No visit from Marie-Louise at the Pierre du Calvet
Written: Oct 16 '09 (Updated Nov 09 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Haunted, beautiful décor, very attentive staff, value for money, no young and drunk Americans
Cons: Expensive, had no one special to share the experience with
The Bottom Line: This romantic lodging is one pricey B&B, but guests receive good value for the money and can hear a few ghost stories to boot.
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| adriennefoster's Full Review: La Maison Pierre du Calvet, Montreal, Canada |
As I did last year when I attended the World Science Fiction Convention, I planned to spend an extra day in its host city to do a little sightseeing. I also hoped I would be able to find another haunted hotel to spend my last couple of nights in Montréal. Finding information on its haunted sites was tough, despite how much I searched the internet. Part of it was borne out of the fact Quebec's predominant language is French and my knowledge of that tongue is tiny. Perhaps if my skills were stronger, I would have been able to find more. Then a month or so before my departure, Isabelle at Old Montréal Ghosts told me about La Maison Pierre du Calvet. The Pierre was one pricey B&B, but guests receive value for the money. After five miserable nights at Hôtel La Tour Centre-ville, spending the last two in luxury was just what I needed. Between that and the ghost stories it has, I was really happy to stay there.
Despite my effort to find more information on this building's history, few details are easily accessible in English. This historic mansion was built in 1725 during the French Regime and is located in the district of Old Montréal. It was later acquired by Pierre du Calvet, one of the city's more affluent citizens and activists. Among his many prominent visitors was Benjamin Franklin, who came to Montréal to acquire support for the Americans in the Revolutionary War. He found an ally in Calvet. In the early 1960s, after the closing Bonsecours Market, plans were being made to demolish many of the aging buildings in the Old Montréal district and replace them with a highway. Heritage-minded citizens organized to preserve their locale's historic buildings. Jean-Jacques and Gertrude Trottier, along with their seven children, moved into La Maison Pierre du Calvet and opened the restaurant Les Filles du Roy. Now in the possession of Gaëtan Trottier and Ronald Dravigné, it was transformed into an auberge (French for inn).
Little information is easily accessible on the background of its haunting. Marie-Louise is said to be the wife of Pierre du Calvet and I believe there is a sad story behind her death, but I could not easily find the details and will probably need become fluent in French to do so. According to a couple of on-line reviews, one guest in room 3 captured some orbs in some still shots, but otherwise encountered nothing. Another guest woke up in the middle of night to see a man wearing late 19th century fashion standing at the foot of her bed. That was interesting, considering what history I could find on this large house skips over the time of its ownership between Pierre du Calvet and the Trottiers. Most of its phenomena has been credited to a female presence. However, once one spirit clings to a property, it seems others will follow its lead. I expected I was going to enjoy my stay in more ways than one.
My Pierre du Calvet experience
While I was arranging a ghost walk of Old Montréal for the membership of Anticipation, the 67th World Science Fiction Convention (aka Worldcon 67), I was becoming more and more frustrated at not being able to identify some of the city's haunted attractions to visit. If only my French was better. When Isabelle told me about the Pierre, I took a look at its website. The outside was just a block of stone walls. The interior was very ornate, but gorgeous. It looked like a medieval castle. It was rather pricey at $265* per night for its standard rooms, but I have no other trips to Montréal planned in the foreseeable future and wanted to make the most of it. (I like a little luxury when I travel.) Wanting to ensure I was given the haunted room, I gave them a call. Unfortunately, the woman taking my call was a skeptic and had paid little attention to its stories. She did ask around for me and notified me by email that most of the activity was in room 1, which was one of their more expensive at $295. I decided against making the extra splurge and settled for just the search for stories. I booked a $265 room for my last couple of nights in Montréal.
After my section of the writers workshop ended at 1 p.m. on Monday, I had a couple of spare hours before my plans to meet up with some friends. I decided to take advantage of the time to grab my luggage at La Tour and go check in at the Pierre. Check-in time was 3:00 p.m., but even if they didn't have my room ready yet, at least they could hold my luggage for me and I wouldn't have to worry about it later. In Denver, I ended up staying out quite late the last night of Worldcon and as it turned out I did it again. Being a small lodging, the Pierre was not as well known as the convention hotels, and I had a little crisis when my taxi driver had no idea where it was located. To top matters, I didn't have its street address handy. Fortunately, his dispatcher was able to quickly provide us the details and we headed for the intersection of Rues Bonsecours and Saint-Paul. Finding it was no problem, but the Musée des Bronzes, located in the corner of the building, was having some clean-up work done on its façade, so scaffolding was blocking traffic. After some maneuvering, I finally collected my luggage, paid the driver, and walked into the lobby of the Pierre.
The lobby was little more than foyer, a wide hallway with a small front desk. The stone walls were decorated with a lot of pictures and the back wall had floor-to-ceiling mirrors, which always seem to make a room look bigger than it actually is. Behind the front desk was the section they refer to as the Greenhouse. There was another counter that looked like it was used as a bar. Behind that, several cages were up against the wall, housing several different birds, the stars being Pedro and Chico, the parrots. In front of the birds, was a sitting area with a few tables and chairs. Up against the wall opposite the front desk was a display case with items related to Pierre du Calvet and local history. Those stone walls definitely gave it the feel of a medieval castle and the décor chosen helped build the illusion. Antique furniture was used throughout the premises.
There was no prob finding my reservation; as a matter of fact, I later learned they had already charged my credit card for the first night. I guess this was a lesson for me traveling in Quebec or Canada; Canadian hoteliers won't tolerate any form of capriciousness when they take reservations. I was issued real keys for both my room and after-hours entry from the friendly lady at the front desk, then a couple of the staff assisted me with my luggage through the short distance to room 2. After La Tour, it was exhilarating to have such attentive service.
The room was about the same size as what I have at home, but it was beautiful. When I entered, an old solid state radio was turned on to classical music, immediately giving it a very romantic atmosphere. My porters asked me if I needed anything else and I said I was fine. The mattress on the bed was high and it had a canopy with footstools. On either side of it was a nightstand topped with lamps. There were two upholstered chairs for sitting in comfort, one with a footstool. One wall was mostly windows overlooking Rue Saint-Paul and had benches underneath it. A gas fireplace was in the wall opposite the bed and had a large mirror over the mantle. A chest of drawers was up against the wall opposite the windows and surrounding the ensuite bathroom. In the corner between the fireplace and the window was a writing desk and chair. The desk was topped with a lamp and lockbox filled with a skein of yarn. A flatscreen TV with a remote was perched at its end, facing the bed. In addition to the antique radio playing on the bench, a more modern one with a LED timeface and CD-playing capability, was available on the chest of drawers. There were a least two clocks in the room and more if you counted the ones in the LEDs of the electronic gear. A good sized closet, which provided a robe, safe, extra blankets, pillows, and iron with board was by the entrance. The hardwood floor had a dark stain finish and covered by some throw carpets. Dark brown paneling and shades of gold predominated the colors. The gilding on the antique furniture definitely added to the feel of being in the luxury room of a motte.
The bathroom was fairly basic, but still decorated quite nice. The sink, toilet, and tub were all white. It had a black hardwood floor. There were plenty of towels-including a washcloth. A couple of small shelves towered above the toilet. A basket provided some Lord & Mayor sundries, including shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, cotton pads, shower cap, bath salts, and a shoe shine flannel. A mirror completed the vanity over the sink. A hairdryer was wedged in its bolted wall base on the left. The only thing that was missing from the modern hotel room was the coffeemaker or electric tea kettle. Considering breakfast is part of the room rate, this should be a moot point for the Pierre's guests.
I spent little time in my room the day I checked in. After a long evening of socializing with friends I rarely see face-to-face more than once a year, I finally came back to my room around midnight. Using the door and key I was instructed to, I entered a dark, empty, quiet building and wandered through its public areas to return to my room. When I entered it, I found someone had turned the radio on again and a pitcher of fresh water on the writing table. Since I was thirsty, it was really appreciated. It tasted good too; not having any of the residual tastes of tap water. Between the summer weather and all the walking, I was quite warm when I returned, but the room was air conditioned and I had no problem sleeping. The bed was large and inviting, but its height required the use of the footstool to climb into it. After my five nights at La Tour, I slept very well at the Pierre.
I finally alighted from bed around 8:30 the following morning. I dressed, then quickly went to the lobby to find out when breakfast was being served, which was 8–10 a.m., in the main dining room of the Pierre's bistro, Les Filles du Roy. As stated in its promotional literature, the Pierre's overnight guests are served a continental breakfast, which consists of coffee or tea, fresh orange juice, croissants, and a bowl of fruit. Since I arrived towards the end of the service my first morning, they overlooked my fruit, but I have to stress these were the best croissants I ever tasted. They had just the right amount of flaky crispiness on the outside and were so soft and fresh on the inside. The tea they offered was either Stash or Bigelow, neither of which I particularly like, so the following day I brought one of the Twinings tea bags I happened to have with me.
As I spent more time in room 2 the second day, I did find that it was a little too crowded by all of its antique furniture. It seemed I was constantly bumping into something and had a few bruises to prove it. The position of the TV proved to be difficult to watch, since it was behind one of the poles of the bed's footboard. Not that people come to a place to watch television, but I was alone and that's usually my only source of news when I'm traveling. Like many old buildings, the house had settled. I noticed the floorboards had sunken, particularly around the room's entrance and bathroom.
When I returned from sightseeing, I found another full pitcher of water on my writing desk, but this time the ice had not yet melted. The maid who tidied my room had set the tip I left her on the nightstand, obviously not aware that the money left on or under a pillow was meant for her. The place was kept very clean, so there were no complaints about that aspect of the Pierre.
There were no memorable issues with the bathroom. I took a couple of baths to soak my tense muscles. The tub was large, but had the oddest way of plugging I have run across. Instead throwing some sort of mechanical switch, I had to turn some sort of dial beneath the tap. The water pressure was good and the towels were thick and in excellent condition.
I had dinner at Les Filles du Roy on my second night. I have to admit the service at this place is exceptional and left me feeling awkward, since I'm not used to it. They kept asking me if I'd like some wine, but I'm not the biggest of wine drinkers. I was feeling really thirsty Tuesday evening and just wanted water. All diners were given the same little appetizer, which was a piece of deep-fried cucumber topped with a little dollop of dill sauce. My appetite was small that evening, so I just ordered a salad and a salmon entrée. For the most part, I found the food good, but the salmon struck me as undercooked. Now I can't recall if it was supposed to be seared, which might be appropriate if that was the case. I like sushi too, so this did nothing to stop me from eating it. The chef is obviously aiming for high standards—possibly even a Michelin star or two—and the prices are a bit dear; however, there are a plenty of other restaurants nearby if this fails to strike an overnight guest's fancy. For anyone wanting to plan a bigger event, the library, greenhouse, Salon Beaupre, and terrace could be used singly or in combinations for larger functions.
The Pierre was located in the heart of Montréal's historic district, so I was happy with the locale. There was the Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secour across the street on Rue Saint-Paul, as was the old marketplace building. The Port of Old Montréal was on the other side of that and on a bright, sunny day made an attractive arena. The sites I was most interested in seeing were the Chateau Ramezay and Notre-Dame Basilica and both were a reasonable walking distance from the Pierre.
Wednesday morning, I repacked my bags and checked out. There was nothing to dispute on my final bill and I found the staff was extremely helpful in making my arrangements to return to Trudeau International for my flight home. They called a taxi for me and I spent a little time with the several birds in the Greenhouse area. In addition to the two parrots, they had five doves and a lovebird. Pedro was definitely a character. I kept trying to talk with him, but he never responded until I gave up and turned away from him. Then he'd say, "Allo?" I was told he goes ballistic whenever ladders are around.
The ghost stuff
When I returned to the Pierre after being out late Monday night, I kept thinking this would be ideal time to wander around and take pictures, but with the bit of drinking and all of the walking I had been doing that day, I was on the point of collapse. Being in those dark public rooms alone, though, I was surprised at how comfortable I felt. I noticed nothing unusual the few minutes I spent in those quiet rooms. Any ghosts on the premises must have been taking a break.
I told the front desk clerk of my interest in the Pierre's ghost stories, so she told me about how one maid made the bed in room 1 after a guest had departed. The maid left the room briefly to retrieve something and when she returned, the bed looked as though someone had been laying on it. Since the room was unoccupied during my visit, she let me go in and take a look. It was much more spacious than room 2, but I sensed nothing more there than the one I slept in.
It was while I waiting for my taxi on Wednesday morning I began talking to one of the young men who worked at the auberge and spent a great deal of time there, when I learned most of the stories I did of its haunting. He said he always felt as if someone was around when he was clearing up at night and closed the Pierre on evenings. At first, the female presence seemed friendly enough, but as time passed, it gradually felt more and more menacing. Finally, the atmosphere became so oppressive he screamed—and he really emphasized the screaming—to let him alone to do his work. In the nine or so months since his outburst, he has felt no discomfort.
Pedro is a bird who loves attention, but some of the staffers have found it unsettling the way he calls out "Allo!" when no one is around. That made my own experience with him a little more interesting. Knowing animals' sense of the uncanny is more acute, could it be someone else turning her back on him?
One woman was relaxing on the couch and reading in the dining room when she began hearing voices and paid little attention when someone passed by her. It was during the off-season and she realized a little later that she was the only one in the house. (That must have been a good book.)
However, the most intriguing story had actually taken place in room 3. One guest had planned to stay at the Pierre for five nights. Her first night there she couldn't sleep because she claimed a strange woman had been sitting on the side of her bed all night. She quickly checked out the following morning.
The bottom line
La Maison Pierre du Calvet has 10 rooms available to let. Checkin is 3 p.m. and checkout is noon. Rates are $265 per night for a standard room, $295 for a deluxe. (At the time of my visit, the Canadian dollar was worth about 95¢ American, so the difference was nominal.) Room rates include a continental breakfast. Special packages are available; please see its website for more details. For those planning on spending more extended time in Montréal, they also have the Pink House, for all the comforts of home.
The most disturbing part of my stay at the Pierre was that I noticed only four of its rooms were booked at the time I was there. Of course, it was during the work week, but it was also the height of the tourist season. The Pierre is such a cozy place, it makes me wonder why they had so many empty rooms. Are they so inflexible in their rates they would rather have no business at all than stagger their prices? I suppose I've been watching too much of The Hotel Inspector, but I'd like to see this pleasant establishment stick around for many years to come. It was more money than I should have spent, but I enjoyed it. A week of traveling at a time is usually enough for me, but I would have loved spending more time at this romantic auberge. My only regret is I had no one special to share the experience with.
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*All prices given are in Canadian dollars unless stated otherwise.
Recommended:
Yes
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