Montreal is Canada’s most beautiful European-style city, charming visitors with its rich history, romantic French heritage and luxury offerings. With its Parisian-style cafes, beautiful museums, high-end retail shopping and luxury boutique hotel culture, Montreal offers an unsurpassed old-world glamour not often found.

If you’re looking for a luxury getaway where you’ll feel delightfully pampered, here are a few suggestions on how to find it all in Montreal.

Where to Stay

You’ll find plenty of luxurious hotels in Montreal  that will wow you with their first-class service and upscale amenities. Stay in historic 17th century Old Montreal with its cobbled lanes and neo-Gothic cathedrals, or Downtown if you want to be near the museums and performing arts venues. Both neighborhoods have fine dining restaurants serving Quebecois specialties. If you’re planning to spend your time shopping the high street, then book in Plateau Mont-Royal or the Latin Quarter, both vibrant neighborhoods with sidewalk cafes, a bustling nightlife and plenty of dining options. Choosing any one of these neighborhoods will give you an ideal base for a Montreal experience fit for a king or queen.

Accouterments

No matter what you’re looking for, Montreal is a shopper’s paradise, with an excellent selection of luxury shops for those with discerning taste. You’ll discover designer houses and exclusive boutiques that can’t be found anywhere else. Lending to the charm of your Montreal shopping are the beautiful neighborhoods you’ll explore along the way.

In downtown Montreal, rue Sherbrooke is the major high-end shopping street. Here you’ll find luxury shops of all kinds, fine art galleries and Canada’s luxury-goods giant, Holt Renfrew. It’s here that you’ll also find Landau Fine Arts where you can check out works by such artists as Chagall, Kandinsky and Modigliani.

Ste-Catherine has a 12-block stretch with high end jewelers and the Ogilvy department store. The one and only La Maison Ogilvy hosts a great number of boutiques and luxury goods shops, including Louis Vuitton and Michael Kors, as well as a wide array of beauty brands. Shop during the noon hour and hear the bagpiper as he winds his way from floor to floor. Avenue Laurier is a vibrant, upscale street that is home to Parisian-style boutiques, accessory shops and stores featuring up and coming Quebecois designers. If you’re in need of a break midday, try a decadent sweet from Patisserie De Cascogne.

Finally, du Mont-Royal Avenue is lined with one-of-a-kind boutiques, and in the Latin Quarter, the designer shops along Saint-Denis Street offer handbags to die for and haute couture clothing.

Fine Dining

Montreal has no shortage of fine dining options. In the bohemian Plateau Mont-Royal area you’ll find Au Pied de Cochon with its poutine foie gras and duck carpaccio. Trendy fusion restaurants thrive in this neighborhood and one of the best is Boite Geisha. Regulars rave about their salade perle d’orient and bouchee de crabe.

The Downtown and Old Port neighborhoods contain many of Montreal’s upscale restaurants. In Old Montreal visit the rustic dining room of Le Lapin Saute which is renowned for its rabbit cassoulet. Nearby upscale Garde Manger serves haute cuisine like snow crabs and lobster risotto. Queue de Cheval excels at steaks, offering a dozen varieties, and is well worth the extravagant prices. Downtown there is Fino for excellent Italian and Ridi Bar Ristorante for Mediterranean.

Indulgences

It almost goes without saying that a luxury escape must include a trip to a spa. The pampering you’ll receive there offers a calming opportunity to restore and rebalance as your mind and body relax. Montreal’s multitude of spas offer everything from thermal baths to mani/pedis and you’re sure to come away refreshed and invigorated. Bota, Spa Sur l’Eau is famous for its water circuit and Amerispa’s Moment of Happiness is an indulgent three-hour treatment that includes a massage, pedicure and facial. Scandinave, Les Bains is located in Old Montreal and is the city’s only spa location that offers Scandinavian baths. Rainspa also offers a three-hour package that includes a full body exfoliation, a manicure, a pedicure and access to their hammam.

Finally, for the ultimate in indulgence, why not hire a limousine service to ferry you around Montreal while you shop, spa and dine. You can even ride in the luxury style of the past in a 60’s era Rolls Royce or 30’s era Caddy or Buick.

Luxury in Montreal is not too hard to find. Your visit to this unique Canadian metropolis with its sophistication and European panache will satisfy your every need and delight your senses.