By Jeff Silverstein
When it comes to finding the perfect bolthole for a romantic getaway it’s hard to beat the Auberge du Vieux-Port, a nineteenth-century boutique hotel in Old Montreal.
With dramatic views of the Saint Lawrence River, rooms that somehow manage to be both rustic and modern, and easy access to Montreal’s waterfront district where the city’s iconic floating spa known as Bota Bota can be found, this historic boutique hotel is one of Montreal’s most atmospheric heritage stays.
Housed in two historic warehouses and sitting right on the water’s edge in what is known as the Old Port district, the hotel occupies a special place in Montreal. Steeped in history, it’s where the city once met the New World through trade and shipping, and where 19th-century merchant warehouses now frame one of the city’s most interesting neighbourhoods.
Few cities in North America can trace their identity to 17th century French settlement, and Old Montreal and the adjacent Old Port district is really where Montreal’s identity was made at the water’s edge.
The neighbourhood was like the city’s commercial front door and is where Montreal was built through trade, river access, the movement of goods and people, and more recently through very tasteful heritage conservation.
In a lot of ways, it feels very much like a place where old-meets-new, and the hotel’s evolution connecting two former merchant warehouses into a boutique property embodies this feeling perfectly and is an example of how Old Montreal has cleverly repurposed its built heritage.
The district was once the beating heart of New France, and it’s where several historic landmarks like the Notre-Dame Basilica, Place Jacques-Cartier, and Place Royale – the site associated with Montreal’s founding – can all be found.
You feel this sense of history the moment you arrive at the Auberge du Vieux-Port – there’s nothing trendy or flashy – instead guests come here for atmosphere, comfort, and a sense of place.
It’s one of several hotels owned and operated by the Gray Collection, the hospitality management company who have played an important role in rehabilitating and revitalizing heritage buildings in Old Montreal into high-design, locally rooted boutique stays that celebrate and embrace Old Montreal’s character. Family owned and operated, they have repurposed several 18th and 19th century buildings including the Hôtel William Gray, Le Petit Hôtel, as well as the Auberge du Vieux-Port.
When I caught up with Dimitri Antonopoulos, President at Gray Collection, I asked him what set the Auberge apart from other properties in their portfolio.
“What really makes Auberge du Vieux-Port stand out is how real it feels,” Dimitri says. “It’s not a hotel that was designed to look historic—it actually is. The building has lived a life before becoming a hotel, and you feel that right away in the stone walls, the wood beams, and the way the space is laid out. That kind of authenticity is very hard to recreate.”
Indeed, from the moment you walk into the lobby, you immediately get that vibe – it’s intimate, personal, and full of character. No two rooms feel the same, and the experience is more akin to staying somewhere meaningful rather than just checking into a hotel.
With views of the water, it’s also where Montreal’s relationship with the Saint Lawrence River becomes tangible and easy to imagine.
When you stroll through the neighbourhood, the buildings that line the cobblestone streets are not just picturesque backdrops or pretty post cards — they were once part of the city’s machinery of commerce.
All of this gives the neighbourhood a kind of magic.
“What makes Old Montreal special is that it’s not just a historic backdrop—it’s a real, living neighbourhood,” says Dimitri. “Yes, it’s beautiful and full of history, but everyday Montreal life happens here. You’ve got residents who live here year-round, people coming in for work, locals meeting for coffee or lunch, and visitors discovering the city for the first time—all sharing the same streets.”
Indeed, that mix creates a special energy. You step outside the Auberge and you’re immediately part of it: cobblestone streets, the river a few steps away, galleries, offices, restaurants, families, tourists—it all coexists naturally. In the morning, it feels calm and grounded, and by the evening it becomes lively and social without ever feeling chaotic.
That balance is really what sets the neighbourhood apart. Old Montreal isn’t just a place you visit—it’s a place you experience, and for a few days, you really feel like you belong here. And that’s what makes staying in this neighbourhood, and at the Auberge, so memorable.
One of the best vantage points to take all this in from is Bota Bota, spa-sur-l’eau, the floating spa moored in Old Montreal’s port area. It’s a place I keep returning to every time I visit Montreal, not just because it is one of the most unique experiences I have ever had, but the views are breathtaking.
Old Montreal’s port area is still very much a working harbour, and when the owners of the spa set out to convert a former ferry into a spa, they somehow managed to create the feeling of being cocooned on the water in an industrial setting.
“When we first envisioned Bota Bota, spa-sur-l’eau, our goal was to create something truly unique—a spa experience that feels suspended between water and sky,” says Geneviève Emond, Founder and President of Bota Bota. “At the time, no spa on the Island of Montreal offered a water circuit, so we set out to bring this holistic, aquatic experience to the city.”
With views of the grain elevators and other port infrastructure, the vibe is both relaxing and energizing. There’s something about enjoying the water circuit and the saunas with their expansive views of the Montreal skyline that makes it a truly immersive way to disconnect and recharge.
With plans to expand and enhance the experience, Bota Bota is only getting better, which helps explain why over the years, it has become more than a spa—it has grown into an iconic destination.
As for Montreal’s food scene, it’s an embarrassment of riches. We dined at two remarkable restaurants the weekend we visited – Mon Lapin and Nora Gray. Both consistently make the list of top restaurants in Canada, and both have a casual vibe.
At Mon Lapin which is in Little Italy and opened back in 2018, we were treated to house made pastas, fresh fish, and some impeccable cooking with a seasonal menu that somehow manages to embrace Italian influence with French technique.
Marc Antoine is one of the owners of Mon Lapin. When I asked him what the restaurant’s secret sauce was, he said it was the service, and I couldn’t agree more. There was something charming about the way the whole team managed to make the night feel special.
“All of that makes for a great experience,” Marc says. “Our staff know their product, and they always have a smile, even when we are incredibly busy. If you are going to come for a night at Mon Lapin, don’t be scared to be taken care of by our staff. Let them direct you because they will always find the best dishes every time and it makes for a very personal experience.”
Not surprisingly, the restaurant got a Michelin mention this year for the second year running, and Marc said “it’s exactly where we want to be. We started out as small wine bar with no reservations where the music and the whole vibe of people standing around waiting for a table with glass of wine made it feel like being at a friend’s place. The food is now very front and centre but we have managed to keep that warm homey feeling with attention to detail.”
Over in a part of the city known as Griffintown, Nora Gray is another cool spot with an ever-revolving menu, and perfect pasta. This intimate wood-lined resto is an ode to Southern Italy with a modern take that should be on every traveller’s list of Montreal’s best eats.
In case you needed another reason to visit Old Montreal, the good news is getting here couldn’t be easier with Porter Airlines now operating flights to the newly revamped Montreal Metropolitan Airport (MET) in addition to Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL).
Formerly known as the Saint-Hubert Airport, Porter was the driving force in helping to revitalize this hub and unlike Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport with its short runways that can only accommodate turboprops, the so-called MET is fully capable of handling Porter’s jet fleet to facilitate longer transcontinental routes.
Beginning mid June, Porter will connect MET to major cities including Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Halifax, St. John’s, Moncton, Quebec City, and Toronto (both Pearson and Billy Bishop).
This small airport on the city’s South Shore is less than half an hour to Old Montreal making the whole experience incredibly fast and seamless.
When you add in a stay at the Auberge du Vieux-Port, you somehow have the makings of a perfect weekend.
Websites and Links:
Auberge du Vieux-Port
97 Rue de la Commune E, Montréal, QC H2Y 1J1
Bota Bota, spa-sur-l’eau
Entrée McGill et, R. de la Commune O, Montréal, QC H2Y
Mon Lapin
150 Rue Saint-Zotique Est, Montréal, QC H2S 1L8
Nora Gray
1391 Rue Saint-Jacques, Montreal
