As my wife can attest, we stayed in cheap hotels for decades. Only the onset of middle age — and the sudden need to visit the washroom at 3 a.m. — prompted us to upgrade to ensuite rooms.
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Images: Top 13 Canadian hotels
For Sydney, I wanted to be as close as possible to Circular Quay, the focal point of celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the opening of Sydney Harbour bridge and the place where the ferries and tour boats do all their to-ing and fro-ing.
We paid what we considered big bucks but it proved to be worth every penny. We got a room the size of a tennis court just minutes by foot from all the action, plus the help of a concierge desk, a feature those budget digs never had.
Now, when we’re heading for a few nights in a big city, I pay attention to the “Where is it?’’ and not just the “How much?’’
Here are Canadian four hotels where I’ve had particularly enjoyable stays:
Montreal — SpringHill Suites Old Montreal has a great location tucked away on a narrow street of Old Montreal a couple of blocks from the basilica of Notre Dame and the old port. Studio suites have a kitchenette, a sitting area with sofa bed and reclining chair, and a separate sleeping area. Rates include a substantial breakfast buffet.
It was August when we stayed there and the hotel was packed, mainly with American families. The patience and good humour of the bilingual front-desk staff impressed me. Visitspringhillmontreal.com/en/.
Quebec City — Auberge Saint-Antoine occupies the last remaining 19th-century warehouse in Lower Town’s “old port.” Artifacts unearthed when the hotel was built have been incorporated into the decor, including a 17th-century cannon in the lobby and bits of china displayed behind glass outside guest room doors.
This Relais & Chateaux property has 94 rooms, with such features as heated bathroom floors and free hi-speed Internet access. Travel & Leisure put it on its Top 100 Hotels Worldwide list. Visitsaint-antoine.com.
Calgary — Kensington Riverside Inn has only 19 rooms but is an AAA Four Diamond property. It offers considerable comfort and a friendly, attentive staff. Rates include breakfast, parking and a morning coffee/newspaper tray. Even if you don’t stay there, try the Kensington’s Chef’s Table, which served up a wonderful dinner when I was there as part of a cuisine tour. Visit kensingtonriversideinn.com.
Vancouver — Opus Hotel has been put on “world’s best” lists by readers of Conde Nast Traveler, Forbes Traveler and Travel & Leisure magazine.
I think the best thing about it are its staff — welcoming, helpful and knowledgeable — and its location. Opus is across the street from the Yaletown station of the new Canada Line that runs to the airport, and a few blocks from the little ferry that runs over to Granville Island.
I got a chuckle out of Opus’s Lifestyle Concierge. When guests go on line to book a room they are asked to take a short quiz and identify with one of five make-believe personalities. These include a hi-tech couple, a woman in the fashion industry, a British musician/filmmaker, a gay New York physician and a “drama queen” actress. Then they’re are matched with a room with a decor to match.
It’s all done tongue-in-cheek, so there was no worry about finding a match for a pension-dependent travel writer and his wife who don’t even own a cellphone. Visitopushotel.com.
Oh, and that Sydney hotel I mentioned at the outset? It’s Sir Stamford at Circular Quay, stamford.com.au/sscq/.
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