Le Germain Hotel Charlevoix: Luxury on Quebec’s Flavor Trail

Why travel to the Charlevoix region north of Quebec City? With its Route des Saveurs, a “Flavor Trail” that takes you from cheesemakers to pastry shops to local farms, it’s a delicious destination for exploring the food and drink of eastern Canada.

And what better place to sleep on this foodie trail than at a luxury hotel on an actual farm?

Set on the grounds of former farmland, where cows still graze nearby, Le Germain Hotel & Spa Charlevoix mixes contemporary design and country style into a chic Quebecois getaway. Here’s the scoop:

Originally opened in 2012 as Hotel La Ferme in the town of Baie-Saint-Paul, about an hour’s drive from Quebec City, the property is now part of Group Germain Hotels, a collection of luxury lodgings across Canada.

The hotel’s 145 rooms are spread across five contemporary wood-clad buildings, which house two restaurants and a Nordic-style spa as well. Also on the property is the depot for Le Train de Charlevoix, a scenic rail line that transports passengers from the Quebec City region directly to Baie-Saint-Paul.

Guest rooms and amenities

With plenty of natural wood, mixing new paneling with refurbished beams and other pastoral decor, the room design pays homage to the area’s rural past, while offering plenty of contemporary style.

Some of the rooms have soaring ceilings, four-poster beds, and clawfoot tubs; all have large windows that make them feel bright and open. Nespresso machines, mini fridges, and safes are standard amenities. Wi-Fi is complimentary, as is parking.

The Nordic Spa

A highlight of the property is Le Spa Nordique, the thermal spa experience where you alternate between hot and cold — from saunas, steam rooms, and hot tubs, to cold pools or showers. The spa has a spacious relaxation area and rooms for massage and other treatments; the building houses a small fitness room. In summer, you can swim in the outdoor pool overlooking the fields.

Restaurants and Lounges

The hotel has two restaurants. On the lobby level, Restaurant Le Bercail is the more casual dining and drinking spot, open from midday through the evening. The menu features small plates and snacks, including local cheeses and charcuterie, along with pizzas, salads, and tartares.

Even if you aren’t staying at the hotel, it’s worth booking a table at Les Labours, the “fine dining” restaurant overlooking the grounds on the second floor of the main building. The chefs source the majority of the ingredients from local farmers and suppliers, creating dishes like Arctic char confit served with crispy slivers of leeks or duck — raised on a nearby farm — which might be sauced with spiced clementines and paired with fresh asparagus and roasted parsnips.

In the mornings, Les Labours serves an ample buffet for guests, with cured meats and fish, cheeses, yogurt, granola, and fresh fruits. Exactly what you need to kick off your day of sampling along Charlevoix’s Flavor Trail.

Rates

Double room rates at Le Germain Hotel Charlevoix start at CAD$179 per night. Compare rates at Expedia or other OTA’s. Summer and fall (when the leaves take on beautiful colors) are the high seasons, although the property is also popular in winter for skiing at Le Massif de Charlevoix nearby, which has the highest elevation east of the Canadian Rockies.

Hotel feature by Vancouver-based travel, food, and feature writer Carolyn B. Heller. Photos © Carolyn B. Heller. In partnership with Tourism Charlevoix, Le Germain Hotel Charlevoix hosted my stay for review purposes, while I was exploring the Route des Saveurs. Nancy D. Brown originally reviewed this property for Hotel-Scoop when it was known as Hotel La Ferme.