The location is pretty good. Room is spacious with separate kitchen/living area. There was a construction at the time we stayed. It started pretty early around 7AM and the whole room was vibrating and noisey. The concierge is not experienced. If you are looking for a place to relax with great concierge service, this is not the right hotel. For corporate stay, this will be ideal.

I'm giving this hotel an above average rating mainly for the enormous bathroom and the overall size of the suite, along with pristine cleanliness and extremely courteous, professional staff. Also, I dropped a hint that it was my husband's 50th birthday and they graciously sent up some chocolate-covered strawberries on the house, which was appreciated. We also liked the modern decor concept, although it did have a sterile, corporate quality. The pool area is beautiful. Didn't try the spa but it's a convenient asset. The only terrible thing about this hotel is the hideous lighting in the bathroom! We had a huge tub and separate shower, double sink, everything sleek and white... but the glaring, cold lighting made it feel like a hospital or laboratory. (On the other hand, they're generous with those fragrant Molton Brown toiletries). The bedroom lighting wasn't too cozy, either. You can't get movies on demand, strangely -- they offer only standard cable tv -- but you can request a dvd player and movies from their library. Fine hotel overall, with some quirks. Not a great choice for a real Monteal cultural experience, but probably perfect for business travelers.

The Crystal is several months old as of this writing and although there has been some wear and tear (probably due to guests not being too careful), it offers good value for the money and was the cleanest hotel I've found in the city. We had a suite on the top floor which was quite comfortable -- it was probably about 700 square feet. It had a living room with wall mounted flat screen television, sofa, coffee table a couple of chairs, kitchenette with microwave, toaster and Liebherr refrigerator that was amply stocked with all of the necessities (from juice and water to hard liquor). With 1.5 baths, the master suite had a king sized bed, flat screen television, double bowl bath vanity with separate tub and shower. All in all, pretty comfortable. Not top of the line finishes (a lot of ceramic mixed with some crema marfil marble), although I was pleasantly surprised to see the Liebherr refrigerator and Franke undermount sink in the kitchen area . The shower had a rainshower head and separate hand held, so they're definitely trying to make you comfortable. The bed was firm (which I liked) and the room was quiet, so I was pleased. This is a good hotel for business travelers or those who like/need a bit of extra space (for kids). The standard rooms are really quite spacious too, so I'd recommend considering one of those. We opted for the suite only because we were offered a pretty good rate for it, otherwise I would have booked the standard room. I would definitely consider returning. The bar is nice and overall I think the hotel offers good value for the money. Perhaps they'll hike up the prices once they've gotten more established, but in the meantime, I'd give it a try.

I took my 3 children (ages 18, 18 and 9) for a weekend and it was fabulous! Although we looked scruffy from an afternoon spent tree-top trekking and zip-lining at Arbraska Rigaud (fantastic), the hotel staff was very professional and friendly. The bedrooms were a little small but gorgeous. I loved the grand, elegant bathroom. If you like fresh air, request a room with one of the walkout balconies (80 sq ft +). The view might not be good but drinking an espresso from your private machine on your private balcony is pretty good! The saltwater pool was rather cold but refreshing and the valet parking was reasonably priced (C$20, I think). My only complaint was the bed. It was VERY FIRM and I'm used to my Tempurpedic.