Going Back in Time

With its charming old-world atmosphere and hip urban centers, the province of Quebec is our northern neighbor's true hotel capital

Canada may be a relatively young country—it was founded only in 1867—but its best city hotels exude old-world charm. It’s no wonder, then, that 7 out of 10 of readers’ favorite urban stays are in Quebec, one of the nation’s original provinces, where French architecture and UNESCO World Heritage sites make for a thoroughly transportive getaway. Take this year’s No. 1, Auberge Saint-Antoine, spread across a series of Colonial-era warehouses in Quebec City’s Old Port, with an exceptionally rustic restaurant focus on local flavors. It’s not far from Hotel 71, whose sleek lobby contrasts dramatically with the centuries-old cobblestones out back. The showstopper here, however, has always been the Revivalist-style Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, designed in the late 1800s to mimic the manors of the Loire Valley. South in Montreal, Hôtel Place d’Armes, Hotel Nelligan, Auberge du Vieux-Port, and Hotel William Gray are all situated in the city’s historic Vieux-Port and feature rooftop terraces where the views stretch to that most timeless feature of all—the mighty St. Lawrence River. SIOBHAN REID

Rest of the World

CANADA

1 Auberge Saint-Antoine, Quebec City 98.68

2 Hôtel Place d’Armes, Montreal 98.10

3 The Hazelton Hotel, Toronto 97.36