Quebec City is one of our favourite cities in Canada, and we've been fortunate to visit on several occasions. During this three day stay in Quebec City, we spent the night at the modern yet historic Hotel 71 in Old Quebec's Lower Town.
We really loved staying at Le Saint Pierre Auberge right next door. While these hotels are affiliated with one another and offer the same great customer service, they also contrast one another in style and decor. While Le Saint Pierre Auberge leans towards classic European charm with its brick and stonework, Hotel 71 celebrates a contemporary and modern elegance throughout the property.
In this hotel review of Hotel 71, we'll discuss the location, our room, the hotel amenities and more. You'll quickly see why this is an excellent choice for when you're choosing where to stay in Quebec City.
Hotel 71: Location
Hotel 71 is located on Rue Saint-Pierre in the middle of Basse-Ville (Lower Town), Old Quebec. The location is superb as it's close to everything: Quartier Petit Champlain, Old Port, Place Royale, art galleries, museums, and the Funicular or "Breakneck Stairs" to Upper Town.
Quebec City is extremely walkable, but Hotel 71 makes it even easier to get around. Since the hotel is centrally located, returning to the hotel when needed is a total breeze.
A Brief History of Hotel 71
Prior to the establishment of Hotel 71, this historic building in the heart of Lower Town was home to the Banque Nationale (National Bank of Canada). It was the bank's first head office in Canada.
This area later became known as Quebec City's banking district. The building itself is a fine example of 19th century neo-classical architecture.
As one of the taller buildings in the area, Hotel 71 extends seven stories into the sky providing excellent views of the St. Lawrence River from its upper levels.
Our Room at Hotel 71
We stayed in a "Classic Room" on the seventh floor (the highest floor), room 728. The room faced the front of the building towards the Old Port, giving us brilliant views of the bustling activity along the St. Lawrence River.
The ceilings in our room were high - 14 foot ceilings! The windows run nearly from floor to ceiling allowing lots of natural light to spill into the room.
The decor is modern, yet elegant; luxurious, yet comfortable. As we walked into the room, classical music was playing which added to the dignified ambiance.
The room features a flat-screen HD television to watch after those long days out on the town, plus a spacious desk for those who need to work. We really liked the addition of the ledge along the window for extra places to put our things.
There's a Nespresso machine with pods so we could brew delicious coffee in our room. Our room had plenty of storage space with a huge closet, plenty of drawers, and even a safe in the room to store our belongings. We also appreciated the small fridge in the room.
We adored the view from our hotel room's window. It looked straight out to the St. Lawrence River and the Old Port. Plus, I was able to sit on the window ledge and gaze out the window. If you plan to stay at this hotel, I would consider requesting a room on the upper level facing to the front for these glorious views.
On the day that we were leaving Quebec City, a cruise ship was in port and we could see it from our window. This hotel would be a lovely place to stay before embarking on a cruise. It is an incredibly short walk from the hotel to the cruise port!
The Bathroom
The best part of our room at Hotel 71 was definitely the bathroom. It was clean, modern and stylish with loads of space.
The toilet was in a separate space from the sink, which was stocked with wonderful natural bath products and lots of towels. The greatest part of this bathroom was the shower.
The shower was a large, walk-in shower with two shower heads. One was the detachable shower nozzle, and the other was the glorious rainfall shower head. The shower had the perfect water pressure, too.
Hotel Amenities
Hotel 71 caters to personal travel, business travel, and family travel. The members of staff were extremely helpful and knowledgeable of the area, and they were willing to answer any questions that we had.
The hotel has valet parking for an additional fee. There are also complimentary bicycle rentals at Hotel 71 that we loved taking out for a spin. It's a bit bumpy to ride bikes on cobblestone streets, but there are fantastic paved bike paths along the river.
There's a fantastic public space decorated with paintings, murals, and stained glass windows where people could relax, watch television, and enjoy a beverage. Also, there's an espresso machine available for use, a fresh pitcher of lemonade with fruit always available, plus bags of tea for everyone to enjoy.
Breakfast
Breakfast is served at Hotel 71 at l'Estèbe on the first floor. This is a continental breakfast for an additional fee. While this is only a cold breakfast, I suggest perhaps dining at a local restaurant nearby for a hot breakfast or brunch.
Quebec City Hotel: Hotel 71
We were incredibly pleased with our stay at Hotel 71. From the clean, modern look of the hotel room and public spaces to the friendly, hospitable staff, we wouldn't hesitate to stay here again in the future.
The location is ideal for anyone visiting Quebec City as we were in the center of it all. Book your stay at Hotel 71.
Want to explore more hotels in Quebec City? Use the handy map below. Enter your travel dates for more precise information. Click on each property to learn more and book your stay. We've also stayed at Le Saint Pierre Auberge and have written a full review about it as well.
jim says
We stayed there 4 years ago & had a room on the top floor. The bathroom was an old vault. Amazing.... Expensive, $600.00 / night however we did book a very high end room/suite. Everything was awesome, staff, amenities, food, everything but....parking.... I don't do valet parking, too many bad experiences, not from 71 but in general. I park my own cars. That was complicated. It was not close & a staff member had to come with me.
A fabulous experience. We are planning to stay there for a few nights next month.
Lauren says
It sounds like you had a really memorable experience! Thanks so much for sharing your story about staying there! :)
Family Accommodation says
looks expensive,but im pretty sure its worth it!
Terrigal Hotel says
lovely architecture,lovely pics!
Christina says
It's no wonder you appreciated the window view. Having one that overlooks the St. Lawrence River and the Old Port is definitely a treat.
Jeff says
Hotel 71 is showing a rate of $251/night!?!?!! Any suggestions of hotels within the wall that are more reasonable?
Mrs Chasing the Donkey says
I would stay here in a heartbeat! Thanks for linking up with us for #SundayTraveler again.
Chris Boothman says
Looks like yet another great hotel in Quebec City to add to our list whenever we head there next. Our time in QC was awesome so I am convinced we will be heading back there very soon. The bathroom and amenities look great, definitely the type of place we would enjoy staying whilst exploring the beautiful, historic city!
Adelina | Pack Me To says
Looks super comfy. I just want to dive into that bed. That shower sounds divine. Two shower heads?! Amazing.
Rachael@safari254 says
Looks topnotch and unique, should be a great place to stay in Quebec.
Raphael Alexander Zoren says
Cool place! It looks like it captures the great canadian charm!
Christa Thompson says
Hey, on behalf of Christa, Host of The Sunday Traveler, I was stopping by to check out your article. Nice! I can't get over how amazingly comfy and inviting that bed looks. Love the modern and clean cut decor too. I like that check out is at 12:00pm. And Chocolate Truffles are always welcomed.Great pics! Looks like a very enjoyable stay.
Dave says
I love when a hotel provides some modern comforts in an historic city. When accommodations like this combine their style with a personal touch it really makes a difference in the stay. Definitely my go-to the next time I'm in need of a bed from an overload of this city's unforgettable cuisine!
Ashley Hubbard says
That bed looks seriously comfy! And, the bathroom looks amazing and the view is beautiful. Seems like an all around great place to stay in Quebec!
Chanel | Cultural Xplorer says
The hotel looks like a cute place to stay! If I ever make it to Quebec, I will check it out :D
Antonette Spaan says
Seems like a great place to stay for the night. The view is stunning. Did you know that Maasdam is a Dutch name btw? (The Maas is a rivier in The Netherlands and Dam means well, dam...)
charlesmccool says
Wow, I just left Quebec City this morning. I stayed at a VRBO place one block from St. Jean. What a gorgeous city.
Anda @ Travel Notes & Beyond says
Good to hear that people in Quebec are so friendly and hospitable. The hotel seems an excellent value. The bathroom looks particularly luxurious.
Karyn @ Not Done Travelling says
That looks beautiful! Just curious, what caused you to decide to move hotels? Was it because you were being hosted by the hotel and Tourism Quebec or was there another reason?
Lauren | Justin Plus Lauren says
We moved hotels partway through as per the offer by the hotel's manager - we would stay two nights at one hotel, and two at the other. I'm glad that we did move as the hotels were both very different from one another, and they were both really wonderful in their own way!
vegan miam says
What a thorough and detailed hotel review! Nice to see that they have plant-based milk and other type of vegan-friendly breakfast items. Plus what a view!
Lauren | Justin Plus Lauren says
The view was wonderful!! Thank you for checking it out :)