The Marriott Chateau Champlain seemed to provide the perfect answer for a grandmother and twelve-year old granddaughter on a shopping expedition. The hotel faces a green space and has an elevator, ostensibly down to shopping, but really to the metro with tunnels to shopping centers. We scoured all.

Our room was on the 10th floor. It was a pretty standard room with regard to size and furnishings, but had pretty appointments. A dressing area was a nice bonus.

We could walk a few blocks to the shopping on Ste. Catherine, but the area is heavy with business buildings, though the Queen Elizabeth is near if you fancy tea in luxury. The stadium is also around the corner.

I recommend Santa Lucia for good pizza. We shared one and a salad, which was the perfect amount.

I stayed at the Marriott Chateau Champlain for 3 nights in April. It was the second time I stayed at this hotel. The main reason for chosing this hotel over others is the location. It is close to every place of interest and amenities.

There are a lot of elevators so there is practically no waiting to get up or down. The rooms were clean but the bathroom and decor needs updating. The beds are still super comfortable and the sheets are top quality. Reception for the TV needs to be looked at ... so does the connection to the free wifi - the hotel changed the way to access wifi. Now, access is only valid for 1 day which you have to keep logging onto again with a password - such a hassle for something that is free.

In all, I would still consider staying at this hotel on my next visit to Montreal.

We stayed in this hotel for 4 nights in March 08. It has half-moon windows on all the rooms (over 30 floors) and is known locally as the cheese grater. It was two visits of 2 nights each, separated by 10 days. We arrived on 7 March and were so pleased we had chosen this hotel because on the afternoon/night of 8 March, Montreal had an enormous snowstorm - one of the biggest for decades. Fortunately we were able to disappear into the Underground City (RESO) beneath the hotel and escape the worst of the weather. We were fortunate to be given a room on the 26th floor overlooking the park on our first visit and on the 9th floor on our second visit. Both had wonderful views. The rooms are not huge but we had 2 double beds and still found plenty of room to move around - we're Europeans so used to smaller rooms anyway. The standard of housekeeping is excellent and the storage space for clothes and other belongings very generous.
On our first night we ate in the hotel restaurant. The food was pleasant but overpriced; the Australian chardonnay wine cost us 12$ CAN (+tax and service) a large glass, which we thought a little excessive. On the remaining 3 nights we ate elsewhere - Montreal has a huge range of great restaurants and many are close to the hotel which is right in the heart of the downtown area and on top of a metro station.
We were particularly impressed with the friendly front-desk staff, the bellman (he's been working there for 40 years so I certainly won't call him a bellboy) and the porters, who stand outside in all weathers resplendent in their winter clothing.
We were very happy with this hotel and will definitely stay there again, particularly as it's the sort of place where they remember you and I know we'd get a warm welcome, regardless of the weather outside.

The Chateau Champlain is an excellent choice in Montreal. Though not perfect under a few minor aspects, its general quality definitely outweighs those little flaws.

PROS:
Views : Every room is equipped with a semicircular kind of bay window (without partitions), which provides STUNNING views of Montreal's skyline. Should you elect to stay at this hotel, indulge yourself and request a room on higher floors. This single feature is worth the price you will be paying.

Location : Close to everything. Just grab your shoes and walk to virtually any interesting spot in the city. Also - and this is not a minor advantage - the hotel is linked to the metro, Place du Canada, the CN train station, Place Ville-Marie (one of Montreal's highest skyscrapers) and Place Bonaventure. Only few other hotels in Montreal are directly linked to a metro station and so many shopping centers.

Furnishing / decor : Some like it traditional. This is my case, and if it is yours too, then go along with the Marriott Chateau Champlain. Upon entering the hotel, you are greeted by an inviting, spacious and classy hall. So are the rooms, except for the spacious attribute. I got a room which I guess is considered as basic. Nevertheless, its furnishing was on par with North America's highest standards. Overall, the room itself was in a state of perfect cleanliness, smelled incredibly good and looked very elegant. As Marriott got us used to, their new beds are sublime. Every room features a spacious walk-in with lots of drawers. This contributes to reducing the size of the room itself, but is undeniably useful.

Service : Bellboys are incredibly efficient with luggage. The vast majority of staff members I encountered were obliging and competent. Still remains some exceptions (see cons). The maid service was flawless. I cannot comment on room service since I did not use it (same for valets).

Fully non-smoking property : I personally do not mind, but those who can not stand the smell of cigarette will be pleased with this hotel. If a guest ever smokes in his room, the hotel applies a 250$ penalty and closes the room for an intensive 1-day cleanup.

I can not comment on the pool, but it looked fairly good at first glance.

Still a few CONS:

Size of the rooms : It is true that rooms are on the small side. I would say smaller than usual for this hotel category. For a party of more than two, I suspect that it would feel a little cramped.

Bathrooms : Though their spotless cleanliness, bathrooms look overly outdated. I do not really care, do you ?

On-site restaurant : The hotel restaurant (Samuel-de-Champlain) is stuffed in a large, dimly lit room with high ceiling and no windows. Food is okay, but prices do not reflect that.

Service : Some of the staff members were either underperformant or too familiar. One night, there was a bartender who seemed to be fluent in no language known in North America. Plus, he made a weird comment on the beer brand we ordered. Excessive familiarity and lack of manners are not acceptable in such a property. On that particular aspect, the Ritz-Carlton is still way ahead of the Chateau.

Here I will conclude with a special note for event organizers. This hotel is certainly a fairly decent choice for your next event in Montreal, but remain alert. Banquet managers are well intended, but some (not all) of their staff are severely lacking professionalism. In my personal experience, service was erratic, room charts were not always followed, Internet access was a nightmare and lighting / climate control was terrible.

But overall, the Chateau Champlain is a wonderful place to spend some vacation time.