Hotel Universel

“Meh”

This hotel is good for sports tournaments and that’s about it. Pool area is a fraction of the size the images depict and is underwhelming to say the least. Walking the hallways you can feel unevenness of the subfloor. Cleanliness was good and the bed comfortable. There is a restaurant attached a... more

This hotel is good for sports tournaments and that’s about it. Pool area is a fraction of the size the images depict and is underwhelming to say the least. Walking the hallways you can feel unevenness of the subfloor. Cleanliness was good and the bed comfortable. There is a restaurant attached and nearby bars making parking near impossible on a Saturday night. Took me 15 minutes to find a spot. Apparently this is normal and the hotel leaves guests to figure it out

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“Budget Luxury, but not for those with high expectations”

Truthfully my husband and I are not difficult to please when it comes to hotels, so we actually had a good experience here overall. That being said, we also purposely stay in cheaper mid-range hotels so that we can put more money toward the actual trip, so bear that in mind as you read on. I wo... more

Truthfully my husband and I are not difficult to please when it comes to hotels, so we actually had a good experience here overall. That being said, we also purposely stay in cheaper mid-range hotels so that we can put more money toward the actual trip, so bear that in mind as you read on. I would say that 3/5 is fair for this hotel. I’ll break it down into pros/cons: 🟢 Pros: pool area is very relaxing and the water is clean and well-maintained. There is a hot tub, a regular pool, and a “cold plunge” tub as well as a couple saunas and a wonderfully relaxing hanging hammock bed. Rooms were clean, bed was actually very comfy, and reception was very polite and also spoke English fluently which was a major plus as my husband and I don’t speak French. Also, I feel that the price we paid ($150/night for a jacuzzi suite with a king size bed) was appropriate given the plentiful amenities and cleanliness. Many basic rooms go for less than 100 USD a night which I think is a very fair price. 🔴 Cons: lots of things in the hotel were in disrepair and detract from the overall vibe. Some examples: peeling wallpaper, bubbled/chipped paint, exposed wires (under construction so were not dangerous, however, they were unsightly), signs with letters that were crooked or had fallen off, visible garden hoses in the pool area, several cracked bricks/pavers in the pool area, and many of the decor items in the pool area looked in need of a good deep clean and dusting. Don’t get me wrong, if the subtle things environment around you don’t bother you then the pool area is excellent—but if you’re the type to zero in on chipped paint and broken fixtures, this might bother you. I would also comment that the pool area does not have appropriate signage, so the cold plunge tub looked exactly like the hot tub but was not labeled as such and many people stepped into it expecting it to be a hot tub and were understandably quite shocked by the temperature. In the rooms, I’d say that the heating system is very poor and that the room was kind of chilly. The temperature never rose above 20°C (about 67°F) the entire trip despite several attempts to adjust the thermostat. This wasn’t something we bothered to ask the front desk about because we keep our house at 68°F so we are accustomed to that temperature, however, if you like a warmer room, you’d likely find these rooms quite cold. This could be even more bothersome if you go during the winter, since Quebec winters are notoriously very cold and 67° isn’t very cozy if you’ve been outside all day. All things considered, we personally would go back, but I can definitely see how some would find that this hotel does not meet their expectations. I would say that if you’re looking for a comfy and clean place to rest your head with some basic amenities that aren’t super luxurious, this place will work just fine. However, if you want a nicer and more upscale hotel with keen attention to all details, you would be disappointed here.

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