Hotel Ambassadeur Quebec Review

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly hotel in Quebec City, this Hotel Ambassadeur Quebec review will show you what makes it a great choice for families.

Prices at this 3-star hotel start around $105/night, which is very reasonable for a Quebec City hotel. The indoor splash pad is a perk for families with younger children, and the atrium makes it stand out compared to other budget hotels in Quebec City.

While the hotel is a bit outdated, the rates reflect that. The rooms are still clean and comfortable, and the location is great if you want to be close to the main attractions without being right in the busiest areas.

We stayed here for two nights as the second stop on our East Coast Canada road trip, and it quickly became one of Brie’s favorites thanks to the pool and splash pad. We only had one full day in Quebec City, which was just enough time to explore Old Quebec and check out the Canyon Sainte-Anne.

In this Hotel Ambassadeur Quebec review, I’ll share our experience and thoughts on the rooms, pool and splash pad, and dining options, so you can see what makes this 3-star hotel a great choice for families traveling on a budget.

My Hotel Ambassadeur Quebec City Review

Overall Rating: 7/10

Location and Parking

Location rating: 8/10

Hotel Ambassadeur is located in Quebec City, but not right in the main tourist area. It’s about a 10-minute drive to Old Quebec. I didn’t mind being just outside the busier areas because it kept our stay quieter. Since it’s still pretty close to the main attractions, we took an Uber instead of driving ourselves. That way, I didn’t have to deal with traffic or finding parking. Both trips together were under $20, which was well worth it to me.

The street the hotel is on isn’t too busy, and it’s easy to access. Parking is self-serve and free. The lot is shared with the rest of the plaza the hotel is attached to, but it’s large. I never had a problem finding a spot.

I was also happy to see a couple of budget-friendly restaurants right in the plaza, plus more close by.

Points of Interest Near the Hotel 

• Montmorency Falls-8-minute drive
• Old Quebec – 12-minute drive
• Museum of Civilization– 10-minute drive
• Citadel– 15-minute drive
• Canyon Sainte-Anne– 30-minute drive

Check In, Lobby, Staff, and Service

Service rating: 7/10

The lobby is a bit nicer than you’d expect from a 3-star hotel, and looked recently updated. That said, it’s not laid out like a typical lobby. There isn’t one large seating area. Instead, the seating is spread out in smaller sections around the entrance and front desk, which actually gives guests a bit more privacy.

To the left of the entrance, there are four armchairs with a small table by a large window. Behind that, there are two armchairs against the wall and a dining table with four chairs beside it. Farther down the wall, closer to the check-in counter, there’s another set of armchairs.

To the right of the entrance, there’s another dining table with four chairs tucked by a window past the luggage carts. This area is separated by a dividing wall. Behind it, there’s another set of armchairs with a small table along the same wall as the check-in counter.

There was a bit of a wait at check-in, which was understandable given the situation the staff were dealing with at the time. Once it was our turn, the process was quick. The staff were friendly and spoke English well.

Broken Air Conditioning

Before our stay, I received an email letting me know the air conditioning was broken and would not be fixed for three days, which included our arrival day. The email gave me three options: free cancellation, free relocation to another hotel, or 50% off the affected night.

Since it was only going to impact us on our first night, and we weren’t arriving until later in the evening anyway, I chose the 50% discount. I had picked this hotel because of the indoor splash pad, which I knew Brie would love, so I really didn’t want to change it.

When we checked in, the lobby and hallway didn’t feel too bad. But the second we walked into our room, we felt the heat. The temperature was 29°C (84.2°F). What made it feel unbearable was how stuffy the room was. If the windows had opened, it probably would have been tolerable.

The hallway was slightly cooler, so I sat against the door to prop it open and hopefully let some of that air in. A maintenance worker walked by and asked if we had a fan.

“You have fans?”

I’m thankful he noticed me and offered one. The fan made it bearable enough for us to sleep at night. He personally gets a 10/10 for service from me.

Unfortunately, the A/C still wasn’t fixed on the second day of our stay, even though the email had said it would be. When we returned to the room at 6:00 pm, it had climbed to 31°C (87.8°F). We were discounted for the second night as well.

Despite all of this, I would still stay there again. For the most part, the hotel handled a situation that was clearly beyond its control in a reasonable way. They contacted guests in advance, offered relocation, allowed free cancellation, and provided a discount for those willing to deal with the heat.

Where they dropped the ball was with the fans. They had fans available for guest rooms, but they weren’t offering them at check-in. We only received one by chance.

That part could have been handled better.

Hotel Ambassadeur Rooms

All rooms come with Wi-Fi, cable TV, a coffee maker, and a mini-fridge. Connecting rooms are also available.

Room options include:
• Economy Room, 1 Queen Bed
• Classic Room, 1 Queen Bed (with double sofa bed)
• Economy Room, 2 Queen Beds
• Classic Room, 2 Queen Beds
• Classic Room with Balcony (2 Queen Beds)
• Executive Suite (1 Queen Bed with double whirlpool bath)

We booked an Economy Room with two queen beds. From what I could tell, the main difference between the Economy and Classic rooms was size—the Classic was just a bit bigger. It’s only about a $10 difference per night, but I didn’t see a reason for us to upgrade. For a family that needs extra space for a Pack ‘n Play, it might be worth considering

Room Review

Rating: 7/10

There really wasn’t anything special about the room. The layout was pretty standard—when you walk in, there’s a bathroom on the left and a long closet on the right wall.

Inside, the two beds sit along the left wall with a small bedside table between them. Just past the second bed is a comfy armchair tucked into the corner. Across from it is a large desk with the coffee maker and a small office chair. Beside that is a tiny mini-fridge on top of a side table, then a long dresser with a TV on top.

Even though it was one of the smaller room options, it wasn’t too cramped for the four of us. There was plenty of space to store our suitcases and the bags of food we brought. The bathroom was pretty spacious too, and because it had just a standalone shower instead of a tub, there was plenty of room to move around

The room is definitely in need of some upgrades. The furniture looks dated, and there are visible signs of wear and tear on them and the walls. That said, it’s a 3-star hotel, so I wasn’t expecting anything fancy.

Despite being dated, the room was clean. There were no stains on the bedding, no mold, nothing broken, no dirt on the floors, and no dust or spills on the furniture. I can overlook chipped paint, scuffs on the walls, and older furniture as long as the room shows it’s been properly cleaned—and this one did.

Hotel Ambassadeur Amenities

Pool rating: 9/10

The pool area is definitely the highlight and main appeal of this hotel. It’s located in a large tropical atrium that’s four floors high, with a floor-to-ceiling window covering half of one wall. Across from it, private balconies from rooms on floors two through four overlook the atrium. There’s also a large balcony on each floor with armchairs and small tables that are accessible to all guests.

Since the atrium was much cooler than our room, Zen and I spent both nights hanging out on the balcony after Brie and Grandma went to bed. On our second night, we lucked out with a perfect view of the Grands Feux Loto-Québec Fireworks show from the huge window.

The lounge area is decorated with tropical plants and trees, with seating scattered throughout. There are dining tables with chairs, comfier patio chairs with small tables, and even a couple of neon green retro-style patio chaise loungers. On the right side, there’s a bar, though it didn’t appear to be in use. Both sides also have a pair of birds in cages, which they cover with a sheet at night.

The pool is in the corner of the atrium, separated from the rest of it with a fence and two steps up. It’s well-heated—basically bathwater warm. The pool isn’t huge or deep, but we never felt crowded. There are plenty of patio chairs around the pool, plus a row of green loungers along the window.

In the corner, there’s a small hot tub with a waterfall behind it. It would comfortably fit about six people. Unfortunately, the jets weren’t working when we visited. Towels are right outside the pool gate, and there were plenty both times we went swimming.

To the left of the gated pool area is a small splash pad, a couple of steps up from the atrium floor. It has a large mushroom waterfall, a ring, and another tall sprayer, with water heated to the same temperature as the pool.

While the splash pad was the feature that sold me on this hotel, I did notice a couple of safety issues. First, it’s on a platform two steps above the atrium floor, and there’s no fence or railing to keep kids from falling off. There’s just some padding on top of the brick siding around it. Second, it’s very slippery. I noticed that the first night, while testing the water temperature while Brie was playing. Sure enough, on the second night, Brie slipped and fell hard while running through it.

Dining

We didn’t try the on-site restaurant, but we did make use of the other restaurants in the same plaza as the hotel. On our second day, we went to Cora’s for lunch, and later grabbed Subway to bring back to the room for dinner. Having those options right there was really convenient, especially after a long day of sightseeing.

Hotel Ambassadeur Review Summary

So, is Hotel Ambassadeur Quebec City worth it?

Yes. The hotel didn’t blow me away, but it didn’t leave me disappointed either. It’s a bit outdated and run down, but that’s reflected in the price, so I felt like we got what we paid for.

Our stay would have been more comfortable with working air conditioning, but the hotel handled the situation as best as they could. The 50% discount was fair for those of us who chose to stay instead of relocating.

If we’re staying at a budget hotel in Quebec City again, this is one we’d book. The rates are reasonable for the condition of the hotel, the rooms are clean, and the pool, splash pad, and atrium make it worth the stay.

For families with little ones, Hotel Ambassadeur is one of the best budget hotels Quebec City has to offer. The rooms aren’t the most spacious or stylish, but being able to take the kids to the indoor splash pad or pool (or let them run around in the atrium) makes up for that. Plus, if you get a room with a view, you might even catch the fireworks show.

Have your own Hotel Ambassadeur review to share? Let me know how your stay went on my Facebook post. And don’t forget to follow me on Facebook or check out my TikTok for more from our stop in Quebec City at the start of our East Coast Canada road trip.

You may also like:

• Quebec City Guide (coming soon)
• Canyon Sainte-Anne Review (coming soon)

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