TL;DR

Wellness-focused retreat: in a renovated Augustinian monastery with deep historical roots.
Two room styles: — Authentic (historic) or Contemporary — both peaceful, minimalist, and whitewashed.
Holistic food & activities: including silent breakfasts, yoga, meditation, and wellness workshops.
Prime Old Port location: near museums, oceanfront walks, and major cultural sites.

For wellness, healthy food and a regenerative taste of Québécois history, try this unique boutique hotel in Old Port.

Le Monastère des Augustines, a zhuzhed up former nun’s residence, allows some gentle historic immersion, alongside its main focus: holistic wellness.

You can choose what they refer to as an Authentic, or a Contemporary experience, but all the whitewashed rooms have undergone serious renovations regardless.

Yet, the hotel’s money and mouth seem to be in the same place. Both the historical white and the contemporary white speak in the language of peace and quiet.

Activities are fully directed at relaxation and/or recovery. Food is plentiful and healthful, and there are multiple packages geared towards different wellness practices.

At Le Monastère des Augustines, expect yoga, expect fresh produce, and a hotel that wants to make you feel good, not just pampered.

What are the rooms like?

33 rooms: split between Authentic (historic) and Contemporary (modern).
Authentic cells: feature patchwork quilts, wood beams, and shared bathrooms.
Contemporary rooms: are minimalist with ensuite white-tiled bathrooms.
No TVs/phones: — designed for peace, quiet, and digital detox.
See each room in detail here

Like we mentioned above, you’ve got two options at Le Monastère des Augustines

The Authentic experience puts you in a historic cell once occupied by an Augustinian nun.

This sounds much worse than it is, as the “cells” are more like old-fashioned hotel rooms.

You’ve got sinks for nightly wash-ups, a relatively cosy bed, and super-cute patchwork quilts.

The most historical thing about the space is the wood beams, the relatively limited space.

Authentic rooms start right under 200 square feet, which is actually not horrible, but still far from luxuriously roomy.

The other notable quality is the separate bathrooms that you’ll share with other ‘authentic’ guests.

Contemporary rooms manage to embody the same vibe as the others, just updated. Bathrooms are ensuite, coated in white tile.

The white on white is a common element, but instead of cute little end tables, there are built-in shelves with sliding wooden doors.

Beds sport hip striped blankets instead of patchwork. It’s a lovely, well-considered play on design.

No rooms include televisions or telephones, you’ll have to entertain yourself at night, or just turn in at a reasonable hour.

The quality is top-notch: Le Monastère des Augustines lacks in indulgences, not luxuries.

What are prices like?

Check prices here

And what’s the food like? Any facilities we should know about?

Silent breakfast: served at Le Vivoir with clean, additive-free, local ingredients.
Wellness packages: offering yoga, meditation, and creative workshops.
Onsite gallery & museum: about the Augustines and monastery history.
Dietary-restriction friendly,: can cater to most specific requests

Included in your experience at Le Monastère des Augustines is a silent breakfast at the onsite restaurant, Le Vivoir.

The food here is whole, and we don’t mean from a corporate upscale grocery store.

No, you’ll have a preservative, additive, free experience that is primarily, if not exclusively, local.

They’re also quite sensitive to dietary restrictions. Baked goods are dairy-free, and they’re very open to other requests.

You can book a package, with a variety of services included, or go à la carte with the extensive activities calendar.

Options include meditation workshops, a lot of yoga, concerts, creative and health-related workshops.

Beyond activities, there’s an onsite gallery and museum with more information about the Augustines and the monastery.

How is the neighbourhood? Anything interesting nearby?

Old Port location: perfect for oceanfront strolls and peaceful breaks.
Close to major museums: including Civilisation and Naval museums.
Walking access: to Citadelle, Battlefields Park, and the Plains of Abraham Museum.
More lively nearby streets: if you want food, drinks, or a change of pace.

The neighbourhood is an interesting foil to the hotel.

Old Port Quebec City is mostly a great place for wandering by the ocean, and ideal for the type of break you’re getting at Le Monastère des Augustines.

The seaside walking path is just minutes away, and, with a little creative navigating, can lead all the way south towards the Citadelle of Québec.

The surrounding area, though, near Basse Ville, is the most active of the Old Port.

It’s not a full-on party all night kind of place, but if you wanted a fully spartan trip, you’re definitely walking into temptation.

There are plenty of distractions from the food and drink, however.

The Civilisation Museum, Naval Museum and Place des Canotiers are all walking distance, lovely places for a bit of history and culture.

If you do walk down to the Citadelle, you’ll find great history around Battlefields Park. The Plains of Abraham Museum is nearby as well.

And what about the reviews? What did other guests think?

Some things guests liked:

“Great location and a beautiful setting. Just a short walk to historical and cultural locations as well as excellent dining and shopping. The hotel itself combines its historical significance with modern architectural elements. The hotel’s restaurant offers a terrific breakfast and lunch and several spa services. Parking is available on property and affordable. Would whole heartedly recommend….”

“The monastery was serene & calm. Most other guests respected the environment & purpose of the experience. The shared bathrooms were immaculately clean & the rooms sparse, but comfortable. Meditative walking tours, yoga & visits to a church service are all available & recommended. Breakfast was well presented with a good choice of hot & cold food….”

Some things guests didn’t like:

”Shame to have to share bathroom but necessary in a historic building….”

”While I understood prices were what they were for the wonderful, fresh, farm to table organic food, I was surprised the rooms were as much as they were….”

> Read all the reviews right here