Opus Hotel in Montreal is located at the corner of Sherbrooke Street and St. Laurent Boulevard in downtown Montreal. This hotel is situated a short stroll away from the vibrant Latin Quarter, Old Montreal and the Plateau Mont-Royal.

Housed in a carefully restored historic building from 1914, Opus Hotel offers 136 guest rooms with all modern amenities. We had booked our room weeks in advance since there was a big festival in town and we knew rooms would fill up early.

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First Impression/Lobby: We were met at the car by the valet and bellman who retrieved our bags and pointed us in the right direction. Upon entering the lobby, we knew we were in a very chic and trendy place. The big upholstered chairs and the use of steel on the chairs, lamps and even the huge windows made the lobby very stylish. The front desk was at the far end of the lobby.

Reception: Ah, here we go, the chic and trendy hotel came with a front desk agent full of attitude, so typical of a place like this. Sure, our check in was over quickly and we were on our way to our Junior Suite. But did I feel welcomed? No, it felt as if I was supposed to feel lucky that I got a room (which I had booked weeks in advance) at this hotel.

The Suite: Our Junior Suite was located on the second floor and consisted of a room that was divided in half by a small cabinet. This cabinet had a television set on it that could be swivelled so that it could be seen from either the bed or from the small, lone daybed/couch in the living area. The suite was done up in dark tones. The dark gray walls and the carpet did nothing to make the cramped quarters feel any larger. Luckily there were some large windows that let in some much needed daylight.

A writing desk and a king sized bed were the other main features. Wireless high speed internet access was available. There was little room for luggage in this suite. However, the bathroom was adequately sized and had a large walk-in shower, two sinks, a deep soaking bathtub and a private toilet stall. Fluffy robes and amenities from L’Occitane (one of my favorite) were readily available which considerably brightened my mood.

Room Service: We did not get an opportunity to order room service (since our stay was cut really short).

Housekeeping: Our suite was spotless upon arrival. However, housekeeping didn’t bother to do turndown service even though we had specifically asked for it before we went to dinner the first night (and the only night on our first stay).

Concierge: The first concierge we dealt with was fabulous. However, the one we contacted in the evening was the total opposite. It is amazing how a person’s attitude and knowledge can affect the same position so drastically.

Restaurant: Koko Restaurant and Bar serves contemporary cuisine. A live DJ is available here. We had breakfast at Koko and the place was filthy from the night before. Moreover, breakfast was borderline disgusting. (Click here to read our review of Koko Restaurant and Bar.)

Pool/Spa/Activities: A 24 hour fitness center and a high end hair salon were available. Also, in-room massage was available upon request.

Our Experience: So far, all had gone well at Opus, but after dinner we went back to our room only to find that we were located right above the bar/nightclub. With the amount of noise that was coming from there, I almost thought that I was at the bar and not in my room.

The noise was just plain deafening. I called the front desk and the man I talked to could not have cared less. As the hotel was full, he could not move us to another room. And we ended up hearing the boom of the base until 3AM! I later found out that they go through this ritual EVERY weekend. Unsuspecting guests check in, get a room at the back of the hotel and have to suffer until after 3 AM. I guess the staff has got tired of dealing with this issue and have become detached, indifferent, and as we found out, tired of hearing the complaints.

I went down to the lobby to check with the staff again whether they could do something about this ruckus and I chanced upon a strange scene. The whole lobby had turned into a nightclub type of atmosphere. And to top it all, security was scrutinizing everybody that came in through the hotel’s entrance. It surely looked as if they were picking and choosing who gets into the bar. Of course, if you are a hotel guest, you are entitled to get in. But if you had come to visit the bar and if the security didn’t like your “look”, they would give some lame excuse and send you away.

I informed a manager about the noise issue the next morning and he was just as unsympathetic. Needless to say, we cut our stay at Opus Hotel short (we had to actually leave Montreal since there were no accommodation left in the city because of the festival in town) and headed to Quebec City. I spoke later with the owner of this hotel and he offered a free night and a room at the front part of the hotel. We accepted this offer a few weeks later. This time we did have a marvellous time. In fact, I would even rate this second stay as Bombastic.

Check-Out: I could not get out of this hotel fast enough. The agent who did our check out was in a horrible mood, probably because she had been dealing with guests that had the same experience for quite some time. I seriously believe this is why they have such a high employee attrition rate.

Overall Impression: Based on this stay and as a warning to all other potential guests, I have to rate Opus Hotel as Almost Not Bombastic (at 3 AM that morning, it was definitely NOT BOMBASTIC). Overall, I believe “Opus is not a hotel with a night club, it’s a club with a hotel, and that is where their priority lies”.

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