World’s Most Photographed Hotel Review: Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac

Background and Location

This marks my 500th post, and what better way than posting a review of the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, which has been a bucket list hotel of mine for quite some time! Considered the world’s most photographed hotel, it was designated a National Historic Site in 1981.

The Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, located in Quebec City, Canada is one of the grand railway hotels built by the Canadian Pacific Railway, which wanted to entice wealthy leisure travelers to journey across Canada. This “Chateau Style” was also chosen for Quebec City’s railway station, the Gare du Palais. After my stay, I took a train to Montreal from Gare du Palais and found the station quite pretty and matched the theme.

It’s in a prime location within the walls of Old Quebec, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Most points of interest are within walking distance, and you’ll feel like you are in a city in France. The Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac is just steps away from the funicular to the Rue du Petit Champlain filled with cute shops, restaurants, and cobblestone streets. Or, you can also walk down some stairs and be there quite quickly as well. Other points of interest like Place Royale and the Citadelle de Quebec are within walking distance as well.

Takeoff Points

Date of Stay: May 2024
Room Type: Deluxe Courtyard View Room
Pros: Opulent architecture and design, comfortable bedding, and solid service.
Cons: Some common areas could be uplifted such as the hallways, and the room bathroom is quite tight.

Fora Travel Benefits

I work with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays. Fora is part of Accor HERA and Virtuoso. These partnerships give you special perks when booking with me. The Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac features:

• Room upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
• Daily Breakfast for up to two guests per bedroom
• USD 100 equivalent Hotel Credit
• Early Check-In / Late Check-Out, subject to availability

If you are interested in getting these perks and want to stay at the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, feel free to email me at takeofftotravel@fora.travel and I would be happy to help you plan your trip.

Check-In

My friend and I arrived at the property around noon, after taking an Uber from the airport, which took about half an hour. The porte cochere is quite nice, and it feels like you’ve arrived at a castle.

Once arriving at the front desk, we were helped quickly by a friendly associate. To our delight, our room was ready early!

Heading to Room

The Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac offers 610 guestrooms and suites. There are multiple elevator bays that you can take, depending on what floor your room is located on. Our room was located on the 7th floor, which was convenient as we had multiple elevator bays that we could use. To the right of reception, are elevators that can go up to the 7th floor or so, and they weren’t crowded so I would advise using these. There was also another set of elevators next to the restaurant Champlain that went up to the 6th floor.

The three elevators right in the center of the lobby near the entrance go up to the top floors (up to 18), and this set of elevators always had a line and/or stopped at every floor when I used them.

I did find the fact that the elevator doors were kept with a historical decor was quite cool.

Upon arriving at our floor, I did notice the hallways felt quite historic, though I wish they were a bit more opulent.

Deluxe Courtyard View Room

The Deluxe Courtyard View Room is one category above the base Fairmont Room and is between 175 square feet and 225 square feet in size. I believe our room was closer to the larger end of the range, as it didn’t feel that small. My favorite part of the room were the beds and pillows, as they were so comfortable. Once I hopped into bed, I fell asleep instantly.

There was a full-sized desk and chair in front of the first bed, and an armchair with an ottoman towards the window. Outlets and USB ports were available in many parts of the room for easy charging.

A Nespresso Machine was provided, as well as 4 different capsule flavors. Tea bags were also provided.

A Mini-Bar fridge and snack items were available for purchase as well.

Near the entrance is a walk-in closet, which I was pleasantly surprised to see as the room was on the smaller side. Two robes were waiting in the closet and an iron & board were provided.

Bathroom

The bathroom was a standard three-piece but on the small side. On the bright side, it was designed well. Historic hotels normally have smaller bathrooms so I was expecting this.

There was a tub and shower combination. I did enjoy the white marble on the walls and the entire tub/shower as it felt very luxurious. The water pressure was pretty good from the rainfall-style shower, and there were multiple settings plus a wand.

While the sink space was very tight, they did add some glass shelves which were good for holding toiletry bags.

Shower caps, a shoe mitt, and cotton balls/swabs were provided. Toiletries (Shampoo, Conditioner. Shower Gel, and Body Lotion) were all provided by Le Labo in the Rose 31 scent. I like Le Labo and am happy to see it at Fairmont Hotels. Other hotel brands where I’ve seen Le Labo include EDITION and Park Hyatt.

Overall, I found the room to be clean, and well-appointed, and the bedding to be a luxury 5-star standard. Though, the small bathroom was a bit too small for comfort.

Turndown Service

Turndown is available on request, and boxes of water, and little chocolates are provided.

Service-wise, the hotel was pretty good in having quick phone response times, and professional greetings. Plus the concierge was helpful in signing us up for activities, even when we tried joining an event last minute.

Dining

The property features numerous dining options on-site.

The Le Sam Bistro features lunch and dinner with views of the St. Lawrence River. Place Dufferin serves a buffet breakfast as well as an a la carte menu. It also serves the hotel’s afternoon tea service.

The Champlain Restaurant is the signature restaurant on-site serving French cuisine and is currently open for dinner Tuesday to Saturday, plus Sunday brunch.

Located next to the Champlain Restaurant is the 1608 Bar. My friend and I grabbed a drink here one night, and the vibe was nice and social, plus I loved the decor. The drinks looked quite creative, but my friend unfortunately did not like the taste of hers.

Elea, the outdoor terrace on the 6th floor wasn’t open yet during my visit but will be open in the summer and serving refreshments.

There is also a Starbucks in the property, and Room Service is also available from 7 am to 10 pm.

Museum & Shops

On the lower level, there is a small museum exhibit that goes through the history of the property. It was fun to peruse and read up on the history.

The hotel has a few shops, such as the Fairmont Store and Lambert & Co., which offers products made in Quebec.

Amenities

Fitness Center, Pool, and Spa

There is an indoor swimming pool and whirlpool on the 6th floor. It’s open daily from 7 am to 9 pm. I visited quickly on Saturday afternoon, and it was quite crowded with families. So I wasn’t able to get a good photo of the pool. I was told by the staff at the pool that the early mornings are the best times to go for a swim with no crowds.

The gym is also located on the 6th floor and is a decent size. It also overlooks an outdoor space that’s accessible to hotel guests.

The Moment Spa is across the entrance to the pool and offers treatments and massages. It’s open daily from 9 am to 5 pm.

Destination Fee

The Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac does have a destination fee that’s CAD 30 a night. It includes daily activities and we were able to partake in two of them.

Saturday, we did the Riedel Workshop Tasting which was quite fun, We got to sample different types of beers, and I learned that beer tastes different depending on the shape of the glass that it is in. Quite fun! Minus the fact that I don’t love beer haha.

And on Sunday, we did the Quebec City from the River activity. It started at 10:15 am, departed from the hotel, and had a guide take the ferry from Quebec to Levis with us to take in the city views. He told us some interesting stories about the history of Quebec City and the tour ended in the Quartier Petit-Champlain.

The Verdict

Overall, I loved my stay at the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac! I’m glad to have had a weekend stay at the world’s most photographed hotel, as it has been on my bucket list for quite some time. I loved the historical architecture and it felt like I was living in a castle.

Have you stayed at the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac? How was your experience? Comment below!

Cheers,

Ty

Have any questions? I’ve also started working with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays or planning trips. Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!