If you truly want to stay in a reallllly nice hotel, try the St. James.

http://www.hotellestjames.com/

Old Montreal is quaint and filled with boutiques and restaurants. The small Chinatown is nearby, as is the superb downtown shopping found on rue St. Catherine and rue Sherbrooke. All are walking distance from each other, except of course, in winter, when you may not wish to walk much outdoors.

An excellent wine bar restaurant in Old Montreal not far from the St. James is Modavie http://www.modavie.com/ but there are lots of other fine restaurants all over the city.

Thank you for the suggestion. Unfortunately, the only room available that weekend is for $450 and I think that is a little too steep for us. It does look like an absolutely stunning place to stay!

Any other suggestions?

I usually stay at the Sheraton Centre downtown, but it's a very "plain vanilla" hotel, great location though.

Another one I like, in a superb location in the heart of Old Montreal that's much more affordable than the St. James:

Le Saint Sulpice

tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g155032-d224665…

We are off to Montreal next weekend and are of similar mind to you and your husband. We are staying in Vieux Montreal at Auberge de la Place Royale ($155/night including breakfast). The photos of the rooms on the website look beautiful and I cannot say enough about my dealings with the Auberge personnel thus far. The comments on TA are all glowing. My other choices were Auberge Bonaparte ($190/night including breakfast) and Auberge les Passants du Sans Soucy - both were also amazing to deal with on the phone, but unfortunatley were unable to accomodate us. Good luck!

Thank you so much for that information- it is so helpful! Would you be so kind to email me or post here when you get back with your review...maybe a couple restaurant recs. We are going in August.

Have a fabulous trip!

Old Montreal is the area you should stay in. Art galleries, the Old Port, cobblestone streets, outdoor cafes,- and also full of lovely hotels. Take a look at The Nelligan (my favorite - take a look at the TA reviews), Springhill Suites, Place D'Armes, Auberge de Vieux Port and so many more...

Also, take a look at this link:

www.tourisme-montreal.org/Offers/Summer

It lists some of the hotels that have a "sweet deal" promotion where you can get half off certain nights of your stay.

Have fun!

Terrific link...thank you! What can you tell me about parking.....we will be driving up- it is only 4 hours. I'm assuming there are garages & such- what are those prices like?

Typically you can self-park for 15 to 20 dollars a day in lots and various garages in Old Montreal. Valet parking is extra at your hotel.

Be sure to contact your auto insurance company in advance to get a proof of insurance card that Canada requires. It is yellow in color, and is commonly called south of the border the "Canada card". My insurance company now e-mails that to me, so it can be done in a day if you have an efficient insurance company. If you get into an accident, even a minor one, you need that card for proof of insurance, otherwise you could have a lot of hassles trying to exit Canada to go home.

Have a look at the Hotel Nelligan...we stayed there during the spring promotion and we were very happy. It is located right where you want to stay in Old Montreal...lots of choices of nearby restos if you decide not to eat at the hotel's two restaurants.

Complimentary ontinental breakfast and a wine/cheese tasting in the early evening...make sure you check out the rooftop bar for interesting drinks and a great view of the skyline and harbor.

I would consider taking the train up from Vermont if that is doable, you really don't need the car in Montreal with most things within walking distance or a short hop on the Metro.

Regardless of where you stay I'm sure you will be making a return trip...

One other recommendation if you are still looking, is the Saint-Sulpice Hotel. It is in Old Quebec, perfect location and beautiful hotel. The rates are very reasonable for this type of hotel.

www.lesaintsulpice.com/html/eng/index.htm