Montreal Quebec has a sweet deal for visitors. Until December 2008, 26 Montreal hotels will give guests free gifts, discount cards and contests.
Between June 1 and Oct. 15, 2008, the Summer Sweet Deal hotel package costs $129 per night for two nights. The third night is half price.
From Oct. 16 until Dec. 31, 2008, the Fall Sweet Deal hotel package is $127 per night, with the second night at half price.
Both hotel packages include two Montreal Casino Privileges Passport coupons, worth up to $40 Cdn, a discount card from Shopping 3 Centers and a contest entry form to win a Sweet Deal hotel package.
The Summer Sweet Deal also includes a gift of organic maple waffles and maple tea from Maple Delights and Montreal Tourism, with a $10 gift certificate and discount coupons for Montreal restaurants and attractions. The Fall Sweet Deal package includes a $20 gift from Fruits and Passion and Montreal Tourism.
Montreal hotels
Hotels in Montreal offering Sweet Deal packages are: L'Appartement-Hotel, Auberge de la Fontaine, Auberge du Vieux-Port, Clarion Hotel & Suites Downtown, Courtyard Marriott Montreal, Delta Centre-Ville, Delta Montreal, Embassy Suites Montreal, Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Montreal Downtown, Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, Four Points by Sheraton Montreal Centre-Ville, Hilton Montreal Bonaventure, Holiday Inn Select Montreal Centre-Ville, Hotel de la Montagne, Hotel Intercontinental Montreal, Hotel Nelligan, Hyatt Regency Montreal, Le Centre Sheraton, Le Place D'Armes Hotel & Suites, Le Square Phillips Hotel & Suites, Loews Hotel Vogue, Montreal Marriott Chateau Champlain, Quality Hotel Downtown, Quality Inn Downtown, Ritz-Carlton Montreal and Sofitel Montreal.
In addition, each hotel offers its own bonuses. Embassy Suites Montreal, for example, includes a free cooked-to-order breakfast and evening manager's reception.
What to do in Montreal
Visitors can explore Montreal's neighbourhoods: Mount Royal, Plateau Mont-Royal, Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Little Italy, The Village and Pole des Rapides. Shoppers will find thousands of places to shop, including 1,200 stores along Ste. Catherine Street and 1,700 shops in the underground city.
Until November 16, the Montreal Biodome features VIP Visitors from Madagascar, with geckos, lemurs, frogs, fish and a small baobab, the national tree of Madagascar. Extinctions, a new multimedia show at the Montreal Planetarium, explains the causes of extinctions on earth, from supernovas to large meteorites.
TOHU, La Cite des Artes du Cirque, showcases 7 Fingers (Les 7 Doigts de la Main) in its 2008 to 2009 season. Summer events include the Eco-Fete garage sale, Latin Fridays with dancing, Family Sundays with circus entertainment and La Fete Bio Paysanne, an organic food fair. Beginning December 18, Cirque Mechanics presents the hilarious Birdhouse Factory, which stars contortionists, acrobats and trapeze artists.
Montreal Canada museums
Downtown, visitors can go ice skating in summer at Atrium Le 1000 De La Gauchetiere. Several museums offer special exhibits as well as their permanent collections. Until September 7, The Musee D'Art Contemporain de Montreal showcases the Quebec Triennial. It is the largest exhibition of new Quebec art with 135 paintings, photos, sculptures and videos by 38 Quebec artists.
At the Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History, visitors experience an underground archaeology tour at Pointe-a-Calliere. Besides a multimedia show, they see Montreal's first Catholic cemetery, from 1643, and models demonstrating how Place Royale evolved from Native times to the late 19th century.
Festivals in Montreal
In Parc Jean-Drapeau, La Ronde features 40 rides and the L'International des Feux Loto-Quebec fireworks displays, between June 21 and August 6.
The Festival International de Jazz de Montreal presents more than 500 concerts between June 26 and July 6. Lasting 11 days, it is the largest musical event in the world, with more than 3,000 musicians. Included in the jazz festival are the free Montreal Musical Instrument Show (SIMM) and the Montreal Guitar Show (MGS).
