WELCOME TO LE GRAND LODGE MONT-TREMBLANT – A PERFECT PLACE FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

WELCOME TO LE GRAND LODGE MONT-TREMBLANT – A PERFECT PLACE FOR FAMILIES TO MAKE LASTING MEMORIES

It was after Quebec’s famed Construction Week (which is really 2 weeks in fact!) and the much-anticipated Labour Day #longweekend but Le Grand Lodge Mont Tremblant was absolutely packed when we came to stay for the weekend. The entire hotel full with reservations that we couldn’t get our early check-in or late check-out granted. In the hotel business, that is certainly a great sign.

READ LE GRAND LODGE MONT-TREMBLANT’S EXCELLENT HOTEL REVIEWS

For travelers scouting for credible reviews on whether a particular hotel is potentially suitable for a stay, nothing like a full house gives guests that solid endorsement. Le Grand Lodge Mont-Tremblant, all imposing and large as the name suggest, is certainly a very popular spot for guests, weddings, conferences with visitors coming from all over the world.

COME TO LE GRAND LODGE MONT-TREMBLANT: THE NEW HOME OF GEO EXPLORA

What was once a dream project of Dan Hanley, who first visited Tremblant in 1994 when he came with some friends for ski holiday, became this now famous grandiose lodge hotel. Dan also came to see firsthand the quickly growing Mont-Tremblant region.

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What he saw was this perfect combination of lakes, mountains and beautiful villages that seem to have been here forever. Striking even from a distance, what he saw then is exactly what we see now as we drive up to Le Grand Lodge Mont-Tremblant, a wonderful lakeside resort that truly has something for everyone.

With the new addition of Geo Explora, Le Grand Lodge has added another feather to its long list of features and amenities offered by a hotel. Geo Explora is a private and self-guided leisurely ride on a 3-wheeled yellow and black electric scooter. This is our 3rd time in 3 years trying this adventure and it has not lost its excitement. With their new home base of Le Grand Lodge Mont-Tremblant, Geo Explora is even more accessible to thousands of guests coming to the Mont-Tremblant region. Geo Explora is a unique exploration tour for guests to drive through unknown picturesque paths in the beautiful Laurentian countryside.

Aside from the thrill of driving around this side of Mont-Tremblant alongside your family and friends, Geo Explora gives you an almost exclusive look at places that are hidden gems in the region. Beautiful locations that are known mostly to locals and not to tourists who are unfamiliar with the area. You might even spot a deer or two during your ride with Geo Explora. We had the sweet fortune of spotting 5! Oh dear!

TRY THE AWARD WINNING TOURISM ATTRACTION: GEO EXPLORA ADVENTURE

What’s even more fun is that Geo Explora is not a passive tour but rather an exciting one that combines Jeopardy and Scavenger Hunt into one. A tablet with GPS is provided to the navigator and this guides you to not so known places so that you and your teammate or teammates can solve the game’s quizzes and learn more about the secrets regarding the fauna, flora, and history of the world famous Mont Tremblant.

As you set off and end your Geo Explora adventure on the grounds of Le Grand Lodge Mont-Tremblant, it gives you a more intimate view of this magnificent hotel.

LEARN ABOUT THE HISTORY AND INSPIRATION BEHIND #LEGRANDLODGE

Built in a log and stone style architecture, the magnificent Le Grand Lodge Mont-Tremblant sits right next to Lac Ouimet, one of Mont-Tremblant’s biggest lakes. It’s long been to known as the adventurers’ starting point for a relaxing place and a dream destination where one can ski, swim and fish – all in one place!

In the olden days, fishermen use to arrive by seaplane on the shores of Lac Ouimet. Today, this Scandinavian-style lodge sits right on those shores, where it welcomes its guests every day to a lake resort comprised of 101 spacious suites and 11 rooms, all with fireplace, along with 14 meeting and banquet rooms. Enjoy delicious cuisine, tennis courts, indoor pool, whirlpool, sauna, fitness equipment, kayak, canoe, stand up paddle board, bikes and of course, massage services. During certain times of the year, Le Grand Lodge Mont-Tremblant also offers free shuttles for guests to Tremblant during ski season or during special occasions such as the Jazz Festival.

With less than a 2-hour drive from Ottawa or Montreal, checking in to Le Grand Lodge Mont-Tremblant gives you a sudden sense of history and tradition. True to its founder’s vision, Le Grand Lodge, which is less than 5 minutes away from Tremblant Village, does represent man’s desire to return to his values and beliefs, warmth, comfort and family. And boy, did we ever come with family!

One of my favourite features of this hotel is that they have these lovely suites, like the 2 suites we have, that can accommodate up to 6 people! That’s a huge plus for those of us who travel in a convoy that can rival that of the Prime Minister’s. We had four cars following each other on the way up to Mont-Tremblant, with a fifth one on its way immediately after. Needless to say, we needed more than one suite.

TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR OF  THE SUNSET VIEW SUITE AND THE LAKE VIEW SUITE

We had booked two suites to accommodate the family and the extended adopted family. In order to experience both sides of the hotel, we had the Sunset View Suite located on the 2nd Floor and the Lake View Suite, situated on the Lake Level. Both suites captured its desired comfort, wide spaces and tranquility. As all of Le Grand Lodge’s rooms and suites have been recently renovated, it has all the amenities of modern times yet, a touch of tradition and history.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED IN A HOTEL SUITE IS HERE

Staying at Le Grand Lodge Mont-Tremblant is indeed a unique experience. Each of our suite is almost like a self-contained house where you have everything you need. Though we didn’t stay long enough to have groceries and cook, we had a fully equipped kitchen and dining room, if we needed to. This is certainly an advantage of big families and those who are staying at the hotel longer. The kitchen has a large fridge, a functional stove, cupboards, sink, microwave, dishwasher and all the China, silverware and glassware you need for a quick or elaborate meal.

The living room is also very spacious with a pull-out couch and a massive Murphy bed, which we put to good use at both suites. The master bedroom has an ensuite bathroom and there’s another full bathroom, which was a huge plus as did have 6 people in our Lakeview Suite. The fireplace is quite a charming feature and I imagine it becomes even more desirable during winter after a day of skiing.

As we did have a sweet surprise of home baked cookies (and with home, I mean made by the Chef and staff at Chez Borivage, Le Grand Lodge Mont-Tremblant’s restaurant in residence), chocolate dipped strawberries and of course, perfectly chilled bubbly, we enjoyed glasses of our cold Codorniu Prosecco while sprawled contentedly on the sofa, across the warm fireplace overlooking the serene and stunning view of Lac Ouimet.

Though excitement was high as we gathered around the 2nd floor suite with the sunset view, cameras ready to capture the glorious sun setting back down to earth, a big storm rolled in with dark clouds and heavy rain that we failed to glimpse the golden sun. In fact, the weather was quite bizaare during our weekend stay at Le Grand Lodge Mont-Tremblant but it did make for spectacular photos with the sky shining with the sun and the clouds in different hues of blue.

On a good day, I reckon it’s quite a marvelous view of the sunset from our suite. The Sunset View Suite overlooks the grand entrance to the hotel, where there’s a hustle and bustle of activities with guests coming and going.

We can also see the beautiful yellow and black set-up of Geo Explora, with each of the electronic bike lined up in perfect unison, much like the tall lean trees in the lush green forest behind it.

STAY AT A SPACIOUS NEWLY RENOVATED ROOM WITH A VIEW

The Lake View Suite ended up as our “Headquarters” as everyone wanted to be in it. It had close proximity to the game rooms where there are many forms of entertainment like billiard tables, ping pong and other arcade-type games. It also was literally a step away from Lac Ouimet, where a number of really exciting water adventure awaits. There were colourful boats, canoes, kayaks, paddles and everything you need to have the most fun at the lake. Le Grand Lodge also offers stand up paddle boards, bikes and even a guided fishing boat for rent.

Even though Le Grand Lodge is merely five minutes away from the proper Mont-Tremblant resort, we did not end up going there on our first day. In fact, it was so hard pulling the kids out of the water that we had to drive up to St. Jovite and had a late night dinner at Maison du Spaghetti, much to the chagrin of the wait staff and the kitchen staff.

That said, waking up early to catch the sun rise over Lac Ouimet was overly ambitious but setting the alarm 5 times did the trick. We did manage to step out of the suite to bask over the early morning light and see the fog just floating above the water. It was a start of a beautiful day.

Sitting on one of the Adirondak chairs just outside our suite certainly brought the same feeling as Daniel when he mused years ago… ‘’Being in Tremblant reminded me of long-ago summer trips to fishing camps with my father.’’ In fact, there was a small group brave enough to wake up at the break of dawn to go on a fishing excursion.

EXPERIENCE THE GREAT FOOD, INCREDIBLE ARCHITECTURE AND AMAZING STAFF

As we piled up one by one to Chez Borivage for a sumptuous breakfast buffet, a festive mood was in the air as we filled ourselves with fresh omelettes, warm waffles and crepes, expertly made by the Chef and loads of other delicious breakfast favourites. The dining hall was just as massive as the hotel itself.

It has a high ceiling and an airy yet intimate feel with the logs and the fishing theme all throughout. This type of rustic and lake resort type of ambience extends to Le Grand Lodge’s main bar – the Whiskey Bar, where guests can also dine on the hotel’s amazing cuisine as well as enjoy some classic and modern cocktails with the backdrop of the stunning Lac Ouimet.

Naturally, no one left the table hungry and the dining staff was just as attentive as the rest of the Le Grand Lodge Mont-Tremblant family. Fresh coffee and tea were readily served and refilled promptly, plates were cleared automatically and everything we needed was there, quite handy.

The hotel’s founder had made a long term commitment to retain dedicated, attentive, loyal and professional hotel staff where each member contributes to the client’s experience. And contribute, they really did. Even before the check-in, high quality customer service is at heart as Madame Danièle Bouchard took care of our reservations via e-mail. Our suites were not ready when we arrived but the hotel staff provided us with alternatives and stored our luggages safely so we could meet with Remi and his team to go on our Geo Explora adventure.

Day Two was just as hard to get the kids out of the waters of Lac Ouimet BUT who can blame them. The private beach was absolutely one the main highlights of our stay. The lake was vast, the view was dazzling, the weather was great (despite the frequent rain) and the activities was more than plenty. We did have the grandest time at Le Grand Lodge Mont-Tremblant.

COME FOR A PERFECT GETAWAY FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY ALL YEAR-AROUND

It truly was a memorable stay with a family atmosphere, high class service, great food, amazing staff, exceptional facilities and outstanding architecture. Of course, we can’t forget to mention the incredibly fun lake and the endless exciting activities like Geo Explora offered on site. It’s no wonder that Le Grand Lodge Mont-Tremblant has been a symbolic timeless destination in the Laurentians region. We could stay forever!

Come stay for a night, or two, or the whole week this fall and winter.

If I were the founder and visionary of Le Grand Lodge Mont-Tremblant, I would feel exactly the same way as he does every time he walks in here: an “overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment.’’

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