Hotel William Gray

I thoroughly appreciate everything at this excellent hotel, including the service. They recognize returning guests and genuinely want their guests to have a great experience. Very welcoming - and one of many reasons I continue to choose this hotel. Love the location, design, and subtle way the hotel blends into the historic neighbourhood. Even the hotel barely has any signage. It's like a secret that only guests know about. Read less

Although the hotel is located in the historic quarter of Montreal, our room, and the hotel in general were very modern and very tastefully finished. I'd say it is one of the nicest hotels we have stayed in. The hotel is ideally located, a short walk from the sights, restaurants and bars of Vieux Montreal. It is only a 8 or 9 minute walk to the Place D'Armes Metro station. We found the staff to be very friendly and efficient, and always keen to help make our stay truly memorable. We had my birthday dinner at the restaurant (Maggie Oakes) and had a great evening there. Our meal and the service were very good, and it wasn't too expensive. We visited in November so we did not have the opportunity to enjoy the outdoor and rooftop dining. Next time we'll be sure to visit in Summer. Read less

I've stayed in many hotels in Montreal over the years whether for business or pleasure. Since I discovered William Gray (there was an article on NY TImes), this is the only Hotel I stay every time I visit Montreal. The location is perfect, the staff is friendly and very efficient. The decor is modern and yet warm. In the summer, they have the best root top patio bar with a spectacular view. In the winter months, they have this cozy outdoor seating area with fire pits - a winter wonderland. This place is truly a gem. My happy place. Read less

I traveled here with my partner over the holidays, and when we arrived we were breathtaken by how beautifully the hotel is designed. The valets were kind and helpful, and showed us to the front desk -- and that's where our positive experience ended. 4 pm is a late check-in time already, and when we arrived at 3:45, our room wasn't ready yet. Fair enough, we were all of fifteen minutes early. We were told we'd receive a phone call on my cell phone (we double-checked the number to confirm) when our room was ready, and it was suggested we wait in the hotel bar/restaurant, Maggie Oakes, in the meantime. The service in the restaurant was poor, and the bartender was extremely rude to another guest at the bar beside us, which created a negative vibe ane made us want to leave. We travel plenty in boutique hotels, and what makes them great includes their restaurants -- but this felt like the unimaginative run-of-the-mill restaurant of a mid-level hotel, including the blue-lit display of Redbulls behind the bar. After a too-sweet negroni and two pints, I checked my watch -- it was now 4:30 pm. We hadn't received a phone call yet. Ten minutes later, I finally returned to the front desk, waited in line behind a series of arrivals -- several of whom were being told at 4:40 pm that their room wasn't ready, and were being offered upgrades. Finally it was my turn -- our room was ready. I asked why I didn't receive a phone call and was met with a shrug. Nevermind the tab we run up at the bar while we were waiting (way to drum up business at their bar, I wonder?). And no, we were not also offered an upgrade. When we got up to our room, none of our luggage had arrived yet. Now I was running out of patience, we had a birthday dinner to attend at 6 pm and I needed to shower and dress. I couldn't connect when I tried to call down to the front desk, and so I went back downstairs myself to find the man who collected the luggage from our car. He asked for my room number and said he would have it brought up. He was kind and helpful, but I resented the failures of a system that would require me to track him down at all so long after check-in time. The rest of our stay didn't improve. The room was small, which is normally fine for us (no kids), but the bed was uncomfortable, the bathroom very tiny with no outlets to plug in a hairdryer or flatiron (I've never seen this missing in any hotel room, ever). Housekeeping was unthoughtful; they didn't refill things that had been empty (a kleenex box, for example, or more coffee), and left a near-empty roll of toilet paper on the bathroom counter. Additionally, in the mornings we could hear the housekeepers repeatedly entering and exiting rooms in the hall to grab items from their carts because each time they would let the door hit the doorstopper/lock with an incessant thud, thud, thud through the thin walls, which disturbed us in the morning after a late night out. Turndown service sometimes arrived, sometimes did not, leaving us to re-make our bed (from an afternoon nap) when we returned from an evening out. Finally, on new year's eve, we were to drive back to Toronto and a winter storm had rolled in. We left the hotel in a hurry, and accidentally left my new year's eve dress, a silk shirt, and a pair of trousers hanging in the closet of our room. We had been on a tour of hotels in different cities over the holidays and when we arrived in Toronto I couldn't figure out where we had left them. A couple of days later we narrowed it down, and my partner called the hotel. Yes, they had them indeed, and would email me to choose how I would like them delivered. I could not understand why they wouldn't call me and let me know I had forgotten something -- why leave us to figure out where they had been forgotten? This thoughtlessness and lack of service of course corresponded to the rest of our stay. This hotel was discounted for the nights that we stayed, but we had seriously considered paying 500+ dollars per night to stay here on other visits to Montreal, and I am so glad we never did and opted for the Four Seasons instead. Read less