Where are the best places to stay near the Montreal Jazz Fest that happens each summer? Which hotels get you close to the action?
If you’re headed to the International Festival of Jazz in Montreal, Canada, one of the great advantages is that it’s in a very central, pedestrian-friendly area. You don’t have to bus out to some distant fairgrounds area or spend a fortune on taxi rides. All of the outdoor stage shows are free and they’re clustered around the largest concert hall, where the big-name paid shows are. You can come and go as you please, doing your dining and drinking at local bars and restaurants if you don’t like the selection near the stages. (When I attended in 2018, none of the available beers were Canadian!)
If you stay near the event, you can pop back to your hotel to change, shower, or take a nap between shows. Then you’ll be ready to hit the late concerts, which can run until midnight. Then the fun moves to the clubs. Here’s where to check in nearby.
Hyatt Regency Montreal
You can literally watch a show from the sun deck a
t this Hyatt in the center of the action. You walk out the door and you’re at the entrance to the festival, so you may be sharing the elevator with a legendary jazz musician on the way.
There are nearly 600 rooms though, so you can snag one fairly easily if you book ahead. The set-up is a little strange in that the first few floors are a shopping mall, but this being Quebec, you’ll find plenty of quality meals in the food court. You can also go grocery shopping without leaving the building–and there’s a fridge in the room.
Delta Hotels by Marriott Montreal
One of the 30 brands you can’t keep straight in the Marriott portfolio, this is the best one if you’re looking for a solid chain property with no quirkiness or surprises. With 465 rooms, there’s often availability and a good rate right up to a few weeks before the festival. There’s a spa and 24-hour room service if you party too hard at the festivities.
Courtyard Montreal Downtown
Another “no surprises” Marriott choice, this one is just one block downhill from the festival perimeter, so when you’re done for the night it’s all downhill to your room.
L’Appartement Hotel
Near the Delta but with lower rates and free breakfast, this one will get your day started right and leave a little cash for food trucks and drinks. Or you can make use of the in-room kitchen that most rooms have. It does have a gym if you overindulge and there’s even a rooftop pool to take advantage of the summer sun.
Best Western Plus on Ste. Catherine Street
This is often the best value choice in the area, so book well ahead of time for Montreal Jazz Festival 2019 or 2020. Otherwise those strapped international touring musicians may beat you to it. Although it’s a relatively inexpensive option, this is one of the newest hotels in the area.
Le Square Phillips Hotel
Rates here are often reasonable and Le Square is in a great location. It’s near the metro, the Underground City, and Chinatown, but it’ll take you less than 10 minutes of walking to get to your favorite performance stage.
Hotel Le Dauphin Montreal Downtown
If you’d like to spend your days in the historic section and your nights at the Jazz Festival, Le Dauphin is in a good location between the two. Rates are usually reasonable at this minimalist, Danish-modern feel hip hotel.
Hôtel Zero 1
This is another stylish choice near the festival if you’re trying to avoid the typical chain hotel feel. Most of the 124 rooms are smaller than you’ll find at other properties on this list, but they’re well-designed and have a fridge. There’s a gym and a roof deck, but no pool.
Hotel Quartier des Spectacles
This budget hotel option is close enough that you could catch glimpses of who is coming on stage from your window if you’re on the top floor, with the hotel located right on Ste. Catherine Street. This is a quirky choice, sharing a lobby with Hotel Abri du Voyageur and with no elevators for the four-floor building, so you may not want to just blindly pick the cheapest room.
Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth
If you’re not much of a planner and you decide the week before to head to the International Festival of Jazz, you may well end up here at the Fairmont. It’s Montreal’s largest hotel, with 950 rooms in a building complex started in 1958. It has been through many renovations over the years and is known for running like a well-oiled machine.
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