“How about going to sleep at the newly renovated ITHQ hotel, the Institute of Tourism and Hospitality of Quebec? », suggests my boss. And why not ? So I went to see what was going on in the ITHQ hotel, which officially opened its doors on October 4.
I played the tourist in my city… and I got stuck in traffic, notably on the Van Horne viaduct, where the 161 bus got stuck because of the work next to the Rosemont metro… I finally arrived at Sherbrooke metro; the hotel is located just above the metro, opposite the Saint-Louis square, in the heart of the Plateau Mont-Royal.
The welcome is impeccable. A very smiling student gives me the card to access my room on the 8th floor, which is modern and bright. The design is very refined, there is a lot of wood, everything is very functional, the floor is cork, very comfortable, and there is a beautiful view of Montreal. The hotel consists of 42 renovated rooms, located on the 7th and 8th floors. The Montreal company Ædifica took care of the architecture and design of the rooms.
The particularity of the hotel is that it trains ITHQ students. “The hotel has a unique educational vocation in North America, so when you choose to sleep here, you are directly encouraging the next generation to be professional and competent,” explains Brishna Hilaire, director of accommodation for the hotel from ITHQ, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in tourism and hospitality management, who previously worked at the W Montreal hotel.
In the room, we notice that there are two glass bottles that can be filled with sparkling water or still water at the water filling station upstairs, an ecological touch.
The former minister adds that the hotel highlights Quebec know-how and local products in all aspects of its offer, whether furniture (Bouvreuil furniture), lighting (Authentik), mattresses (Aventi) , the soap and shampoo in the bathroom (Oneka) and even the works of art displayed in the hotel corridors and in the rooms. “As former Minister of Culture, it is very important for me to promote Quebec artists. The paintings on all the walls of the hotel are works by Quebec artists from the Gallea gallery. If there’s a painting you like, you can buy it and, in a few clicks, everything is sorted, because there’s a QR code, and the gallery takes care of everything,” she explains.
We started our evening at the Blanc Bec bar, very pleasant with its large bay windows, a new addition to the ITHQ’s catering offerings, sipping a spritz made with Amermelade, a bitter Quebecois aperitif. The rest took place at the ITHQ restaurant, with a gourmet five-course menu highlighting Quebec products; Mauricie mushrooms were in the spotlight that evening. Students were in the room for the service, accompanied by professionals who ensure that everything goes perfectly.
Around 11:30 p.m., I was in bed with my bottle of sparkling water, and from the top of the 8th floor I could hear police sirens on a Thursday night in September in Montreal. There’s no escaping it!
In the elevator, I met a couple who came from Connecticut and who had visited Montreal for a few days. But who is the target customer?
“I sent a communication to all the deputy ministers, because we are a government agency, and all the profits we make are donated to the ITHQ,” she adds. It would be good if members of the government came here rather than to the big international hotel chains,” says Liza Frulla.
The next morning, my neighbor at the breakfast table was none other than Mathieu Lacombe, Minister of Culture and Communications, who was on a business meeting. Coffee and a delicious French toast with caramelized apples were on the program for my part, I had the choice between eggs, an omelette, thin pancakes, fruit, yogurt, all prepared by a brigade of 10 students, said the server.
The price of a room varies depending on the season, from $250 to $350, and it includes breakfast. “Our prices are always slightly lower than those of comparable quality accommodation offers in Montreal,” explains Brishna Hilaire.
What’s missing? I would say, for the price, a gym. ” I know ! We had a gym on the 10th floor, but we’re running out of space! There are offices now… The ITHQ has expanded, there are college and university courses, two research chairs, a center of expertise, and we are in the same building! I’m looking for space! », says Liza Frulla.
“The hotel’s challenge is to maintain quality according to our values, all year round. We work with students, they have to live up to the standards of the ITHQ, which is the largest hotel school in Canada. What makes the difference is the welcome. Smiling young people are very important. We value know-how, but interpersonal skills must also be put forward,” believes the general director of the establishment.
