Featured hotel: Hotel Nelligan
Written by: Renata Lewis
I went to Hotel Nelligan in winter, shortly after becoming a mom for the first time.
At that point, I was tired in a way no amount of sleep could fix. I loved my new baby deeply, but felt so uncertain in my own skin. More than anything, I needed to go somewhere where no one needed me.
So my sister and I took a short trip to Montreal.
Old Montreal in winter feels more like a European city than a Canadian one, with uneven cobblestone streets and French conversations drifting past. At that stage of my life, I didn’t need beaches, long flights, or reinvention.
I needed to make peace with this new version of myself and say goodbye to what was.
Inside Hotel Nelligan, the red brick walls absorbed the winter chill, and the warm lights cradled my unsettled mind. Notre-Dame stood steps away, steady as the city around her changed, and I admired her for it.
When we checked in, the concierge welcomed us in French. I answered hesitantly, doing my best to keep up. He smiled, giving me permission to try, telling me my accent was good, and I was grateful for it.
In the shower, I sighed in relief. I took my time, noticing the pattern of the tile, the weight of the water, and the scent of the Le Labo soap hovering in the steam. There was no rushing, no one to worry about, and in a burst of appreciation for the moment, I let out a tiny scream of joy. Maybe I was a terrible mom for feeling so happy, or maybe I was simply savoring a rare, unguarded moment.
My sister and I sat with our coffee until it went cold. We talked for hours about motherhood, our goals, and the versions of ourselves we were learning to let go of. We shared belly laughs, lots of tears, and even moments when we sounded like two girls without a care in the world.
Hotel Nelligan gave us a warm, unhurried corner in the world in a season of life that felt cold and consuming. There I resolved that life, though different, wasn’t over. I could be a mother and still hold onto my dreams, ideas, and my identity at the same time.
When we left, Montreal was still grey, rainy and cold, and life went on as it had before. But I carried a new confidence back with me: the reminder that life inevitably changes, but it’s up to us to be intentional about what we want to hold onto. I was still capable of noticing the world, and having children didn’t mean my story was finished.
Some hotels give you escape.
Some views of beautiful landscapes.
Some marble staircases and infinity pools.
But what Hotel Nelligan gave me is the sweetest luxury: time to myself and the space to simply be human.
— Learn more about Tablet Hotels, the original boutique hotel curators and booking site.
— Search our entire hotel selection, featuring only the world’s most exciting hotels.
— Subscribe to our newsletter, for bold opinions, big discounts, and unbelievable hotels.