Eastern Canada - Bring bikes into Hotel (hotel room)

Finally, my husband and I are going to Montreal...actually this upcoming Labor Day weekend. To save money, we are thinking of parking our car at a friend's place, and ride our bikes for sight-seeing during the day. Since we will be staying at a hotel (Le Centre Sheraton), and not wanting to move our car during the entire stay in Montreal, I am now facing the problem of where to store the bikes at night. Do you think the hotel will let us bring our bikes to the room? Our bikes are folders, would that help? Or should I lock up the bikes to a pole on the street overnight?

I'd leave the bikes at friend's place, or locked in the car rather than leaving them locked in the street in downtown Montreal.

Why don't you call the hotel and ask the concierge?

Good idea on calling ahead to be sure.

I just came back from a trip where bikes stayed in five rooms of the hotel. The front desk staff thought it was real fun to watch the cyclists come and go, and always asked us about our rides.

I think calling ahead "might" get you grief but then again...I figure if I'm paying to stay at a hotel what I bring into the room with me is not much concern or "business" of the hotel. Not like you're gonna go riding your bike around the lobby. Better to call ahead and ask as tsl states, I'd just be pretty irked if they said no. I'd make sure you talked to "THE" manager and get the final word as I bet you might get three different answers from three different people (hence the grief comment).

Hope you can keep your bikes there and enjoy the sites without having to go to much hassle...have fun :thumb:

EDIT: by the way tsl...love your siggy tag line!!!

As long as it's not a meth lab, you have every right to bring your bike into your room. No need to ask in advance.

How would folders be any different than luggage??
Its not like your bringing a filthy, muddy, dirty MTB in.

Heck, I've brought a tandem into my room before!

Finally, my husband and I are going to Montreal...actually this upcoming Labor Day weekend. To save money, we are thinking of parking our car at a friend's place, and ride our bikes for sight-seeing during the day. Since we will be staying at a hotel (Le Centre Sheraton), and not wanting to move our car during the entire stay in Montreal, I am now facing the problem of where to store the bikes at night. Do you think the hotel will let us bring our bikes to the room? Our bikes are folders, would that help? Or should I lock up the bikes to a pole on the street overnight?

Although they are not certified 'Bienvenue Cyclistes' (i.e. Welcome Cyclists), I'm pretty sure the Sheraton will be able to look after your bikes. If they do not allow you to bring them up to your room, the concierge will certainly be able to lock it away in a storage room or in the garage. A bike path runs right along René-Lévesque boulevard, giving you access to most areas in town, including the Old Port via the Berri bike path (part of the Route Verte cycling network).

I would not take the risk of leaving a bike locked on the street. It's tempting fate a little too much.

You will really enjoy visiting Montreal by bike. Make sure you go up along the Lachine Canal from the Old Port and then back along the shore of the St-Lawrence River in Lasalle.

You may also want to take the river shuttle across to the South Shore from the Old Port of Montreal, then head east to go to the Boucherville Islands National Park. To get onto the islands, there is a river shuttle that leaves from a dock just west of the Hippolyte-Lafontaine bridge and takes you to Charron Island where you can bike to the National Park. The shuttle leaves for the islands on the hour and returns on the half-hour. The river shuttle in the Old Port also leaves every hour and returns 5 minutes past the hour.

Enjoy your stay in Montreal,
Ron

I went touring once with an 3 meter long fully faired recumbent trike. It could not fit into the one motel room I stayed in so the staff let me share the utility room. When you call the hotel mention that it is a folder, and, folded, will not scrape their walls.

In the future, you might consider trying booking a room in a single story motel rather than a downtown hotel. More than likely, it will not be as luxurious or as conveniently located but it seems that the management of the complex would have less control of what you take into your room since you are not going through the lobby with your goods.

That said, I can't see a major hotel having a problem with allowing folding bikes into elevators/rooms, as when folders are as in their compact state they are generally smaller than most pieces of luggage.

In the future, you might consider trying booking a room in a single story motel rather than a downtown hotel. More than likely, it will not be as luxurious or as conveniently located but it seems that the management of the complex would have less control of what you take into your room since you are not going through the lobby with your goods.

That said, I can't see a major hotel having a problem with allowing folding bikes into elevators/rooms, as when folders are as in their compact state they are generally smaller than most pieces of luggage.

Hotels in Quebec are very cyclist friendly, trust me... once we stayed at the Hilton Lac Leamy in Gatineau (our luxury bike ride of the year). We arrived with two mud covered hybrids which the doormen wisked away to the garage on their shoulders as if they were brand spanking new bikes coming out of the bike shop (I guess that defines class). Another time, the Delta Trois-Rivières allowed us to bring our two bikes to our 9th story downtown hotel room.

So, if I can read the general line of thought of the answers on this thread, it would be a good thing to call ahead and check with the front desk staff or the manager, but don't loose too much sleep over it and enjoy your trip to Montreal.

Cheers,
Ron

Thank you so much everyone!! :thumb: All your comments make senses to me. This will be our first time travle with bicycles and we are so looking forward to it.

RHoude - thanks for the recommended itinerary. I was always able to see more on a bike ride than sitting in a car.

we will spend 1.5 days sight-seeing in Montreal and 1 day in Ottawa, all on bikes :ride: (except traveling between the cities)

Will report back with photos next week!!

I'm glad Quebec is bike-friendly... there's a reason they call it la belle Provence. :love: I should brush up on my French, it would be a wonderful place to go pootling around the countryside.

Finally, my husband and I are going to Montreal...actually this upcoming Labor Day weekend. To save money, we are thinking of parking our car at a friend's place, and ride our bikes for sight-seeing during the day. Since we will be staying at a hotel (Le Centre Sheraton), and not wanting to move our car during the entire stay in Montreal, I am now facing the problem of where to store the bikes at night. Do you think the hotel will let us bring our bikes to the room? Our bikes are folders, would that help? Or should I lock up the bikes to a pole on the street overnight?

You and your husband should pat yourselves on the back for using folding bikes. They can go anywhere. That also translate into becoming as theft-resistant as possible on a bike-providing you do not lock it up anywhere. Just buy or make yourselves a bag for each of your bikes. These cover ups will stop people from the possibility of ordering you out of a building because of your bikes. They will blend in as luggage in the hotel. For ideas for cheap and even free bags see my links below. I have a simple pattern idea for these bikes-including a photo of a folder peeking out from it's bag.

When I stay at cheap motels, bike's in the room with me, at B&Bs, bike stays in the garage.
On the one occasion that I stayed at a high end inn, Mill Inn in Port Hope Ontario, they kindly let me store my bike in a secure area of the inn.
Cheers

Hello everyone,

we just came back from Montreal 2 days ago. Had a wonderful trip, the weather was awesome. We didn't need to bring our bikes into the hotel room since we've found an inexpensive garage parking right behind the hotel and just leave our bikes in the car trunk. We needn't worry about bikes in hotel anyway - many people were bringing their bikes in and out of the hotel :thumb:

Ottawa and Montreal are such cycling friendly cities, we believe we have seen more bikes than cars this past weekend ;)

We rode the bike path in Old Montreal all the way to St Helen's Island and back.

All these time in Canada, it seemed we were the only 2 folding bikes on the street. Folders Rock!!

Funny thing happened to us on a trip in san fran, we rented bikes and crossed the golden gate to some island called sasaulito and couldn't make it back to return the bikes till the next day, yeah we missed a ferry back and had to wait for the next one. so what we did was stroll through the side door and shoved them into our hotel room with 4 full sized bikes. That was a hoot, at least the next day we just called up a minivan taxi with wheelchair access and got them all in one shot (weren't in a mood to do any 45 degree inclines the next day!). We tipped the guy generously cause it was quite a bit of work for him and he was happy :).

I have taken my bike all over the world and have never even thought of asking the hotels permission. I have never had anyone make a comment either.

I as well have never had a problem taking a bike into a hotel. I mean..as long as its not dripping mud, creating excessive dirtiness, I don't see the issue.

Few years ago we were doing Tour de L'Île de Montreal. Four of us just rolled the bikes through the lobby and onto the elevator. Nobody even blinked.

With folders, I really doubt you will have a problem. Do you have bags for them? I'd take them just to be safe. Even a large plastic bag would do, if the concierge is grumpy.

Montreal has loads of bikes for cheap or free rental at almost every street corner.

Pretty sure most hotels let their guests bring bikes to their rooms. The staff will appreciate it if you don't track mud everywhere. But my girlfriend is a maid and Holiday Inn, and they could care less if you get the room a little dirty. Just leave a tip for the cleaners. Seriously, they would rather you make a mess and tip than leave the room clean. Happy trails

I've wheeled bikes happily through the lobby of a Niagara Falls hotel after the Ride to Conquer Cancer. I think the trick is to walk purposefully and look as though you belong.

We stayed at the Sheraton 2 years ago and they kept our bikes in their secure luggage storage room. We locked the bikes to each other and put them in the luggage room. It would be best to call ahead and ask what your options are. They will not let you keep them in the room.

I beg to differ. If you ask, they will tell you you may not keep bikes in the room. If you just walk in confidently, smiling and wheeling the bike, they pretend to look the other way. Don't make eye contact, just walk. If you are traveling with someone, it helps if you are having an animated conversation -- people don't like to interrupt, so they let you go. And besides if you look confident enough, people assume you asked and were told it's all ok.

Don't ask, just do it. If you ask, it only opens the door to discussion and refusal.

If they say anything, just say, calmly, "Every other hotel we have ever stayed at hasn't even blinked an eye. This is a nice hotel right? Did we make a mistake? Should we have stayed at the Hilton instead?"

You are using your bikes for local transportation, and you are not willing to leave them locked up outside, nor in some location where you have chase around for someone who has the key.

Do not be dissuaded. I will guarantee you the local manager does NOT want to have a discussion with corporate about this.

I have never stayed at a hotel where I did NOT ask about bikes because many prevent you from even bringing skis into rooms( let alone bikes), here in Canada.
Why not ask and then be sure instead of worrying about the hassle? Just take your business to the places that welcome you first. Even in France, the HG of cycling, I asked and booked those places that welcomed us.
Who needs arguements on a vacation, when you can get them to confirm in advance, by e mail , thats its all good?

^ good point. (So long as the price is more or less the same.)