Most Iconic Historic Hotels in Old Quebec: Chateau Frontenac

The hotel has never failed to attract numerous guests with its prestigious amenities, luxurious furnishing, and impeccable service. The hotel has also been the place to stay for many famous people. Brightly lit and attractive, the Chateau Frontenac is the heart and pride of the old Quebec. It is a mythical and magical place where people love to hang out and enjoy the remarkable hospitality that makes it a truly worthy world-class hotel. It is also an active and integral part of the old city’s charm. The hotel has also won many prestigious awards making it a very recognised hotel ever since its grand opening.

Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac is situated next to the archaeological site Chateau St. Louis owned by the federal government, which is where the French government sits in North America. The hotel celebrated its 125^th anniversary in the year 2018 and has always been a part of the history of Quebec. The Colonial governor during the 1600s oversaw operations from here that stretched from Louisiana to the Great Lakes. The hotel is named after the Count of Frontenac, Louis de Buade, who was also the French Governor General from 1672 to 1682 and again from the year 1689 to 1698. In 1834, the hotel’s original building burnt to the ground and it was not rebuilt for over a 60 years until Chateau Frontenac’s original building was constructed.

A restoration project began in the 1870s in Quebec and this project was taken by the British governor-general of Canada who wished to restore the capital to its original 17^th century look. Lord Dufferin was another contributor to this project and he supervised the construction of many public buildings and the old city wall, buildings whose original theme was medieval, old, European Quebec. Lord Dufferin also had a plan to reconstruct the Chateau St Louis which was situated on the cape where the hotel stood and served as the home of several French Governors between the years 1620 and 1834 until it burnt down. This plan did not really take off until the Board of Trade and the City Council took the idea and planned on constructing a very grand hotel on the location to attract rich tourists instead. However, they failed to finance the construction. The project was then taken over by businessmen from Montreal and Toronto along with connections to the Canadian Pacific Railway.

In the year 1893, the construction of the Chateau Frontenac was completed and the building was designed by Bruce Price, an American architect, overseen by William Van Home, the general manager of Canadian Pacific Railway and a major developer of the hotel system of Canadian Railway. The hotel was a part of a collection of Chateauesque-style buildings constructed during the late 19^th and the early 20^th century for the Canadian Pacific Railway company. The hotel was expanded in the year 1924 which was designed by William Sutherland Maxwell and the hotel’s central tower was added during this expansion. The hotel saw another expansion in 1993 with the addition of another wing including a fitness centre, pool, and outdoor terrace. On June 1993, the ‘Le Chateau Frontenac, Quebec’ was issued by the Canada post designed by Kosta Tsetsekas. The stamp has an image of the hotel. The hotel was sold to Legacy REIT in 2001 and partially owned by the Fairmont. On November 2001, the magnificent hotel was renamed Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac. The hotel was sold to Ivanhoe Cambridge in 2011. The hotel was also featured in “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God”, a 2016 Korean Drama.

The Chateau Frontenac is one of the very few hotels with a castle-like design that is spread across Canada, the others include Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and the Fairmont Banff Springs. The First and Second Quebec conference was held by the World War II Allies in the hotel. During these conferences, officials like British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Canadian Prime Minister William lion King discussed World War II strategies. The Chateau Frontenac also hosted many other famous political figures of the time like Dwight Eisenhower, Theodore Roosevelt, Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon, Pierre Eliott Trudeau, Ronald Reagan, Queen Elizabeth, King George VI, Grace of Monaco. Even the Princess Grace of Monaco stayed in the Suite for some time during February 1969. The hotel is also involved heavily in pop culture. In 1952, the CHATEAU FRONTENAC was the set of the movie I Confess, an Alfred Hitchcock movie. The hotel has welcomed Sting, Celine Dion, Leonardo DiCaprio, Paul McCartney, and many others. The photos of all these notable visits are hung throughout the hotel. During your stay, you could take a guided historical tour to know more about the place.

More than just a hotel, the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac is an icon in the Quebec City. It has been perched on top Cape Diamond for over a century overlooking the St. Lawrence River and the Suffern Terrace. You can view the best sights from the Old Port (des Canotiers), Observatoire de la Capitale, Citadelle de Quebec, and the Levis (Across the river) from the terrace. The Chateau Frontenac has a classic architectural style, the Chateauesque, used all over the hotel. This architectural style includes elements like the asymmetrical profile of the hotel, with massive polygonal and circular turrets and towers, steeply pitched roofs, tall chimneys, and ornate dormers and gables. The interior part of the hotel is made from materials like marble staircases, mahogany panelling, carved stone, glass roundels, and wrought iron. It greatly emphasised the Gothic elements instead of Italianate architecture. With rich polychromatic surfaces all over the exterior, the beautiful hotel also uses certain elements from the Victorian Style of Architecture. The hotel holds a very prominent position in the skyline of the City as it is on top of a cape overlooking the river. The hotel has 611 guestrooms and offers a large variety of services such as the Afternoon Tea Service, four restaurants, several exhibits, an art gallery, health club and spa, and even a ski shuttle.

The location of the hotel is perfect for anybody to explore the attractive and popular sites of the Quebec city on foot. The Fairmont is only a few blocks away from a lot of the city’s tourist attractions like the Citadelle, Plains of Abraham, shops, museums, and restaurants.

Have the chance to experience the history of the prestigious and beautiful Chateau Frontenac. You can learn about the castle life at the prestigious hotel during the guided tour to the CHATEAU FRONTENAC located at one of the most beautiful areas in Quebec City. You will need a few hours to go through the hotel’s insides and outsides. You could take advantage of this unique opportunity to see the installations and improvements that took place in recent years. The guided tour is led by a professional who will help you explore and discover the famous events and people that have shaped the identity of the popular hotel. There are also various city tours you could go on. These tours would help you explore the culture and history of the city and discover the major attractions and architecture. There are cruises on the river where you could relax in the peaceful surroundings while enjoying gorgeous views. A Gourmet Route can be taken to explore the network of traditional flavours and companies. There are other local food tours where you can enjoy the unique, flavoursome, and fun tastes of Quebec. Only qualified guides will accompany you on all these tours.

There are so many best places to capture a good picture inside and outside the Chateau Frontenac. One of the most popular photography areas is the Pierre-Dugua-de Mons Terrace during the morning or mid-evening when there isn’t much crowd in the area. You will get a very good view of the Hotel and the river beside. You will reach the park by walking down the Avenue Saint-Denis that is heading towards the river or walking along the path on top of the outer walls of the Citadel. You can get a beautifully framed view of the hotel in Place d’Armes Square which is a very popular spot. You could get a picture of the hotel from the docks near the Quebec-Levis ferry. It is a spectacular spot when the trees change colour. From the river Levis, you could take a picture of the hotel along with the rest of the city’s skyline. Inside the hotel, there are so many things present that are very attractive and unique. The architecture itself is simply astonishing and you could take pictures of that.

Held continuously from 1955, the Quebec Winter Carnival has always been a very celebrated event. The freezing temperatures never scare away the visitors who want to trek the attractive city. The place would be filled with activities like creating ice sculptures, sporting and programming events, and multiple parades that truly define the spirit of the carnival. The sporting events are right across the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, making it a very good place to stay. The city’s street will be filled with various options of exceptional food and drinks, making the city during winters a very unique destination. So many skating rinks are set up in the city centre. The carnival is famous for its unique events that take place during the span of three weeks of celebration. The ice canoe race is an event where the teams paddle and push their boats across the St. Lawrence River’s half-frozen landscape. To get extra traction on the ice, the teams wear shoes that contain spikes. The history of the race traces back to the 1600s during the early days of New France. This was even a part of the first-ever recorded carnival in 1894. During the carnival, ice sculptures are built around the old town. The festival character Bonhomme resides in a full-sized ice palace which is his official home. The surrounding area acts as an open gallery. Staying at the Chateau Frontenac, you will be able to enable the city close to all the activities and actions.

There are many ways to reach the Chateau Frontenac once you are in the Quebec Airport. The distance between these two spots is only 14 km, and the road distance is 17.4 km. The quickest way to reach the hotel is by taking a taxi from the airport. The journey would take around 17 minutes, but this is the most expensive option. The Cheapest way to get to the airport is to drive if you have your own vehicle. This would also take you only 17 minutes. Taking an Uber or a town car is also a good option though these are a little expensive. If you do not have a car then taking a bus is the best way. The most recommended route is taking the Line 80 bus. The bus would take around 1 hour and 12 minutes to reach the Chateau Frontenac, but it is cheap.

The restaurants at Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac offer an incredible view of the Saint Lawrence River, and the environment is year-round, open, and elegant. The restaurants keep up with the latest trends while reflecting their original heritage. Fresh, local, and innovative team will provide you with the best dishes on the menu. The Champlain Restaurant under the Chef Stephane Modat will take you on a culinary journey and help you discover the cuisine of new Quebec. Taste the local flavours and creative cocktails at the 1608 Bar. This is a wine and cheese bar where you can get a glass of the smoothest and tastiest alcohol along with delicious food. The Bristo Le Sam is the best place to experience evolution at constant throughout the day because of the creative dishes that are shared, lunch menu, and trendy happy hours. Place Dufferin will serve you breakfast buffets and elegant afternoon tea and enjoy it while overlooking the Saint Lawrence River.

The Saint-Louis Forts and Chateaux Historic Site are situated on the top of a cliff overlooking the city of Quebec. This site is close to the Chateau Frontenac and is a major archaeological site. Samuel de Champlin constructed the fort at the summit of Cap Diamant since the location offered excellent defences on all the three sides. It was renovated and rebuilt over the years and had a beautiful Palladian style architecture. It had a porch with rows of columns, triangular gables decorated with the oculi, and even large Palladian windows. The building’s front entrance has a very large beautiful window over the doors. But the building caught on fire on 1834 which was never rebuilt. More than 500000 artefacts have been found between 2005 and 2007. There are so many factors that contribute to the heritage value of Saint Louis Forts and Chateau National Historic Site. This makes it a very important attraction you must visit during your stay in Chateau Frontenac.