What to expect: Occupying a richly restored 1800s bank building, this boutique hotel combines original architectural elements with modern conveniences. Sophisticated visitors appreciate the lavish surroundings a short stroll from fine restaurants and shops. With just 60 guestrooms, Hotel Le St. James is known for superlative service, from arranging excursions on its private yacht to providing VIP access to many of the city's best restaurants and clubs.

Amenity highlights: The hotel's candlelit day spa features Swiss botanical products and revitalizing treatments such as the Rain Shower Massage, the Desert Oasis Body Wrap, and Myoxi-Caviar Mask. Other distinctive luxuries include chauffeur-driven vehicles from the hotel's own fleet (including a Rolls-Royce Phantom and Bentley Continental GT) and cruises on its private yacht (surcharges).

The ornate XO Restaurant is the setting for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and afternoon tea.

The Fairmont's expansive lobby is decorated with Canadian art. Wingback chairs, sofas, and loveseats surround a large fireplace. Guests enjoy high tea every afternoon in the serene Tea Lounge. Located above the train station, the hotel attracts businesspeople during the week, and families on weekends. John Lennon wrote "Give Peace a Chance" here during his 1969 "Bed-In for Peace" with Yoko Ono.

Le Centre Sheraton welcomes guests into its atrium lobby filled with natural light and into its Bistro Le Boulevard and Le Café Bar, both located on the lobby level. A gift shop/newspaper stand, a beauty salon for men and women, and a jewelry store are located one floor below the lobby level.

Large crystal chandeliers and gold drapes earmark the lobby. Oversized floral arrangements and sculptures divide sofas, loveseats, and wingback chairs; Asian rugs cover a marble floor. The hotel primarily draws leisure travelers seeking an urban resort ambience.

Families and businesspeople frequent this centrally located downtown hotel. Doorstaff welcome guests into the lobby, which has an opulent yet relaxed feel with arched ceilings, mahogany furnishings, and rich colors, and includes access to the metro.

Cream-colored marble dominates the brass-accented lobby where L'Opera Bar is nestled under the winding staircase. Things get hopping after business hours, when a mix of local and international businesspeople, celebrities, and sports stars rub shoulders in this stylish, sophisticated setting.

This three-floor Hilton is located atop the 17-story Place Bonaventure in Montréal's city center. Built for the 1967 World's Fair, the hotel has a large lobby with bar, restaurants, and conference rooms opening onto a rambling rooftop garden. Popular with business travelers during the week, and families on weekends, the hotel offers easy access to underground shops and the business district.

After entering through Hotel St Paul's century-old façade, guests find themselves in the minimalist, marble-floored lobby. A floor-to-ceiling alabaster fireplace hides an intimate sitting area to the left of the check-in desk. Cream leather banquette sofas border ceiling-high windows overlooking the city streets. Business and leisure travelers alike appreciate the hotel's Old Montréal location.

Le Saint Sulpice Hotel draws its name from the neighboring Sulpician Seminary, one of the oldest buildings in the city, and its personality reflects the graciousness of surrounding Old Montréal. The relaxed charm of this European-style hotel draws visiting film celebrities and business travelers who appreciate the efficient, stylish guest suites.

What to expect: Flooded with light from high glass walls, a spacious marble-floored lobby is furnished with leather seating grouped as conversation areas. Colorful rugs amid charcoal granite columns, a stained-glass panel, and warm wood trim enhance the lobby decor. The contemporary, French-style Sofitel Montreal Le Carre Dore draws fashionable travelers who appreciate its central location and distinctive flair.

Amenity highlights: Featuring terrace seating in warm weather, this Montréal hotel’s contemporary-cuisine restaurant and bar/lounge attract a lively, fashionably dressed crowd of locals as well as hotel guests. Dining choices in Renoir include daily French/American breakfasts and gourmet fare for dinner, while the bar/lounge offers its own menu of light items and cocktails. Wireless Internet access (surcharge) is available in the restaurant and lobby.

Insider tip: The Sofitel's restaurant, Renoir, takes its name from the painter's Still Life with Melon and Peaches, a copy of which rests on an easel at the entrance. The original was donated by the hotel's owner to the Museum of Fine Arts, three blocks away.