Hotel: Hotel Godin

Address: 10 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, Canada

Website: www.hotelgodin.com

TraveLife ranking:

Rooms: 136 – includes 13 suites

Room rates: Start at $169 a night

Awards: This hotel is too new to have been singled out for any awards so let TraveLife be the first to recognize Hotel Godin as the “Best New Chic Hotel in Canada” for 2006.

Highlights: A funny thing happened to me on the way to Montreal’s annual good time festival known as “Just for Laughs.” I happened to notice a new hotel in an old building off Rue St. Laurent, just across the street from the Just for Laughs museum – the festival annually brings together the best comedic talent from around the world and has become one of charming Montreal’s top tourist attractions. The people who are getting the last laugh, though, are those who have been fortunate enough to stay in the upscale property with the contemporary good looks. At first glance, I thought I was entering the lobby of One Aldwych, that chic London property that is being hailed as the British capital’s best hotel. Hotel Godon is located in one of Montreal’s trendiest neighborhoods, on the edge of Duddy Kravitz country where chic new restaurants and landmark eateries live together in harmony. Schwartz’s, the Montreal institution that serves the best smoked meat and steaks on the planet, at least in our opinion, is just up the street from Hotel Godin. The hotel is minimalist in design and although TraveLife hates using the word “boutique” when describing a hotel, Hotel Godin’s sleek good looks certainly qualifies it for that misused standard.

History: The property gets its name from the man who built the building the hotel now occupies. Joseph-Arthur Godin was an innovator of sorts and the first man in North America to use poured concrete in the construction of his residence, which sits on Sherbrooke Street, close to McGill University and all the city’s upscale shops. The hotel stays true to the Art Nouveau style Mr. Godin favored, with some modern touches thrown in for good measure. To remind guests of the poured concrete connection, concrete ceilings in rooms are left exposed. It’s an odd sight at first, until you read the hotel’s history.

Interior highlights: Warm chocolate and charcoal grey colors welcome guests to their rooms and soft lighting adds to the ambience. The lobby area has lots of leather, chrome, light wood and slate floors. The public areas are bright and inviting. The staff is well trained, courteous and knowledgeable about the area. They pay a lot of attention to details. The hotel’s straight lines appeal to a younger clientele, especially young business people who will no doubt be making this a regular stop for meetings – Hotel Godin offers a conference center and four state of the art meeting rooms.

In the next room: Because of its location, expect to see lots of comedians walking around the lobby area in the future. The Just for Laughs Festival draws a Who’s Who list of entertainers each year and once word spreads about this quality property, expect to see the Jerry Seinfeld types checking in.

The rooms: The hotel is split into two sections – the historic original wing called Edifice Godin and the newer Contemporary wing. They all come with wireless Internet access; Egyptian cotton sheets; duvet cover; deluxe toiletries; and plenty of other treats to make your stay memorable. The rooms with the exposed ceilings are large and roomy and the Contemporary wing features some sleek designs. The most entertaining additions to the rooms at Hotel Godin are the 27-inch LCD screen computer/televisions with full MSOffice programs. This alone should have young execs rushing to make a reservation.

Amenities: The hotel offers room service, shoe shine service, tea service, an exercise room and spa services. The cookies served in the lobby area each afternoon are grandma good.

Restaurants: The Bar Godin is a place where people will soon want to be seen. Montreal is far more European than other North American cities and chic meeting places like the Bar Godin are being utilized by young business people to nail down deals. The hotel is also adding a dining facility off the main lobby. The glass-enclosed structure will fit in nicely with the area’s other new restaurants opening in historic buildings along Rue St. Laurent, also known as the Main.

Shopping: Tree-lined Sherbrooke Street is renowned in Canada as being a Rodeo Drive-type thoroughfare. If you can’t find what you’re looking for here, they don’t make it. A pedestrian mall off Rue St. Laurent known as Prince Arthur St., is where some local designer shops and neighborhood restaurants are located.

Close by: Hotel Godin is in the center of Montreal’s historic and entertainment districts. Old Montreal and its living history dating back to the founding of North America is just a 20 minute walk from Hotel Godin. As mentioned, shopping abounds in this area and Montreal’s famed Mont-Royal, which supplies awesome views of the city from high above a once active volcano, is just a short drive away.

Tips: The Hotel Godin offers in and out parking privileges but visitors would be wise to rely on the city’s safe and clean Metro (subway) system to get around. Walking distances between major sites are short. Montreal has a casino on the island where Expo ’67 was once held. Place des Arts, the city’s cultural arena, is just down the street from the Hotel Godin. Make time to visit Schwartz’s – your arteries will never forgive you!