Under the guidance of architecture firm Provencher Roy + Associés, the 129 guestrooms and suites underwent a major renovation that saw the addition of new technology and fresh interiors, along with the hotel’s public space, which were completely upgraded. The hotel’s new Royal Suites spans 4,700 sq ft, making it the largest suite in the city.
“The restoration of the hotel and its reconfiguration posed a challenge: that of adopting a contemporary design while maintaining a harmonious dialogue with the original building,” said Claude Provencher, the project’s architect.
“We therefore integrated the principles of the celebrated Venice Charter into our concept, as well as recommendations made in the heritage study of the Ritz-Carlton Montreal under the supervision of Jean-Claude Marsan.”
The façade has been restored but remains largely unchanged, as were the Lobby, the Palm Court, the Oval Room and the hotel’s famed garden.
New technology in the guest rooms includes thermostats that intuitively remember a guest’s temperature preferences when they check-in and motion sensors that turn on the lights when guests enter a dark room.
“The Ritz-Carlton is reclaiming its rightful place here in Montreal and among the guests who stay there,” said Montreal mayor Gérald Tremblay.
“Since it opened in 1912, the hotel has been one of the most elegant addresses in our city and the jewel of the storied Golden Square Mile, close to high-end boutiques, galleries and museums. Our city has changed a great deal — for the better. The reopening of The Ritz-Carlton, Montreal makes a notable contribution to what makes our city different.”
Daniel Boulud’s restaurant Maison Boulud – designed by Super Potato – features a new terrace on Sherbrooke Street as well as its 130-seat dining room and 46-seat greenhouse, and guests will continue to be able to enjoy afternoon tea in the hotel’s gardens. A new gym and indoor salt-water pool complete the new additions.
Among the line up of celebities, VIPs and heads of state who have stayed at the hotle during its 100-year history are Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle, Richard Nixon and Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, who celebrated their first marriage at the hotel.