Montreal holiday condo

My husband and I spent five nights/six days in this beautiful, compact immaculate apartment in early October, 2009. The unit was as pictured but better; the furnishings pleasantly neutral, the kitchen modern and gleaming and stocked with staples, a truly comfortable bed. But the view! The awesome view was understated as we could see east all the way to the St.Lawrence River and the lights of Montreal at night. Sunrise, if you're an early riser, from the balcony was a plus. While we never met Patrick, the owner, his caretaker, Yvon, was delightfully helpful and informative. A definite return destination!

We spent a week in Montreal in late May, 2009. We'd honeymooned there 20 years before and were eager to visit again. We loved the location of the apartment - we were just a few blocks walk from a bevy of cafes, shops, restaurants, and bars, and directly across the street was a massive park, green and shady, where we sat on a park bench one sunny afternoon and watched people practicing tight-rope walking and other circus acts.

The apartment was lovely, very clean and well appointed. The balcony offers a beautiful view of the expo stadium and beyond that the St. Lawrence. We enjoyed the kitchen, with new appliances and outstanding cookware. And we can't say enough about the owner, who goes above and beyond my expectations for a rental like this. He gave us a wonderful overview of the neighborhood and the city, sitting down with us and showing us the local metro stations and other local attractions, such as nearby convenience and grocery stores. The cupboards and refrigerator were stocked with necessities: not only did he provide an inspiring collection of herbs and spices for cooking, but he also left us a can of coffee that lasted us the entire trip. I don't know if this seems significant to everyone who reads it, but I honestly can't think of anything more hospitable: this wonderful individual supplied me with my morning coffee. He also made copies of maps of various areas in the city and provided us with a convenient binder that also contained schedules for the bus and metro lines, information about the apartment building, and phone numbers for restaurants in the area that delivered.

Also appreciated: a tour of the apartment complex, detergent and many tokens (!) for the laundry room, and a phone card that allowed us to make two hours worth of calls to the U.S.