Fairmont Le Château Montebello – Quebec

As we pulled up to the world’s largest log cabin, I immediately reverted to my 8-year-old self. Wide-eyed and slack-jawed, I squealed with excitement and bounced up and down bursting with anticipation. We had finally arrived at the winter wonderland. Covered with a thick blanket of snow, Fairmont Le Château Montebello truly looked like a page out of a fairytale…

Dubbed the “Lucerne-in-Québec” project by Harold Saddlemire, the Swiss-American visionary behind the majestic property, the resort was inspired by the châteaux in the Swiss Alps. And for forty years after its completion, it remained a private retreat for the elite – with membership ranging from Princess Grace of Monaco (um, yes, Grace Kelly stayed here) to Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson. Thankfully, its doors opened to the public in 1970 so everyone could experience the dream…

Nestled near the Laurentian Mountains in Quebec, the resort’s three main buildings are made from over 10, 000 red-cedar logs (all cut and set by hand). Impressive, right?! We fell in love with the design and the six-sided fireplace that stands proudly at the heart of the hotel…

It’s hard to describe just how cozy the space is. Lined with plush couches, countless reading nooks and lamps exuding a warm glow, it’s a place I could spend weeks in. And we appreciated it even more after playing outside in the winter wonderland that cocoons the hotel. From horseback riding and snowmobiling to dog sledding and skating, this resort has it all. We absolutely loved cross-country skiing on their beautifully groomed trails (there’s approx. 25 km – ranging from easy to difficult).

We even carved a few of our own paths along the way…

We also tried out their curling clinic at the onsite rink (offered daily and free for guests). Yup, they have four regulation-sized sheets with the lovely Denis there to show you the ropes!

We also popped by the outdoor skating rink (again, free to use)…

Pretty much any equipment you’ll need can be rented at the onsite Sport Boutique. If you want to try out a few activities, their multi-sports package is a great deal: for $25+ taxes ($15+ taxes for the kids) you’ll get one hour of cross-country ski rentals, one hour of snowshoe rentals and one hour of skate rentals!

If outdoor adventures aren’t your thing, the hotel has a 4, 000-square-foot spa and the largest indoor hotel pool in Canada where you can happily hibernate…

Oh, and after working up an appetite (indoors or outdoors), you can walk over to Aux Chantignoles in the main building for a feast. One thing to note: although it’s a beautiful restaurant to share a bottle of wine and appetizers, we found our entrées a bit underwhelming. That being said, the service was great and they won my stomach back at breakfast with their famous maple crepes…

Sigh, I didn’t want to leave our cozy room in the château when we woke up in the morning. But alas, all fairytales must come to an end…

I’m already dreaming about our next visit to Fairmont Le Château Montebello. It’s a hotel that should be on everyone’s bucket list; the property is incredibly unique, the service is warm and friendly and the winter wonderland that awaits will make just about anyone as giddy as a little schoolgirl.

Our stay and brunch at Fairmont Le Château Montebello was complimentary. As always, all reviews and opinions are entirely my own.