue as to the geography and topography of  Montreal, so I was booking blind.  But it's cancellable if I find something better. 

I don't have many options, I don't think, as our cruise leaves in just over a week, and we'll be in Montreal on the 27th, a Friday.  (We booked late, and now I'm scrambling to do everything at once.)

 

I'll check into some other hotels and hope for the best.  I appreciate the input.  Being a total greenhorn in an unknown land is tough.

[Birdnutty]

Whoa!!  Just did a little more research on the recommended hotels, and the Marriott is beyond my price point. (the most expensive dates for the whole month - over $500 USD!) 

 

So we decided to bite the bullet and I reserved the Sheraton Airport, upon your suggestions.  Their senior rate is refundable up until the day before, so that is a great deal.  

 

Would appreciate some guidance on IDing and getting to the better sights in Montreal.  Only have a few hours, and don't want to waste any time.  

[lx200gps]

8 hours ago, Birdnutty said:

Whoa!!  Just did a little more research on the recommended hotels, and the Marriott is beyond my price point. (the most expensive dates for the whole month - over $500 USD!) 

 

So we decided to bite the bullet and I reserved the Sheraton Airport, upon your suggestions.  Their senior rate is refundable up until the day before, so that is a great deal.  

 

Would appreciate some guidance on IDing and getting to the better sights in Montreal.  Only have a few hours, and don't want to waste any time.  

I'm not surprised that the Marriott is expensive, you're paying for the convenience of a 10 foot inside walk from the hotel to the check in counters. The Sheraton is a very good, large full service hotel and is not far from the terminals. About an 800 yard walk if you have to but I'm sure they have a shuttle. Unfortunately, the area around the airport is, like most airports, a wasteland with nothing to see or do. If you want to see Montreal, and since it's late September and past the worst of the tourist season, you might want to consider a taxi or Uber to Old Montreal, not far from downtown. You can easily see Montreal on Google Maps to get a feel for how the downtown is laid out. Friday afternoon traffic will be bad but the evening rush hour tends to flow in the opposite direction OUT of downtown. Figure 30-60 minutes to get from the airport to Old Montreal. It's a beautiful area (it's also Montreal's cruise port) and has LOTS of excellent restaurants. You could make the trek in the afternoon, spend the evening in Old Montreal for dinner, then head back to the airport after the evening rush hour.