As the golden elevator doors slid open to reveal a gilt sign announcing the 14th floor, the phrase “I’ve made it” sprang to mind.
Not “I’ve made it to the 14th floor”. Not even “I’ve made it to the famous Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac”. No. It was “I’ve made it , made it”. The big time.
For in my hand was a golden key to access the private lounge and rooms on the upper floors of one of the most photographed hotels on Earth.
Grace Kelly held an old-fashioned version of this electronic key. I know this because my room is next door to the Princess of Monaco suite where she stayed in 1969 and danced in the ballroom with Prince Rainier.
Alfred Hitchcock filmed I Confess here, Celine Dion sang here and Roosevelt and Churchill met in the Chateau’s Salon Rose to talk about the Normandy landings. The Queen has stayed here. Twice. Perched high on a cliff overlooking the St Lawrence river, this five-star hotel towers over the fortified historic city of Quebec and is a prominent tourist attraction in its own right.
Even though it was built in 1893 by the Canadian Pacific Railway to attract the rich and famous of the day, a restoration project in 2014 ensures there is nothing faded about its glamour in 2022.
Outside, picturesque towers and turrets mimic the castles of the Loire Valley. Inside it has the wow factor from the minute you glide through the revolving doors into the entrance hall.
Gilt mirrors shine. Chandeliers glitter. Acres of brass are polished to gleaming perfection.
Huge stone fireplaces, original wood panelling and more than seven miles of plush carpeted corridors ensure it doesn’t descend into a blingfest.
And thanks to a new route by Canadian airline Air Transat, this hotel and the UNESCO world heritage site that is Old Quebec are just a seven-hour direct flight away from Gatwick. But there’s more to Quebec than a famous hotel, winding, cobbled streets and quaint squares. There’s loads to see and do outside one of the only fortified city walls in North America to survive the 20th century.
It’s just hard to drag yourself away from romantic Quebec City to look at it.
Wendake
And this is why I headed to the suburbs to see the Hotel-Musée Premières Nations. Across Quebec, the 11 different First Nations offer more than 200 experiences as they aim to transform indigenous traditions into tourism.
From crafting classes to sleeping under bearskins, you can find out about the lives of the people who lived here long before the British and French arrived.
Wendake is the centre of the Huron‑Wendat nation and millions of dollars have been invested into creating a modern museum and upmarket boutique hotel where, after an enjoyable evening of myths and legends, I slept off the journey in large, luxury rooms overlooking the Akiawenrahk river.
This is a fascinating telling of the often uncomfortable First Nation story, right down to the authentic furs and La Traite restaurant, which turns traditional ingredients into fine dining.
The following morning my costumed English-speaking guide Arentout, or Denni for short, kept me rapt right from the minute we stepped into an impressive long house in the replica Huron village of Onhoua Chetek8e to when we sat down to eat Bannock bread in the cafe (8 is a Huron letter; ‘wh’ as in ‘what’).
From the moment this retired soldier greeted us with “Kwe” (hello friend), he was transformed into a real-life, knowledgeable descendant of a former chief who was determined not to let the “old ways” disappear.
Whales
The indigenous word for Quebec means ‘‘where the river narrows” and as you travel out of the city on Route 138 you find yourself sandwiched between the ever-widening St Lawrence on one side and lush woodlands on the other.
Many people make this journey to reach Tadoussac to see the whales, seals and porpoises that arrive here every summer.
Sadly the whales didn’t get the memo.
Their arrival in late May is weather dependent so if seeing them is the highlight of your trip, make sure you get the timing right.
Waterfalls
The mountains on the other side of this road have gorges where melted snow thunders down to the St Lawrence, creating impressive waterfalls higher than Niagara.
The 276ft Montmorency Falls are just eight miles outside Quebec City and a must-see for visitors who can choose between climbing 487 steps or a cable car to reach the top where a suspension bridge allows you to walk across the crest.
Travel a few miles further on and you will come to a 1.2 billion-year-old canyon where the Sainte-Anne-du-Nord river roars over a 242ft drop. A thrilling new ride provides a brief bird’s-eye view of the gorge.
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Charlevoix
Route 138 takes you through the Charlevoix region, a much-loved holiday destination for those who come to relax and play in a stunning natural landscape carved out by a meteorite impact 450 million years ago.
Dramatic scenery lends itself to biking and hiking, while the genteel villages and towns packed with traditional wooden architecture feel like stepping back in time.
Golf is popular and you can choose from three courses offering views across the bays, including Le Manoir Richelieu where Donald Trump and other world leaders played when the hotel hosted the G7 summit in 2018. In the heart of Charlevoix is Baie-Saint-Paul, a little town known for its art galleries, artisan food and being home of Cirque du Soleil, whose founder has turned a former convent farm into a hotel and spa.
The town has a beach that is busy in summer and is close to a maritime museum dedicated to the schooners that were a common sight on the river before the road was built.
Nearby is a car ferry to the Isle-aux Coudres – worth taking if only because it’s a free trip across the St Lawrence. You can drive around the perimeter of this small island in 25 minutes but you might want to stop for a selfie at the living museum which boasts it’s the only place in the world with a working watermill and windmill side by side.
Food and drink
Why Quebec vies to be known as the birthplace of poutine when it can boast so many culinary delights beats me.
Why would you believe chips and gravy with stringy cheese is more appealing than the pretty plates in high end city restaurants such as Le Clan and buzzy bistros like Louise Taverne? Or the delights of quinoa and apple bread sold at the humble Boulangerie Bouchard?
Charlevoix encourages artisan producers such as Anthony Dufour. You can taste his various honey ciders at Hydromel Charlevoix in Baie-Saint-Paul and discover where the bees that made it live.
Craft breweries and delis abound, while foodies are advised to make a trip to the island of Orléans, which boasts architecture and agritourism.
The final word
The British may have won the battles with the French in the 18th century, but you’d never guess it in Quebec. The province looks French, feels French, tastes French and even smelled French because of the Verbena toiletries. But don’t expect everybody you meet to be fully bilingual as the tourism industry wakes up after the pandemic.
“Au revoir, Quebec.”
I arrived, I left, but I will be back.
BOOK IT
Rooms at the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac hotel in Quebec City start at around £188 a night. fairmont.com
GET THERE
Air Transat flies from Gatwick to Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, from £385 return. airtransat.com
