Hotel 71 by Preferred Hotels & Resorts

Where Quebec City's Bankers Once Counted Their Gold

Rue Saint-Pierre runs through the Old Port, the lower town of Quebec City, between the cliff of Cap Diamant and the St. Lawrence River. In the nineteenth century it was the city's financial street, and at number 71 stood the head office of the National Bank of Canada, the country's first French-speaking bank. The neoclassical building in dressed stone was designed by the architect J.F. Peachy and completed in 1856; five more floors were added in 1921, when the street was busy enough to earn the nickname of Quebec's Wall Street. The Gilbert family bought it and turned it into Hotel 71, a boutique hotel that keeps the dignity of the old bank and fills it with light.

Why It Works

We selected Hotel 71 because it gives Old Québec a contemporary address inside a genuine heritage building. The volumes of a former bank translate into rooms with 14-foot ceilings, very large windows and light hardwood floors, a rare feeling of space in a quarter of narrow stone houses. The service has the precision of a much larger hotel, with a Clefs d'Or concierge at the desk and AAA Four Diamond recognition, and the hotel belongs to Preferred Hotels & Resorts. At 60 rooms and suites, it keeps the calm of a boutique address.

Why This Location

The Old Port is the quieter side of historic Quebec City, a few steps below the walls of the upper town. From the hotel, Place Royale and its Notre-Dame-des-Victoires church are about five minutes away on foot, as is the funicular that climbs to Dufferin Terrace and the Château Frontenac. The lanes of the Petit Champlain quarter lie just beyond. The antique dealers of Rue Saint-Paul, the Old Port market and the riverside promenade are all close, and the Saint-Roch district, with its restaurants and bars, is about twenty minutes' walk. Jean Lesage International Airport is roughly 25 minutes by car.

Fast Facts

• Price: Premium (€€€)

• Vibe: heritage stone, bright contemporary interiors, quiet and polished

• Rooms: 60 rooms and suites, from classic rooms to lofts, a penthouse suite and a private apartment

• Best For: couples, culture lovers, travellers on a winter carnival or Christmas market weekend

• Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: the 14-foot ceilings and tall windows inherited from the old National Bank head office

• Dining: Il Matto for Italian cuisine; continental breakfast included; wine and spirits selection at the bar

• Amenities: Clefs d'Or concierge; rooftop terrace with views over Old Québec; 24-hour fitness room; complimentary bicycles; in-room massage

• Attractions: Place Royale about five minutes on foot, the funicular to Dufferin Terrace and the Château Frontenac, Petit Champlain, Rue Saint-Paul, the Old Port market

Lofts, Suites and River Views

The rooms are contemporary in style, set against the historic shell: pale wood floors, clean lines and generous windows that make the most of the light off the river. Some rooms keep exposed brick, and several look out over the St. Lawrence or up toward Cap Diamant. Bathrooms have rainfall showers and granite counters, with separate tubs in some categories. For longer stays or a special occasion, the lofts, the penthouse suite and L'Appartement give more room to live, and some top-floor rooms open onto their own deck above the rooftops of the lower town.

Il Matto and the Italian Table

Il Matto, the hotel's restaurant, brings a note of Italian dolce vita to a very French quarter. It works as well for a long dinner after a day in the old town as for a glass of wine before heading out, and it gives guests a good table without having to cross the Old Port on a cold evening. Breakfast is included with every stay.

Old Québec in Every Season

Quebec City changes completely from one season to the next, and Hotel 71 is a good base for all of them. In summer, the river promenade and the terraces of the lower town are at their best, and the hotel's bicycles make the riverside cycle paths easy to reach. In autumn, the drive to the Île d'Orléans and the Montmorency Falls is short. In winter, the thick stone walls and quiet rooms are a welcome refuge from the Carnaval crowds and the snow.