Hôtel de l'ITHQ

Where Quebec Trains Its Future Hoteliers

On Saint-Denis Street, where downtown gives way to the Plateau, stands a hotel with an unusual mission. Hôtel de l’ITHQ is the working hotel of the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec, the province’s school for hospitality and cuisine. Each year, more than 300 students train at the front desk, in the dining rooms and in the kitchens, supervised by experienced professionals. For guests, that means a well-run hotel with a genuine sense of occasion, where service is attentive because it is being taught, and where the restaurant is a showcase for Quebec’s culinary talent.

Why It Works

We selected the ITHQ because it offers something no chain can reproduce: a stay that doubles as a window on how Quebec cooks and hosts. The rooms are comfortable and well laid out, many with balconies over the city; breakfast is included; and the location, right beside a metro station on the edge of the Plateau, is excellent. Add three places to eat and drink under the same roof, from a restaurant to a teaching bistro and a bar, and the hotel covers most of what a food-minded visitor to Montreal is looking for.

Why This Location

The hotel stands on Saint-Denis near Sherbrooke Street, beside the Sherbrooke metro station, facing Square Saint-Louis, a leafy square framed by colourful Victorian houses. From the square, Rue Prince-Arthur leads west to Boulevard Saint-Laurent, while Saint-Denis runs north into the heart of the Plateau, with its cafés, bookshops and terraces. The Quartier Latin and the Quartier des Spectacles are a short walk downhill, and a single metro ride connects to downtown and Old Montreal.

Fast Facts

• Price: Premium

• Vibe: lively, gourmand, educational, central

• Rooms: classic and prestige rooms, junior and executive suites, many with balconies

• Best For: food lovers, couples, culture-minded visitors exploring the Plateau

• Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: being looked after by Quebec’s next generation of hoteliers and chefs, in a hotel that doubles as a school

• Dining: Restaurant de l’ITHQ, the teaching bistro La Relève gourmande and Bar Blanc bec, with breakfast included

• Amenities: balconies with city views, indoor parking, GreenStep and Green Key environmental certifications

• Attractions: Square Saint-Louis, Rue Prince-Arthur, Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Quartier Latin, Quartier des Spectacles

Rooms Above the Rooftops

Rooms come in five categories, from classic rooms with one or two queen beds, suited to families of up to four, to prestige rooms with a king bed and junior or executive suites with a separate living area. Many have balconies looking out over the rooftops of the city, a real pleasure on a summer evening. An accessible Universelle category is also available. Breakfast is included, and children under twelve stay free, which makes the suites a sensible choice for families visiting the city.

A Table That Is Also a Classroom

Food is the heart of the institute, and it shows. The Restaurant de l’ITHQ is where students and chefs work the classics and the produce of Quebec side by side; La Relève gourmande offers a more relaxed teaching table; and Bar Blanc bec is the place for a drink before dinner. Eating here is a way to taste what the next wave of Montreal kitchens will bring, while supporting the school that trains them.

Before You Book

The ITHQ is an ideal base for a Montreal stay built around neighbourhoods and food. Book dinner at the restaurant when you reserve the room. Parking is indoors and paid, but with the metro right beside the hotel, a car is rarely needed. Summer and the festival season are the busiest times, when Saint-Denis fills with terraces and the Plateau is at its liveliest.