6 Things You Should Know About the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac

The Fairmont Le Château Frontenac is perhaps one of the most famous hotels in the world. It’s an iconic Canadian landmark on the St. Lawrence River and is recognizable worldwide. Some even refer to the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac as “the most photographed hotel in the world,” for good reason. It towers over the old city of Quebec. With its unmistakable architecture, it represents the entire region.

1. It’s a Great Use of a Suite Night Upgrade

I had the chance to stay at the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in May 2025. Thanks to a January 2025 Bilt Rent Day status match promotion where Bilt Platinum members could activate ALL – Accor Live Limitless Platinum status by transferring 5,000 Bilt points, I received 2 complimentary suite night certificates, good at most Accor properties worldwide. Wanting to maximize these certificates, I booked the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, a hotel I had wanted to stay in ever since I was a kid.

I vividly remember visiting Quebec when I was younger, but we didn’t stay at this iconic hotel; instead, we opted for something much cheaper nearby. Rates at the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac can vary wildly. In the off-season, you can easily find rooms for around $300 per night, but during the peak summer season, these same rooms can easily exceed $600 per night.

I managed to snag a regular room for approximately $300 a night and then used a suite upgrade certificate to move to a Junior Suite for no extra charge. As an ALL Platinum elite, I would not receive lounge access at the hotel, but instead purchased a further upgrade to the Gold floor (which comes with executive lounge access) for an additional $150 a night. I was staying with my parents, so for the 3 of us, I considered this club upgrade charge well worth it.

Because Fairmont and Accor do not have co-branded credit cards, I booked the stay with my Chase Sapphire Reserve^®, which earned 3 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent before the card’s refresh.

2. It’s a Historic Hotel

The Fairmont Le Château Frontenac is steeped in history. The hotel hosted the World War II Quebec conferences in 1943 and 1944, where U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King met to plan the Allied invasion of Europe, including D-Day. This infamous conference was held in the Rose Room, towards the back of the hotel. While the leaders did not sleep at the Fairmont (they slept at the nearby Citadel for security reasons), most of the planning for the D-Day invasion took place within the hotel’s walls.

Aside from hosting the planning for one of the most notable military battles, the hotel has also hosted many film and music celebrities, including Céline Dion, Leonardo DiCaprio, Alfred Hitchcock (who filmed “I Confess” there), Angelina Jolie, and Sting.

Charles de Gaulle, Queen Elizabeth II, Chiang Kai-Shek, Ronald Reagan, and Pierre Trudeau all slept at the Fairmont. One of the ballrooms was painted green after Reagan visited the hotel during his presidency. The hotel loved the color and has never painted it over since!

3. Walking Tours Are Available

Whether staying at the Fairmont or not, you can take a historical walking tour of the grounds. These tours can be booked through the hotel’s concierge, and you can step off multiple times daily. The tours cost about $15 and last roughly an hour. You’ll meet your guide, dressed in period garb, outside the hotel on the promenade. From there, the guide will point out the significance of the hotel’s architecture, explaining when each section of the building was constructed and what it is used for.

You’ll then enter through the lobby, where you begin to understand why the hotel was created along the Canadian transcontinental railway. The guide will share who the hotel is named after, and some of the lobby amenities, including the shops, restaurants, and front desk.

From there, you’ll get to explore a guest room. I was staying at the hotel, so I didn’t need to see a room, but many people on the tour aren’t hotel guests and want to see a room.

The tour then proceeds into the ballrooms and meeting space area, where many of the hotel’s historical events have occurred. Lining the walls are various photographs of dignitaries and stars, and the guide explains the significance of each.

4. Fairmont Gold Access Is Worth It

Lounge access at the Fairmont is known as Fairmont Gold. I had ALL Platinum status, which did not grant me access to any lounge facilities at the hotel.

You can receive complimentary lounge access as an ALL Diamond elite or purchase it as part of your reservation. To access Fairmont Gold, I had to purchase an additional $150 add-on per day, which I considered well worth it since I was traveling with my parents.

This access would get us:

• Private check-in
• Complimentary breakfast and afternoon canapés
• An all-day honor bar
• A dedicated concierge
• Complimentary high-speed internet
• Chromecast technology
• Access to the PressReader app
• Turndown service
• Shoe-shining service
• Printing services

The main benefits of Fairmont Gold are the private check-in with a concierge, lounge access with breakfast and canapés, and the all-day honor bar.

Upon arrival at the hotel, signage indicated that Fairmont Gold guests should proceed to the 11th floor to check in, which I did. A desk at the end of the hallway was staffed by 2 concierges, who promptly checked me in.

The lounge space was rather large, encompassing several rooms with various seating options including couches, tables, chairs, booth seating, and high-top tables. In the middle was a buffet area. In the morning, a complimentary breakfast was served, which included a rotating egg dish, sausage, ham, and potatoes, and then a rotating sweet bread selection, such as pancakes or French toast.

In addition, cereals, fruits, meats, cheeses, and vegetables were on offer, as well as several baskets of pastries. In the morning, fresh-squeezed orange juice was also available. Coffee was made-to-order, and several attendants roamed around the lounge offering drinks.

Throughout the day, there was a selection of complimentary coffees, teas, sodas, juices, sparkling drinks, and a paid honor bar for those wishing to indulge.

In the evening, a canapé selection was brought out, which included a few small-plate hot items, cheeses, meats, vegetables, and breads. One evening, there was a shrimp dish, sushi, and lamb. While you could certainly make this into a dinner, I found the portion sizes small, so you’ll likely want multiple helpings or to still go to dinner afterward.

Then, to wrap things up, a small selection of desserts was served. These included some small cakes and fresh fruit, though the selection seemed rather disappointing, and I heard several other guests comment the same.

We could return to the lounge area throughout the day to recharge, and the staff there were incredibly friendly. Notably, the concierges there provided some excellent restaurant recommendations and were able to book several nearby tours, charging everything to the room.

It’s worth noting that Fairmont Gold rooms at this hotel are on the top floors, and only Fairmont Gold guests stay on these floors. Unlike many hotels, where access is dependent on the room or guest, these hotels require all lounge access guests to stay on the Fairmont Gold floor. You cannot purchase a lower-floor base room and add Gold access.

5. Suites Are Spacious

I upgraded to a Fairmont Gold Junior Suite for my stay and was amazed at how large this room was. Fairmont advertises this room as 529 square feet, but I think the room I was assigned was much larger. It was essentially 2 full-size rooms.

Walking into the main room, there was a full bathroom to the left, a seating area straight ahead, and the bed to the right. Around the corner was a private office space, perfect for working on a laptop or taking a call.

To the right of the main room was an entirely separate room with a sleeper sofa, a desk, armchairs, a television, and a second full bathroom. This was the highlight of this Junior Suite for me. Having 2 full bathrooms for 3 people was a real treat, as everyone was able to get ready without a delay.

I had my parents stay in the main room with the king bed, and I took the second room with the sofa bed, which, while a sofa bed, was adequate for a few nights.

6. The Hotel Is an Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts Hotel

Because the hotel is an American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts (FHR) property, I booked the last night of my stay using this program to receive additional perks. The FHR program allows cardholders of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, or Centurion^® Card from American Express to receive perks usually reserved for elite customers.

Included were the following benefits:

• Complimentary breakfast for 2
• An upgraded room upon arrival
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Early check-in at noon
• Late checkout at 4 p.m.
• An on-site experience credit, which, at this hotel, was a $100 food and beverage credit

Because I had 2 nights on the front end booked directly with ALL so I could use my upgrade certificates, I called the hotel and asked if they could keep us in the same room for the final night. They gladly obliged, and there was only a small upcharge to stay in the same room and receive lounge access. Because breakfast would be included on our final night, they reduced the charge to remain in the same room, considering that we would still be using the lounge.

Fairmont Gold upgrades are not usually part of the FHR program, so upgrades to this level, including lounge access, are generally at an additional fee. That said, if you don’t have ALL elite status, booking through FHR will provide some additional amenities you wouldn’t otherwise have access to.

Final Thoughts

I would not hesitate to return to the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac again. Situated in the heart of old Quebec City, it’s like being in France, without ever leaving North America. The hotel is full of rich history, and the spacious and comfortable rooms make for an extremely relaxing stay. I found the upgrade to Fairmont Gold well worth the premium, and the lounge access and amenities certainly added to the level of luxury during my time.