Hôtel Levesque — Hotel in Rivière-du-Loup

We arrived at the hotel late after a 10 hour day on the road. The room was well appointed for the price point, immaculately clean, the linens lovely and the bed very comfortable. Much attention has gone into the details that make a difference and Housekeeping and the overworked restaurant and kitchen staff are the stars of the show here. I had dealings with two people at reception. The woman who checked us in was pleasant. We were too road weary to dine out so I was relieved to be advised that room service was available. No one would pick up the phone at either of the restaurants and I had to to down anyway. A little difficult to find, I asked the other woman at reception about the restaurants location and she waved her hand vaguely, clearly annoyed to be bothered by a paying guest. I discovered a packed bar and a restaurant with a few tables filled AND two young women struggling to manage all of it from bartending to serving both food and cocktails, never stopping for a moment. When finally one of them had time to acknowledge me, she was quite curt, saying they were understaffed that evening and could not provide room service. I was advised that she would call the room and I would have to come and pick the order up. Seeing the scene, no problem at all. I understood and left a sizeable 'sympathy' tip. They ended up delivering a tray anyway as unbeknownst to us the phone in the room wasn't ringing. I'm so happy to read that other guests were super pleased with Pierre. He was very helpful over the phone when I made the reservations, but upon check out the following morning I was surprised to find Basil Faulty from the BBC vintage series Faulty Towers. He never spoke a word. Seriously, no exaggeration at all. I think he grunted a couple of times. He stared imperiously at me as if, " Good morning! I'd like to check out please. May I please have a print out of my bill," was an absolute annoyance and definitely an interference with whatever movie was playing in his head. Seriously? Not even a polite acknowledgement. Not a hello. Not a good morning. Certainly not a glimmer of a smile on his face. No "I hope you enjoyed your stay," or "bye-bye...have a nice day". Nothing, nada, not a word. Just a grumpy, surly faced whatever. Maybe he's just good on the phone. So overall? 5 stars to the cleaning staff and the servers in the restaurant. Kudos to you all. I have never stayed in a cleaner space, well done! And hats off to the young women run off their feet in the bar/restaurant. 2 stars to the location. They advertise being on the river and have pictures of glorious river views. They're actually across a busy road in a commercial area. If you want whatever water view is, then request it as our view was of the back alley and parking lot. We didn't care as it was just a dark stopover, certainly not a destination, but you might. It was however, easy to access from the highway which is why I've given 2 rather than 1 star. 2 stars to the women at reception because at the very least they spoke (and gestured). I've given 2 rather than 1 because the first woman spoke and smiled. 0 stars to Pierre because when you're the front line? Check your attitude or personal story at the door. If you are in such a bad place that you can't be even remotely pleasant, then call in sick. It would be more prudent to treat your guests with courtesy and respect. We are after all, the people who keep your hotel...

I had a pleasant stay at this establishment. It is well situated, far from traffic noise, etc. I was appointed a beautiful, renovated room with a view of the “sea” (locals refers to the St-Lawrence River as the sea… don’t ask LOL). The space itself was specious, the bed cozy and comfortable, nice walking shower, etc. We had dinner at their onsite restaurant, and everything was delicious. The staff was courteous, friendly, professional. They really catered to us and made us feel welcome in their establishment.

My 1-star rating is because of a bad encountered with what appeared to me as an ignorant, condescending, narrow-minded Jean-Marie Brisson that this establishment has for manager. If you are going to entitle someone with a managerial position, put some effort in hiring an educated professional. Not some wannabe-booboo-the-clown-in a-suit. On the day of my checkout, I was waiting in-line behind a lady until it was my turn to announce my departure. I was greeted by a well-mannered young man in training (as indicated on his tag). Upon handed him my card for payment, Jean-Marie interrupted a conversation that he was having on the phone with a customer and asked the young man to go up the floor I was staying and check the room I spent the night in to ensure that nothing left the room. Then Jean-Marie went back to his call. My gut feeling screamed WARNING! By the time the poor young man came back and reported that the room was fine, Jean-Marie ended his call. And that’s when I asked him what was the meaning of this uncandid behaviour. Jean-Marie replied that it was customary for them to verify the room after each guests’ departure. To which I replied that he didn’t do so with the lady that was before me and I asked him if he was intimidated by the color of my skin. That’s when he informed me that occasionally people would steal pillows or blankets. In what World of Living in Colour does that douche graduated from (if he has any education at all)? So, for that reason, I will not be back in this hotel nor will I recommend it to friends, staff, or colleagues. Had it been a staff in training or an intern I’d raise less concern? But the fact that this douche has a tag with manager AND a name plate with his name as manager on it is a big no, no. Someone thought that booboo Jean-Marie was a good fit to represent this establishment and clearly didn’t do a thorough background check.

I don’t mind paying extra for a nice view, room and all that jazz; I like to unwind comfortably when I’m travelling. But the customer service must uphold the same...

This is our go-to place to stop and rest our heads when we travel between the Maritimes and Ontario. Why? Several things are noteworthy: Let’s start with geography - adjacency to the Hwy 20 (Quebec) - Hwy 85 (New Brunswick) junction. Next: scenery - you’ll curl up in two oversized armchairs and look out floor to ceiling windows at the St. Lawrence River at sunset. (See photos - a perfect way to de-stress after the drive.) Then there’s the room: enormous! Sofa, armchairs, coffee table, desk, dresser, and end tables are all modern, tastefully appointed and very functional. A king-size bed with a truly wonderful, soft yet supportive mattress and superb sheets and cases. Nice-to-haves: include a microwave, coffee machine, and fridge (in a separate area opposite a 10’ double bathroom vanity with waterfall taps, plenty of thick towels and facecloths, and lots of shelf space) a large clothes closet with a door to tuck away your things - not an open rod - and two lovely white bathrobes. Blackout curtains help if you like to sleep in and leave late. And a thoughtful, tiny touch: a doorstop. Yep. For anyone, like me, who struggles holding a door ajar while loading/unloading, this was a stop-and-smile moment. Told me someone who knows tired travellers planned that. Much appreciated. But it’s always the little things, isn’t it? Last, but not least, a separate room with a door (again) offers privacy for both toilet and shower. And this room, too, in its own right is HUGE. Especially nice if you’re room sharing, and shy. It’s not worn-out, tired, and shabby. Overall, this is a modern property with ceilings 10-11’ high. There’s a Starbucks in the lobby, as well as 2 on-site, upscale eateries. And to cap off everything else I mentioned: helpful staff and lots of secure, on-site parking for anyone hauling a trailer (like us). Have a look at the photos. Make this the next new place you try. It will soon become a favourite. Applause all around for Hotel...