Fairmont Le Château Montebello
Le Château Montebello is a historic resort complex incorporating the largest log cabin in the world, located in Canada at the waterfront of the Ottawa River that divides Quebec and Ontario.
It's a short ride from Omega Park, a unique Canadian safari, where, throughout 7.5 miles (12 kilometers), you get to interact with the wildlife from the safety of your car. Expect elk, bison, arctic wolves, bears, and foxes running around!
There is also a 65,000-acre private game reserve - 70 lakes, 200 species of birds, and 50 other animal species - called Kenauk Nature, about a 15-minute drive from the resort.
The chateau was built in 1930 and was based on the looks of the grand Alpine hotels in Switzerland.
There is another link to Europe. Victor Nymark, a Finnish specialist who immigrated to Canada in 1924, supervised the construction of the wooden palace.
The three buildings used 4,000,000 cubic feet of -mostly- western red cedar logs, with dark paint on their exterior and exposed natural looks inside.
In 1930, a 3,500-strong group of construction workers rushed to complete Le Château Montebello in a record-short time. Ultimately, it took them only four months from start to finish!
During the chateau's early days, it was an exclusive retreat for the Seigniory Club, hosting VIPs like Prince Rainier, Princess Grace of Monaco, or Lester B. Pearson, the Prime Minister of Canada.
When it opened to the public in 1970, it became one of Quebec's most popular getaway resorts. But the resort's political importance remained strong even in the coming decades.
In 1981, the Chateau Montebello hosted the 7th G7 summit, with world leaders like Pierre Trudeau, Margaret Thatcher, and Ronald Reagan coming together in one place.
The hotel's historical importance is demonstrated by the American National Trust for Historic Preservation membership that it received in 1995 - one of the two Canadian hotels to have ever been awarded.
After Fairmont Hotels and Resorts purchased the hotel, they reorganized and rebranded it to Fairmont Le Château Montebello in 2001.
The four-winged structure has a spectacular centrally located lobby. A six-sided fireplace crowns the monumental space with a chimney rising 65 feet (20 meters) above the ground.
A ceiling with exposed rafters tops the surrounding three-story atrium, each 70 feet (21 meters) long.
The resort is famed for its exquisite gastronomy. The on-site bars and restaurants, Aux Chantignoles, Le Riverain, and Le Foyer Bar, meet the high expectations.
With 210 guest rooms and suites, there are plenty of options. The exposed logs and rustic furniture give a countryside charm to the luxurious interiors.
Some rooms have panoramic views of the forests and the Ottawa River.
The hangar-shaped indoor swimming pool is housed in one of the resort's separate buildings, connected to the hotel via a tunnel. The pool is much larger than you are used to in typical hotels, with its 75-foot (23-meter) length.
What makes this space unique are the stone and log walls and the painted totem poles supporting the roof.
The hotel also has two whirlpool baths, two saunas, and a fitness center. The hotel also features a 4,000-square-foot spa with eight treatment rooms and a couple's suite.
Fairmont Le Château Montebello is a gateway to outdoor activities.
In any season, there are an endless number of them in and around the resort: squash, tennis, biking, hiking, indoor golf, hockey, broomball (it's like hockey but with balls and a summer version), snowshoeing, snowmobiling, sleigh rides, ice skating, and dog sledding.
