Pamela MacNaughtanLast Updated on November 29, 2024 by Pamela MacNaughtan
It’s Friday night in Quebec City and music vibrates through Hôtel Maurice as a DJ takes over the hotel’s ground-floor restaurant, intensifying as the night goes on. Located on a stretch of Grande-Allée known for its nightlife, Hôtel Maurice is Quebec City’s newest boutique hotel, and as it turns out, an ideal spot for people who love to eat gourmet food, party, possibly hook up and pass out.
It’s a unique hotel concept in Quebec City with a perfect location.
As someone who lives for good design, Hôtel Maurice’s art deco décor gave me full body tingles, from the burgundy fringe hanging around the large lights at the front desk to the mint green and white marble hallways with dusty rose ceilings. The periwinkle blue walls of my room are calming, but the iridescent gold-tiled shower and in-room bar have me thinking about alcohol-soaked nights filled with bad decisions – and American Hustle with Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Christian Bale and Jennifer Lawrence.
Opening in July 2024, Hôtel Maurice resides in Manoir Price, a house built in the early 20th century by William Price, grandson of Price Brothers founder William Price. Tudor Revival, Romanesque, and Gothic Revival in style, this manor house was home to an elite conservative club (Renaissance Club, 1937-1972), bars, restaurants, cafés, a discothèque and a cigar lounge. Today, it’s home to Hôtel Maurice, Maurice Restaurant Lounge, and Société Cigare.
Rooms at Hôtel Maurice
It took me a minute to figure out how to get into Hôtel Maurice. I walked in the front door, saw the closed restaurant and assumed I was in the wrong place. I was not, to access the hotel on the second floor one needs to walk through the restaurant and take the elevator on the left. I was embarrassed until I was dining in the restaurant later in the evening and noticed a few more confused guests. Phew!
Curves and calming colours give the rooms at Hôtel Maurice a sense of calm. I can’t remember the last time I saw periwinkle blue walls or a cerulean blue velvet sofa bed. Crisp white lines adorn the beds, and the mini bar is filled with ready-to-drink cocktails and a full bottle of Pure Vodka for purchase. The bathroom, with its iridescent gold picket tiles in the shower, smoked glass wall, and rounded mirror is visually stunning – the only thing missing was a sparkly orb hanging from the ceiling (Ha ha),
I don’t sleep well in most hotels, but the king-sized bed in my room was comfortable enough for a few solid hours. On Friday and Saturday nights, when a DJ takes over the hotel’s restaurant, a pair of earplugs come in handy as the music vibrates through the rooms until well after 1 am.
In terms of design, Hôtel Maurice hits it out of the park. It practically screams lushness. Great if you’re planning to party, play around, and pass out!
Dining at Maurice Restaurant Lounge
When it first opened in July, the restaurant served tapas, now, the menu is rather eclectic, serving everything from jambon Ibérique and tartare to pizza and nachos. At first, I thought it was because Quebec City has been influenced by French, English, and Italian cultures, but the reason is more simple.
They are curating a menu that will attract a variety of hotel guests and locals, keeping the popular dishes and changing out the others. It’s a slow process, and I’m excited to see the menu transform.
My dinner started with fat slices of toasted bread with a side of truffle butter, and a Le Demers cocktail made with Limoncello, cognac, and a lemon twist. The cocktails are named after the hotel’s owners, the manor house, and important Quebec political figures.
Sliced slightly grilled scallops lay atop small flour tortillas with pickled onion, corn salsa, and a house Voodoo and lime sauce arrived next. A little messy, but quite tasty and my favourite dish of the night.
Next was an order of Beef Wellington and a plate of Brussels sprouts on melted blue cheese with a glass of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Served in golden puff pastry, the beef was medium rare with a buttery texture, accompanied by a smear of mashed potatoes, a splash of demi-glaze, and a couple of pieces of broccoli.
Traditionally, Beef Wellington is wrapped with a mushroom mixture and ham, keeping the juices away from the puff pastry layer. At Maurice Restaurant Lounge the beef is wrapped only in puff pastry, resulting in an under-cooked and soggy bottom – but who hasn’t had a soggy bottom from time to time? The taste is quite good, and I had no problems with putting the soggy bits on the side of the plate and eating everything else. The Brussels sprouts were good, but there were a lot of them. It is definitely a dish for two people.
For dessert, apple pie-filled puff pastry topped with vanilla ice cream. Quite delicious, like a super fancy McDonald’s apple pie from the 80s. Yum!
The menu has a lot of choices, all with a gourmet flourish. I kind of like its eclectic nature, and I’ll go back to try a few more things. Probably on a Friday or Saturday night so I can enjoy the nightclub vibe that takes over when the DJ arrives.
Société Cigare
Passing through two glass doors and past the restaurant’s wine collection, smoke hung in the air of Sociéré Cigare, which makes sense as it’s a cigar lounge. The décor is the same as the restaurant and hotel, Art Deco. The vibe, however, is a curious cross between sophistication and sports bar – inviting for cigar lovers from all walks of life.
The cigar cave, which overlooks the bar, houses cigars ranging in price from 13 to 200 CAD. There are Cubans, fat and robust in flavour, and cigars made in the US with blends from Nicaragua, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic.
Did you know cigars age like fine wine and can be equally expensive when they do? I didn’t, I’m not a smoker! The aged ones are not more expensive at Société Cigare though, so if you want to try one, chat with the expert, Julian.
As for me, I sipped a delicious between-the-sheets cocktail, soaked up a lot of sweet cigar smoke (literally), and then went upstairs to wash my hair. Ha!
Party the Night Away at Hôtel Maurice
Hôtel Maurice is perfect if you love nightlife and want a beautiful place to pass out after a night of eating, dancing, drinking, and making friends – at the hotel, as well as the neighbourhood bars.
It’s lovely if you don’t enjoy nightlife, too. The hotel is quieter during the week, but if you’re staying during the weekend, bring earplugs. It’s also a good idea to bring juice, soda or snacks as you won’t find any in the mini bar. There is also no body lotion in the bathroom, so bring that too.
Stay at Hôtel Maurice: 575, Grande-Allée Est • 418-628-7423 • Book a room • Restaurant reservations are recommended • Rooms are 263 to 328 CAD per night, suites are 461 to 668 CAD per night
