Entourage sur-le-Lac

A Lakeside Address a Quarter of an Hour From Old Quebec

Lac Beauport sits in a bowl of low wooded hills just north of Quebec City, close enough that the drive downtown takes about fifteen minutes, far enough that the evening sound is water rather than traffic. Entourage sur-le-Lac holds the shoreline at 99 Chemin du Tour-du-Lac, a long resort of 166 rooms and suites that turns almost every window toward either the lake or the ridge behind it. It belongs to the Quebec group Origine Hôtels, and it reads as a property built for the water first and the city second. The MICHELIN Guide lists it among its recommended stays in the region.

Why It Works

We keep this one for travellers who want Quebec City without sleeping in it. The private beach is the argument: guests walk out of the lobby and onto the sand, which is a rare thing this close to the capital. Around it the resort has built a programme of some fifteen activities, from kayaking and hiking to dragon boat paddling run with a local club, so a stay here takes shape even when nobody plans one. Add a kitchen area in many of the rooms, a jacuzzi that runs through the winter and a Biosphere sustainability certification, and the case makes itself.

Why This Location

Lac-Beauport is a resort village rather than a suburb: the road that rings the lake passes beaches, outfitters and trailheads. From the hotel the shoreline is immediate, and the hills of the Jacques-Cartier region open out behind, which is what fills the place with cyclists in summer and with skiers once the snow sets. The walled old town of Quebec City lies about twenty kilometres south, close enough for dinner inside the ramparts and a return the same evening. The trade is worth naming plainly: you want a car here, and you get a lake in exchange.

Fast Facts

• Price: Premium

• Vibe: Lakeside, active, family friendly, unstuffy

• Rooms: 166 rooms and suites, classic kings, studio kings and suites, most with a balcony and many with a kitchenette

• Best For: Families with a week to fill, couples pairing outdoors with city, corporate groups needing meeting space

• Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: The private beach on Lac Beauport, a few steps from the lobby doors

• Dining: L’îlot Repère Gourmand, a European base with international influence and Quebec produce, plus a pizza service on site

• Amenities: Private beach, seasonal outdoor pool, year round jacuzzi, outdoor spa, fitness room, meeting and congress space, pets accepted, Biosphere certified

• Attractions: The Lac Beauport shoreline on the doorstep, Old Quebec about twenty kilometres south, the trails and outfitters of the Jacques-Cartier region behind the resort

Rooms That Keep the Lake in View

The rooms follow a contemporary scheme drawn from water and forest, pale wood and muted blues, and they are laid out for stays longer than one night. Classic kings, studio kings and suites carry a refrigerator, a microwave and a table to eat at, which matters when a family wants breakfast before the beach without a restaurant sitting. Ask for the lake side: the balconies on that face give the full width of the water and the hills beyond. The mountain side is the quieter one, and it suits anyone who plans to be outdoors all day anyway.

The Table at L’îlot Repère Gourmand

The restaurant takes its name from the small island the dining room looks out on. The kitchen works from a European base with international influence and leans on Quebec growers for the rest, which in practice means a menu that moves with what the region has. It is a generous room rather than a ceremonious one, and it carries the whole population of the resort, from paddlers coming off the water to conference groups. A pizza service runs alongside it for the evenings when nobody wants to change clothes.

Four Seasons on the Water and the Ice

Summer belongs to the beach and the boats, with kayaks, paddling and yoga sessions held on the sand. Autumn empties the water and fills the trails. Once the lake freezes the resort keeps going: skating, fat biking on packed snow, and the jacuzzi steaming in the cold. Wellness runs through all of it, in conditioning classes and quieter workshops, and the outdoor spa is the reliable end to any of these days. February and July both have a good answer here.