Fairmont Le Château Montebello

Being the sort of person who always needs a holiday, I packed my bags to go and travel around in Canada. To be exact, my plan was to fly into Toronto, grab a car and drive around the East side, looping North, then South and flying out of Montreal. I had no intention to work, only to take in the scenery and enjoy all that Canada had to offer.

The trip was beyond amazing, June 2026 (yes, when the football was on, bad planning on my part) will now forever be etched in my memory. I had the opportunity and experiences, such as being able to stay in hotels like the Fairmont Le Château Montebello that made this trip unforgettable.

Pulling up to this hotel, our third of the trip, I had no idea of what to expect but when we arrived, I knew there had to be a Caveman Review in this, hence why it was filmed on my phone and edited a few weeks later.

For some reason, when I tell people I went to Canada, they look surprised and ask, “Why did you choose to go there?” My answer is simple: it is one of those places that you see photos of and say to yourself I want to see that! And as this marks my 50th birthday, it was on my bucket list.

Truth be told, I did not expect to fall in love with this country, I just wanted to explore and see the scenery I had always hoped to see. The Fairmont Le Château Montebello is the perfect example of why Canada is so underrated as a location worthy of visiting. This hotel has hosted summits, presidential meetings and celebrities worthy of having their star on the Walk of Fame.

To explain more, after a short drive from Ottawa, driving through the countryside, stopping at Tim Hortons for lunch, we pulled off the Autoroute (Motorway) 50 and rolled into a town that screamed classic film scenes. The trip has been tranquil, peaceful, simple and jaw dropping. Huge birds of prey flying overhead, small brown fury things sat at the side of the road watching us drive by it was something else.

But then we pulled off the road, into the junction of the hotel. A massive wooden arch, constructed, announced that we were about to roll up to something impressive. Driving into the grounds was nice, but then the hotel appeared. I was glad there was a stop sign, as it took me a minute to process the view. This hotel was constructed with wooden logs and was massive.

Pulling up and getting out, the whole thing just seemed to get bigger. But if that was impressive, walking into the hotel was something else. Entering through the door, a huge stone-built chimney is right in front of you, and when I say huge, this word is probably underestimating the size of it. All around the chimney stack there are seats, sofas, tables, bars and people milling around enjoying the ambiance of this majestic hotel.

Check in was quick, simple and easy. Although this hotel is in the French speaking Quebec area of Canada, the staff seemed more than happy to speak English. Even after my butchered attempt at using my GCSE French was politely and gently turned into English.

Grabbing our room key we were off to explore the hotel, grounds and our room. Starting at our room, well it was very pretty. The best way I can describe it; rustic, charming and well appointed. With slopey floors, odd plumbing and (in my view) a slightly hard bed, it had air conditioning, TV and all the stuff we needed. But as I wanted to explore this place, I was back out the door, roaming corridors, finding nooks and enjoying all the hotel had to offer.

With an indoor and an outdoor pool, games, seating, walks, wooded areas, sporting equipment included (bikes, golf, watersports) a weeks stay would have been easy. But as we only had one night before moving on, we did the walk of the woods, visited the museum and popped out right by the chocolate shop, which is on the edge of town. The walk in nature did something to me, but we will get to that in a bit.

Having a chance to check out the town, it is a beautiful one street town, with bars, cafe’s trinket shops and plenty of sights to enjoy. Back into the hotel grounds, back through the woods we found the big red chairs at the side of what I thought was a lake. It was actually a river, the sheer size made me do several checks. Boats, birds and wildlife all over the place kept us entertained for a while before we moved off to find the bar at the back of the hotel. At in the sun, enjoying a can of their locally brewed beer, things could not have been better.

Having dinner plans, we had already booked a table at the all you can eat BBQ, so exploring was to resume the next day. Getting back to the room, I had a chance to try the shower, my assessment was quirky and memorable. Slantey floors, odd hight shower head but wonderful elemis shower gel and shampoo had me looking spic and span ready for the food.

Food was served outside, overlooking the water at the back of the hotel. Dinner was superb, this was Canadian BBQ, different to other BBQ’s I have tried, and it was delicious. As many plates can be ordered through your sitting but just having one plate of each course was enough for me. The bottle of wine helped me melt into the evening and feel like I never wanted to leave this place.

Whilst sat there, sun on my face, wildlife all around, I realised what had happened to me on the walk through the woods. Now this might seem strange, but sat there all I wanted to do was explore nature, be one with the outdoors and get back to nature. Something I have never felt, or had wanted to do. I just got it, why so many people buy paddle boards, tents, weird backpacks and boots. These things were designed and sold for the sole purpose of people who visit these places to enjoy them to the full extent.

To add to the enjoyment, just up the road is a Canadian safari park called Omega Park. It is well worth a visit, and my suggestion would be to grab a bag of carrots and jump on one of their buses; the commentary of the local guide is brilliant. They are passionate and love their job, which made our tour amazing.

The thought and feelings of wanting to be in the wild, being part of it and staying outdoors stayed with me all the way to the next leg of our journey, but what a feeling, and I am not going to forget it for quite a while!

The essentials were: the bed was comfy, the room was more than adequate, but honestly, I did not stay there for the bedroom. I stayed there for the opportunity to try a Fairmont and to experience the biggest log cabin I have ever stayed in. And what a log cabin to stay in. My question is, “What would this place be like in the snow?” If I ever get invited back, perhaps I can update this review!