Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello, Quebec

A previous winner of FTF’s Top 10 Getaways for Family Togetherness award, Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello, Quebec, Canada, was honored along with other hospitality, timeshare and eco-tourism businesses that made it possible for families to stay, play, relax, and learn together in a creative and enriching atmosphere.  This deserving resort gets a fresh look in 2015:

Walk into the lobby of the Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello, located on 65,000 acres of land between Montreal and Ottawa on the Ottawa River, and you’ll see a gorgeous, massive central fireplace ablaze with warmth in the winter months.  Add to this cozy vision the fact that this chateau’s 10,000 rred cedar logs were all cut and set by hand, and you will begin to get an idea of the atmosphere at this log chateau, a luxurious property which attracts visitors of all ages from around Canada and the world.

Le Chateau Montebello provides a comfortable place to stay and many opportunities to play, both indoors and (especially) outdoors.  Recreation activities surround the hotel in the warmer months as well as in winter, making it an ideal destination for family fun—in fact, Travel + Leisure Family magazine has named it the best family-friendly resort in Canada.

Just what makes this place a magical winter wonderland for families?  Maybe it’s the fact that ther are 42km of great cross-country skiing on groomed trails. Maybe it’s the opportunities to snowmobile, dogsled, or go on a sleigh ride together.  There are also snowshoe trails, a tube sliding area, and good old-fashioned toboggans are available for rent.  Families may also choose to ice skate in one of two outdoor rinks.  All of these options give the phrase “playing in the snow” an expanded meaning.

But when the snow melts away, other activities come to the fore—horseback riding, canoeing or kayaking, bike riding, croquet, mini-golf or paddle boarding. Wild bear observation trips are available to guests over 7-years-old, while guided nature hikes and pontoon boat tours are other choices for warmer months.  If all else fails, an afternoon at the indoor (Canada’s largest) or outdoor heated pool may be in order at any time of the year. 

Adults may want to tackle one of Land Rover all-terrain driving lessons or excursions based from the property.  There’s also a top-rate, eighteen hole golf course and plenty of tennis, with two outdoor and six indoor courts, rentals, and lessons.  Parents can also steal away for maple-infused treatments at the newly upgraded Spa.  Monte’s Kids Club offers activities for kids ages 4-12 every morning.  With parent’s supervision there are fun arts’n’crafts projects and video games.  Weekend evenings offer Movie Night from 7:30-9pm for the same age group. Private babysitting in the guest rooms can be booked through the concierge.  Le Chateau’s restaurants welcome families with a wide selection of delicacies, and children under 5 eat free from the enhanced children’s menu, and kids from ages 6-12 years receive a 50% discount off the regular menu.

Le Chateau Montebello features 211 rooms, including some one-bedroom suites and junior suites with Jacuzzis.  Guestrooms come in different classes that can hold up to three, four, or five people, and some connecting rooms are available.  Baby accessories, cribs, rollaway beds and sofabeds (in some room classes) are also available upon request.  Whether you’re coming in from the snow or the sun, the rooms emphasize comfort, and pets are welcome too with their own sets of regulations.

Le Chateau really does take its family-friendly status seriously, so be on the lookout for relevant packages year-round.

Photographs Courtesy of Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello