When the workday stress starts to overwhelm you, does the thought of slipping away to a rustic little cabin in the woods appeal? Do you love the idea of a roaring fire on the hearth, cozy blankets to cuddle under and big hearty meals?
But…
Do you kind of hate the prospect of chopping up all that wood for the fire, think cozy blankets stored in an old cabin probably need a good wash and don’t really want to get the groceries you’d need to make those big, hearty meals – even if you suddenly felt like spending all that time in the kitchen?
It’s time to expand your thoughts of a little log cabin getaway into something much, much grander – a visit to the Fairmont Château Montebello, reputed to be the world’s largest log cabin. The fire blazing on its hearth is big enough to warm the chilliest, most-stressed-out heart, there’s a team of chefs in the kitchen whipping up hearty gourmet meals and I assure you, their blankets are cozy…and clean!
Fairmont Château Montebello is built on the grounds of the 17th century Seigniorial estate of Bishop Laval, the first Bishop of Quebec. The land was later owned by the Papineau family who built the grand manor house which still stands – the Manoir-Papineau National Historic Site of Canada. But this special place first rose to national fame in the 1930s when Swiss-American Hubert Saddlemire hired Finnish master builder Victor Nymark to create a giant version of the log cabins of the Alps. In those early Depression years, labour was plentiful and 3,500 men worked around the clock for four months to turn more than 10,000 red cedar logs into three main buildings soon nicknamed “Lucerne in Quebec.”
Despite the press promotion this incredible creation received, only an elite few could stay at what became the posh private retreat of the Seigniory Club. The people curled up by the fireplace then included prime ministers and visiting royalty. Luckily for the rest of us, the glam retreat was purchased by Canadian Pacific Hotels in 1970. They renamed it Château Montebello and opened the doors to anyone with the price of a room.
Not that the price of a room is an insignificant matter. Now called the Fairmont Château Montebello, it is easily one of the most iconic hotels in eastern Canada.
Regardless of the season, there’s always just a hint of wood smoke in the air when you enter the enormous lobby – and no wonder. The middle of this huge room is dominated by the fireplace of your chilliest dreams – six-sided and – when the weather warrants – blazing with a no-logs-spared fire. Not in a rush? Settle right in at the nearby Bar Le Foyer and start to relax.
Whether you choose a large room or an even larger suite at the Chateau Montebello, the feel will be the same. Classic wooden furniture that looks as if your great grandfather might have built it for you in his workshop, beds topped with silky linens, cozy plaid woolen blankets and pillows that are as soft and cuddly as they look. There are plushy robes and slippers that envelop you after your bath and comfy chairs that invite you to snuggle in and read that book you’ve been dying to get into. This is the luxe but understated decor your family cottage-in-the-woods would have had…if your family had been seriously wealthy.
If you can drag yourself away from the comforts of your room, get past the six-sided roaring fire in the lobby, and resolve to wait until dinner to sample the local delights on the menu in Aux Chantignoles or Bistro La Seigneurie, you can enjoy hiking, biking or cross-country skiing on the well-manicured, but still woods,y grounds of the Château. You can even set up your own bonspiel at the indoor curling rink, go for a horse-drawn sleigh ride or try your hand at dog sledding. If you’re feeling particularly self-indulgent (and really, why wouldn’t you be?) think about signing up for the Land Rover Experience, during which you’ll have a chance to be trained in the proper operation of a Land Rover, while you put it through its paces in a special training zone in the 65,000 acres of beautiful wilderness of the adjacent Kenauk Nature Reserve.
Finally, be sure to book yourself a massage at the Salon Du Soleil Spa, a winner in the 2018 Canadian Spa & Wellness Awards – Top 25 Spas in Canada. The sunny lounge and tranquil treatment rooms offer the perfect finale to your Fairmont Château Montebello escape.
