TRANSPORTATION
My friend Krystal and I traveled from Toronto, Ontario to Montreal, Quebec with the very affordable bus service called Megabus. The bus was clean, comfortable, and offered Wi-Fi which was kind of choppy, but worked just fine.
LODGING
We arrived in Montreal in the early afternoon and checked in to the Hotel Des Arts. The hotel was very run down, but we didn’t mind it too much at first since we were only going to be staying there for 2 nights. This was until we heard something scratching and chewing behind the wall between the bathroom and the room, which appeared to be a mouse. I immediately went downstairs to reception to ask for a refund since we had only been there for a couple of hours. The receptionist named Mia phoned her manager and after a short conversation with him she told me to call the manager on Monday and to talk to him about the refund. When I asked if I could speak with him then, she told me no. When I asked why, she told me “because”. In my opinion that is not how you speak with a customer. I then informed her that we would be checking out as soon as we have collected our things, to which she replied with “Just so you know, all of the hotels in Montreal have mice in the summer months”. I was in shock! I could not believe that she had the audacity to say something like this to a customer! I informed her that this was not my first time in Montreal, and that I have traveled around the world and that this was my first time experiencing something so horrible! Word of advice, DO NOT STAY AT THIS HOTEL!!
We then checked into the Delta Hotel which was the original hotel we were going to stay in, but was double the price of the Hotel Des Arts (it is true what they say, you get what you pay for). The Delta was AMAZING! The beds were so comfortable and this was the first time I left a hotel and did not say “I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed”. The hotel had a pool, hot tub, and sauna, which we used on our second day since it was raining all day. I highly recommend staying at this hotel since it is in a great location, clean, and very comfortable – and mouse free!! Here is a view from our room, 1618.
FOOD AND DRINK
Since we were on a budget and short on time, our first meal in Montreal was at the Indian Restaurant called Bombay Mahal Express located at 3681, St-Laurent. The restaurant is a fast food style, but was affordable and delicious.
For dinner on Friday we went to an Italian Restaurant called Eduardo’s, located at 404 Avenue Duluth Est. The food here was also reasonably priced. I ordered the Primavera Blanco and it was delicious and very filling (I didn’t finish it all). We also brought in our own wine and we were not charged a corking fee. It is a great way to enjoy a delicious Italian meal with your favourite wine.
For breakfast on Saturday we went to Chez Cora located at 1240 Rue Drummond (inside the Best Western Hotel). Cora’s is a breakfast chain restaurant that can be found in different parts of Canada. The food is delicious, but is definitely more pricey than any other breakfast place you might go to. However, it was very filling and we skipped lunch all together that day.
For dinner that day we went to a vegetarian restaurant called Lola Rosa Cafe located at 545 Milton. Although I am not a vegetarian, and very much a meat lover, the food was great! We ordered a platter of nachos to share, and I ordered the Veggie Burger, which was great. The only thing I would change is the bread that was used as mine fell apart.
After dinner we went to a wine bar called Pullman located at 3424 Av Du Parc, which I do not recommend. The atmosphere in the place is nice, however, to order a drink, you also have to order food which is way over priced. We ordered chocolate truffles which came to $6 for 4. That was also one of the cheapest items on the menu. I looked at the other dishes people ordered and they were all very small portions for the price you are paying. Better to go someplace else, unless this is your style.
On our last day, we had meals on the go. For breakfast we went to the famous Fairmount Bagels located at 74 Rue Fairmount Ouest.
The bagels are freshly made in house, and if you order the sesame seed bagel, you will likely get one fresh out of the oven. I also ordered a New York Style Pretzel and it was also very fresh and delicious. From what I can see on their website, it appears that they do not have a gluten free option for those of you who may be on gluten free diets.
Sadly I forget the name of the place we went for lunch, if it comes to me I will share. For our bus ride back we got good old Tim’s and Subway (nothing fancy).
If you have any questions or would like more information about the places we stayed and ate at, please feel free to comment below!
Happy Travels!
Andrea
I am not sure how you booked the first hotel you were at but if you used Expedia they will refund your money if you call them.
Hi Melissa,
I guess I forgot to mention that Expedia refunded me for the hotel because we had only been checked in for about 5 hours. Note to self: proofread 😉
Andrea