Reimagining the aparthotel: Montréal’s latest opening turns heads

Griffintown Hotel specialises in condo-style apartments (photo: Griffintown Hotel)

The new Griffintown Hotel, which offers 114 condo-style apartments available for short-, medium- and long-term stays, plans to keep guests safe through a variety of innovative Covid-secure measures.

Despite Covid19 wreaking havoc in the global hospitality industry, an exciting new project has just completed in Montréal. We find out more about what makes Griffintown Hotel special.

A home away from home

Set in the neighbourhood it’s named after, the property is designed to offer guests an enjoyable experience in one of Montréal’s most popular new districts. All apartments overlook either downtown and Mount Royal or the Lachine Canal, providing spectacular views of nearby skyscrapers from appealing private balconies.

Guests can choose from one- and two-bedroom condo-style apartments, which come fully equipped with the same facilities they might find at home, like a full kitchen and relaxing living room. Thanks to the generous design, up to five adults can comfortably stay in the largest units for an extended period of time, and discounts are available for those booking seven nights or more.

“Launching a new apartment-hotel concept in the midst of a pandemic is quite a challenge, but we believe it demonstrates the need for an essential service like ours,” said Laura-Michèle Grenier Martin, general manager of Griffintown Hotel. “Our vision is perfectly in tune with today’s reality. We offer a safe and autonomous environment while providing hotel standards and services.”

Responding to the pandemic

The aparthotel incorporates a number of features designed to reassure guests amid the Covid19 crisis.

For example, to support the principles of social distancing, a take-out section reserved exclusively for aparthotel guests has been included on the ground floor, offering fresh meals and local ingredients that can be cooked in-room. Similarly, the hotel’s sister business, the Café-crèmerie-dépanneur GH, provides everyday items to residents willing to walk over to the next block. Guests wanting to keep contact to the bare minimum can also request that reception staff deliver orders directly to their rooms.

Meanwhile, Griffintown Hotel has put a number of additional health and sanitation procedures in place, like a two-step apartment-preparation process. A 24-hour delay between bookings is also observed to reassure new arrivals at the beginning of their stay.