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Montréal, Québec City Guide

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Montréal Meeting Planning

Queen Elizabeth Hotel

As one of the second largest cities in Canada, Montréal is a bustling metropolis full of dining, shopping and attractions that entice about 7.7 million visitors each year. In addition to the most restaurants per capita in Canada, the city area boasts over 200 hotels and nearly 40,000 hotel rooms. Though the city is no stranger to popular chains and budget options, several of its hotels are grand structures that occupy a prominent place in the city's landscape. The Queen Elizabeth Hotel, the city's largest convention hotel, features 50,000 square feet of meeting space and boasts past clientele such as Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev, Jimmy Carter, Indira Ghandhi, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. The recently renovated Château Versailles, once a European-style pension, invites guests to its 65 rooms among antiques, dramatic staircases, cozy fireplaces and ornate crown moldings.

Montréal prides itself on its variety of venues for conventions and meetings. The Montréal Convention CentreMontréal Convention Centre
Montréal Convention Centre, Mount Royal Centre and Bell Centre are all conveniently located, easily accessible and boast top quality service, dining and technology. The largest space, the Montréal Convention Centre, or Palais des congrès de Montréal, welcomes guests with its colorful display of a multicolored glass panel façade. Inside, the Convention Level has room for up to 10,000 people while the Panoramic Level can accommodate up to 1,900 guests.

Planners can find additional facilities at the Mount Royal Centre, which offers 50,000 feet of exhibit space as well as exceptional audio-visual and catering services. Also on the grounds, the Bell Centre, home of the 24-time Stanley Cup champions the Montréal Canadiens, seats 14,000 to 21,500 people at complete capacity and can be arranged into small seating configurations if needed.

Montréal Museum of Contemporary Art

Host to events and festivals both large and small, Montréal offers ample alternatives to traditional meeting facilities from its cultural attractions to its gourmet dining. The Sculpture Garden at the Montréal Museum of Contemporary Art is an elegant outdoor venue for up to 400 guests. Invite up to 500 attendees to join in a night of song and dance at the Cabaret located in the fun-loving Montréal CasinoMontréal Casino
Montréal Casino. Enjoy dishes such as Angus striploin steak, braised lamb shank and tuna tartare from the group menus offered at Restaurant Globe, which can accommodate groups of up to 150 people. Or, gather a more intimate party of up to 20 diners to sample the signature flavors of Québec at popular restaurant Toqué!

Even with so much going on, visitors need not worry about travel to and from Montréal's wealth of attractions and accommodations. Arrival is easy and convenient by plane at Montréal International AirportMontréal International Airport
Montréal International Airport or by train through either Amtrak or VIA Rail. To navigate the streets, hop on the Montréal Metro, the 2nd largest subway network in Canada servicing 68 stops. Or better yet, walk to popular destinations, even when the temperatures drop, in the Underground City, the world's largest underground pedestrian network covering over 20 miles of downtown.

A strong commerce center, Montréal is home of the headquarters of Air Canada, Bell Canada, Cirque du Soleil, National Bank of Canada and Rio Tinto Alcan. Six universities and 12 junior colleges are located in the area, including McGill University, one of the oldest schools in Canada, and Université du Québec à Montréal, the largest French-language university in the world.

Key Statistics

About Montréal / Additional Info

Montréal Skyline

A taste of European culture and style in North America, Montréal has long garnered accolades such as one of the cleanest and one of the most livable cities in the world. Its citizens agree, as Montréal is the largest city in Québec and the 2nd largest in Canada. Over 1.8 million people reside in the city alone, with over 3.6 million living within the greater metropolitan area.

French explorer Jacques Cartier first set foot in the city's area, which became a center for trade and base of French exploration, in 1535, when he claimed it for France. Not surprisingly, the city is among the five largest French-speaking cities in the world, and about 70 percent of the population uses the language most frequently at home. English-speaking travelers can rest assured that most of Montréal's residents are bilingual in both languages.

Located on the central and eastern areas of the Island of Montréal where the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers conjoin, Montréal is 168 miles from Québec City and just over 100 miles from OttawaOttawa
Ottawa, the nation's capital. Sitting under the gaze of the three-headed Mount Royal, the landmark after which the city is presumably named, Montréal features a dynamic cityscape of modern facilities and skyscrapers, such as the Biodôme de MontréalBiodôme de Montréal
Biodôme de Montréal and the Stock Exchange Tower, intermixed with historical landmarks such as the  Notre-Dame BasilicaNotre-Dame Basilica
Notre-Dame Basilica and Bonsecours Market. Visitors will particularly enjoy a stroll through Old Montréal, whose antique architecture and cobblestone streets transport visitors back to the city's days as a French fur trading post.

Further exploration may take guests to the Quartier Latin, known for its musical and literary activity, where they can settle in to a bustling street café, bistro or chic boutique. Acclaimed festivals such as the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival and Montréal Jazz FestivalMontréal Jazz Festival
Montréal Jazz Festival are held in this district. No matter where guests venture, cultural opportunities abound in this city once referred to as "Canada's Cultural Capital." Make sure to catch a performance by the Montréal Symphony Orchestra at the Place des ArtPlace des Art
Place des Art and admire the works of Picasso and Miró at the Montréal Museum of Fine ArtsMontréal Museum of Fine Arts
Montréal Museum of Fine Arts.

When the sun sets, Montréalers know how to throw caution to the wind and have a good time. Crescent Street is pumping with bars and nightclubs, many of which stay open to the early morning hours. Enjoy a beer brewed on-site at microbrewery Brutopia, or hit the dance floor at Winnie's. For those who plan to end the night before the sun rises, Montréal offers an eclectic mix of cuisine reflective of its present-day mix of over 80 ethnicities. From the Jewish influenced smoked meat sandwiches at famed deli Schwartz to the French pastries at L'Express to the authentic Italian dishes at Ristorante I Sensi, dining in Montréal is akin to a trip around the globe. In fact, the city was one of few to have an entire issue of Gourmet magazine devoted to its culinary offerings. International fare, European-style, a top-notch culture scene -- Montréal promises a thrilling adventure at every turn.