The Best Luxury Hotels in Montreal for Business Travellers

Montreal occupies a singular position in the Canadian business travel landscape. It's a genuinely cosmopolitan city — bilingual, design-conscious, with a food and hospitality culture that outpunches its size — and the hotel market reflects that in ways that consistently surprise travellers arriving from Toronto or Vancouver. The top tier here has real character, and for the business traveler who cares about where they sleep, Montreal rewards the research.

Ritz-Carlton Montreal

The Ritz on Sherbrooke Street is one of the great urban hotel addresses in Canada, full stop. It opened in 1912, was extensively restored in 2012, and manages the rare feat of feeling genuinely historic without feeling tired. The rooms are large and impeccably finished, the service is formal in the best sense, and Maison Boulud — the flagship restaurant — is among the most reliable business dining rooms in the country. For a trip where the hotel itself needs to make a statement, nothing in Montreal competes.

Hotel William Gray

William Gray is the property that changed how serious travellers thought about Old Montreal. It occupies two heritage buildings in the heart of the old city, connected by a contemporary interior that handles the contrast with real skill. The rooftop terrace has become one of the city's most coveted perches in summer, and the rooms strike a balance between design ambition and genuine comfort that boutique hotels often get wrong. For a business trip with any social or entertainment component, the location and energy here are hard to match.

Le Mount Stephen

Le Mount Stephen is perhaps the most quietly exceptional hotel in Montreal, and it remains less discussed than it deserves. It's built within the former private club of Canadian Pacific Railway founder George Stephen — a Gilded Age mansion on Drummond Street — with a contemporary tower addition at the rear. The historic rooms in the original building are extraordinary. The bar in the great hall is one of the finest rooms to have a drink in anywhere in Canada. For a certain kind of traveler, this is the obvious choice the moment they discover it.

Hôtel Le Crystal

Le Crystal offers something the heritage properties can't: space. The suites here are genuinely residential in scale, with full kitchens and separate living areas that make extended stays significantly more comfortable. The location near the Bell Centre makes it a natural choice for anyone in town for events, and the rooftop pool is a legitimate amenity rather than an afterthought. It's not the most characterful property on this list, but for a week-long stay or a trip that requires room to spread out, it earns its place.

Sofitel Montreal Golden Mile

The Sofitel brings a level of Parisian precision to the Golden Mile that fits Montreal better than it would almost any other North American city. The rooms are well-proportioned and thoughtfully designed, the Renoir restaurant handles business meals reliably, and the location on Sherbrooke puts you within walking distance of the best of downtown. For the traveler who values consistency and a certain European register, the Sofitel is a safe choice that rarely disappoints.

The Montreal advantage

What distinguishes Montreal as a business destination is that the city itself is an amenity. The restaurant scene is exceptional, the culture is genuinely distinct from the rest of English Canada, and the cost structure — relative to Toronto or Vancouver — means your expense account goes further without feeling like a compromise. It's a city that rewards staying an extra night.

A note on neighbourhoods

Montreal's business geography divides fairly cleanly between downtown and Old Montreal, and the choice matters. The Ritz, Le Mount Stephen, and Sofitel all sit in the downtown core along or near Sherbrooke Street — close to the financial district, McGill, and the city's corporate infrastructure. William Gray puts you in Old Montreal, which is atmospheric and walkable but a cab ride from most boardrooms. Le Crystal sits closer to the entertainment district near the Bell Centre. For a pure working trip, downtown is the practical choice. For anything with a social or client entertainment dimension, Old Montreal's density of excellent restaurants and bars makes the slight inconvenience worthwhile.