Montreal boutique hotel, Maison Sainte-Thérèse
Home away from home
Maison Saint-Vincent, one of our favourite boutique hotels in Montreal by Maisons & Co., was featured a few weeks ago. This independent company has allowed us to appreciate Montreal while living in sleek and stylish accommodations that help convey a certain vibe. Maison Sainte-Thérèse, the company's second hotel, has been receiving guests for a few months now, providing them with a well-designed environment once again. And the most exciting part is Sabrina Barazin, our favourite Montreal interior designer, who designed Room 103, with which we right away fell in love.
The Montreal hotel business has improved in recent years, and Maisons & Co. has undoubtedly contributed to this progress. A statement lamp, an elegant glass-fronted cabinet, a magnificent mirror, or a vintage-style coffee table are enough to transform a dull living room into a warm and welcoming space.
We got a chance to speak with Adrienne, one of Maisons & Co's founders, about her second "home away from home," Maison Sainte-Thérèse.
Could you tell us more about your background?
I graduated with a degree in Finance and a minor in International Business and briefly worked in the fields thereafter. However, it was real estate that piqued my curiosity. My family has a long history in the construction industry, specifically residential and commercial development, so in 2017, I decided to partner with my stepfather. Hospitality was not on my radar, but I have always been interested in travel, design, and architecture, and we eventually bought our first hotel that year.
What was the inspiration behind Maisons & Co?
Maisons & Co is a "collection" of "Maisons." We currently have Maison Saint-Vincent and Maison Sainte-Thérèse. The idea is that we will have several under the same umbrella. The term "maison" implies comfort and warmth, which is the purpose of each room. We want every one of our visitors to feel as if they are staying in their own personal home away from home.
Maison Saint-Vincent is a lovely historical building that we intended to develop as short-term rentals. Cynthia Raposo, an old colleague who is exceptionally brilliant in design and was already working in the short-term rental market, helped us in developing the initial concept. However, the concept quickly morphed into a virtual hotel after just one year of successful operations. Everything is done virtually and seamlessly, from booking to check-in and check-out. You'll find a lot of positive feedbacks on this process; our guests really enjoy the independence and ease that comes with check-in at Maisons & Co.
Who is the team behind the company?
Cynthia, as I said before, was an important member of our team. Our team currently comprises of myself, Debbie and Alma, my right and left hands, Reem, our social media expert, and, of course, my complete cleaning crew, who are the most crucial players on our team. We couldn't function without them! Their dedication and attention to detail are what distinguishes us from other boutique hotels. Lastly, even if they are not involved in the day-to-day operations, my partners are absolutely critical!
What do you hope guests take away from their stay at a Maisons & Co living space?
I hope our guests can see all of our hard work! We include several insightful touches that we hope they will remember, such as fresh/dried flowers in the room, comfortable robes and slippers, fully equipped kitchenettes, endless Nespresso capsules, concierge tablets, yoga mats, and so on. You'll have to stick around to find out the rest. Our intention is to create a warm and cosy space so that our guests feel welcome and at home!
What were the key factors to consider while designing and creating Maison Sainte-Therese?
Our purpose, hopefully not sounding too repetitious, was to create a "home" for our guests. Especially because our newest rooms are on the ground level, we wanted to give guests the impression that they were coming directly into their front door.
How did you end up choosing Montreal’s Old Port for the location?
Old Montreal has long been one of the most popular tourist spots in Quebec. So, it was an obvious option for us. We wanted to be right in the midst of the action.
How did you approach working with interior designers and architects? What role did you play in the design process?
Our designers and architects play a significant role in our success. They are all Montrealers who add their own unique touches to the rooms, making them seem much more intimate. Although we did not use the same architect or designers throughout, we ensured consistency from Saint-Vincent to Sainte-Thérèse.
Henri Cleinge was our Saint-Vincent architect. I've always admired his work, especially in older structures. Nancy Benitz designed our initial set of rooms, 301-305, while FULHAÜS designed rooms 201-205. We gave FULHAÜS a lot of creative freedom because they had a spectacular vision.
Steven Somogyi was the architect for Sainte-Thérèse, his portfolio was similarly impressive and highly relevant. We began with FULHAÜS designed rooms on the second level, which we are currently renting on a more long-term basis.
Sabrina Barazin and Marilou Langlois created our newest rooms at Sainte-Thérèse, 101-108. When it came time to design this last set of rooms, I had acquired a lot more experience and had a clear sense of what I wanted in terms of utility. I understood what I wanted to do with the design and what it would take to make people feel comfortable in them, so I was more involved in the process. Sabrina and I had strikingly similar tastes, so it was simple to allow her artistic freedom. She just understood me. It was a joy to collaborate with everyone.
What was the project's timeline, i.e., when did renovations start and when did Maison Sainte-Thérèse open?
That's a good question, because it feels like we've been renovating for the last 5 years! In 2017, we started with a small budget for the first set of rooms at Maison Saint-Vincent, then refurbished the second level. We returned in our third year to redo the original rooms. During this period, we opened the first set of rooms on the second level of Maison Sainte-Thérèse.
Then, just before the pandemic, we started remodelling the newest 8 rooms at Maison Sainte-Thérèse. It was a challenging and difficult process. We're taking a break from it all as the pandemic has hit us hard. We will focus on our existing rooms and hope for a busy season in this year!
What do you think makes a hotel stay memorable?
Definitely the customer service quality, aesthetics, cleanliness, and personal touches.
Can we expect more Maisons & Co locations in the near future?
We considered expanding Maison Saint-Vincent before the pandemic by building an extension directly behind the hotel. This project was halted for understandable reasons, but we hope to revisit this idea this year. Otherwise, we are continually on the lookout for suitable acquisitions that fit our model. You'll have to wait and see!