1 Hôtel Place d’Armes 2 Brentwood Bay Lodge & Spa 3 Union Bank Inn 4 W Montréal

Restaurant Confidential
Even if you aren’t staying at these hotels, you’ll still want to eat there. At SoHo Metropolitan Hotel Toronto, Senses Bar & Restaurant offers a sophisticated blend of Latin, Asian and Continental cuisines. Both Aix Cuisine du Terroir in Hôtel Place d’Armes (Montreal) and Arbutus Grille & Wine Bar at Brentwood Bay Lodge & Spa (Victoria) made enRoute’s list of Canada’s Best New Restaurants 2004. The restaurant at Bonaparte Auberge et Restaurant (Montreal), with its flawless take on classical French cuisine, existed for 15 years before the hotel opened. You can dine right in the 5,000-bottle wine cellar at Restaurant la Quintessence at Hôtel Quintessence (Mont-Tremblant, Que.).

Bar None
The new W Montréal boasts two bars: Wunderbar Lounge Bar, with its dramatic sunken VIP area; and the after-work Plateau Bar beneath a soaring 12-storey atrium. Feel like Fred Astaire tippling at the classically elegant Wedgewood Hotel (Vancouver), where they really know how to mix a cocktail. At Listel Vancouver Hotel, the official hotel of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, O’Doul’s is the place to hear live music. Guests of the hotel avoid the inevitable lineups to get into one of the three popular bars at The Drake Hotel (Toronto). And the bar at Hôtel Godin, owned by the group behind popular Buona Notte restaurant, is the new hangout of Montreal hipsters.

A Glass a Day
Daily wine and cheese tastings are civilized, fun and educational. Hôtel Nelligan, Auberge du Vieux-Port, Hôtel Place d’Armes (all Montreal) as well as The Met Hotel (Edmonton) and Harbour House Hotel (Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.) all practise this delightful tradition. Plus three unique twists on this theme: Union Bank Inn (Edmonton) delivers complimentary wine and cheese to your room; Arc The.Hotel (Ottawa) offers a glass of champagne at five o’clock; and The Magnolia Hotel & Spa (Victoria) provides guests with a cocktail voucher for its Hugo’s Grill and Brewpub.

Making the Scene
Locals hoping for a glimpse of their favourite celebrity know to stake out the lobbies at Opus Hotel (Vancouver), SoHo Metropolitan Hotel Toronto and Hôtel Le Germain Toronto. Hôtel Gault’s (Montreal) lobby library and small bar welcome a worldly and sophisticated clientele. A room card from Hôtel Quintessence (Mont-Tremblant, Que.) is like a key to the village.