I'd like to welcome Monique Martel our newest ibbp.com innkeeper for L'Etoile Verte B & B from Montreal, Quebec.
Welcome Monique! We are happy to welcome you to the ibbp.com innkeeper comminity. In order for guests to get to know you can you answer a few questions?
Why did you decide to open a B&B?
A: Having finished my university degree and being faced with having to find work, I decided to do a skills assessment and to make those skills fit a type of work that would make me want to get up in the morning instead of dreading Monday to Friday mornings. I have always been an entrepreneur, I put a lot of emphasis on the conservation of the environment and lived on an organic farm for 10 years. I love to entertain, love to cook, have training in Interior Design, am an avid reader, adore traveling and am fascinated with different cultures and their way of doing things. I also desperately wanted to write.
I'm sure you can already the pattern forming. I found a home in the Plateau Mont-Royal last May, the most vibrantly multi-cultural center of Montreal, as well as being close to the Parc du Mont-Royal and the Parc Lafontaine, and being within walking distance of Vieux-Montreal (25-30 minutes), downtown (35-40), and the Quartier Latin (15 minutes). We are also 3 minutes to St.Denis St. which has numerous terraces, Quebec designers, and big name stores. And 5 minutes to The Main, which is the Boulevard St-Laurent, where the cultural beat is as powerful as the nightime one. As if all of this isn't enough, we sit on a quiet, treed street, one house from the renowned restaurant filled Duluth St.. Not only is the food amazing in these restaurants, but in most of them, you bring your own wine!
Can you tell me about your B&B?
A: The house itself was an old triplex that the previous owner had turned into a duplex: with an apartment on the 3rd floor. With the geothermic heating/cooling on the first 2 floors, and the terrace, deck and backyard in the back, as well as 2 balconies at the front, the house seemed perfect. It also has lots of wood and lots of brick. We renovated the whole 3rd floor, insulating everything, putting in a new bathroom, fixing the one already there, organized a sitting area, and put an antique window between the smaller bedroom and the sitting area (the bedroom also has a window to the outside).
WoW! Sorry, got away with all that. I think you can sense my enthusiasm.
As far as more particular questions, I have not had any paying customers yet, only friends and relatives have stayed, since I have only had my sign up about 1 month and you were the first online organization that I joined, apart from a placement agency.
What advice would you give to would be innkeepers?
A: What advice would I give? With my limited experience, I'd say give yourself time to get things ready before having guests come. Also, depending on your area, you will need a lot of time to get all the paperwork, etc. done up. Have patience and persist.
Do you have a favorite place to recommend travelers visiting Montreal?
A: Everyone should spend at least a few days in the Plateau. This is where you can see, feel, taste and enjoy life that is Montreal: St.Denis St., Avenue Mont-Royal, St-Laurent Blvd., Carre St-Louis, these are all incredible places to get a sense of what Montrealers are about.
If you would like to contact Monique for additional information, please visit:
L'Etoile Verte B & B
WEBSITE: www.letoileverte.com
PHONE / RESERVATIONS: 514-842-7943
