Montreal

The 24 stylish, in-demand rooms at Le Petit Hôtel (168, rue St.-Paul Ouest, map) are modern and hip, all hardwood floors, plasma TVs, and minimalist accents, and the Old Montréal location puts you within easy walking distance of many sights. Small rooms with queen-size beds start at $159; loft-like extra-large rooms at $219 (all prices include a nice but basic breakfast and wi-fi).

Also in the luxury department, the Auberge du Vieux-Port (97, rue de la Commune Est, map; queen rooms from $159, including full breakfast and wi-fi) is a perennial favorite, for its beautifully appointed rooms—think brass beds, exposed brick or stone walls, wood-beam ceilings—and location across from Le Vieux-Port in Old Montréal. If you can’t snag a room with a water view, there’s always the seasonal rooftop terrace restaurant.

In the funky Plateau-Mont-Royal neighborhood, the Hôtel de l’Institut (3535, rue St.-Denis, map)—a teaching hotel, actually, for the hospitality industry—is a good bet, with its green initiatives and recently renovated rooms, most of which feature balconies with views of downtown or Mount Royal. Rooms start at $129, including full breakfast and wi-fi.

Budget travelers might consider the popular La Maison du Patriote (169, St.-Paul Est, map), a hostel with a great location, free wi-fi, and an artsy vibe (there’s a musical-instrument room!) in Old Montréal. Room options include private doubles with shared bathroom (from $23 in winter), same-sex dorms (from $18), and a mixed dorm ($16) with curtains between beds (most will warn you to bring earplugs). Another good option for the cash-strapped and musically inclined is Pensione Popolo (4871, blvd St.-Laurent, map), with four simple but comfy rooms ($40-$75) located above indie music club Casa Del Popolo (free passes to shows are included in room price, along with your hipster cred). Its location is pretty ideal, right between the Plateau-Mont-Royal and Mile End ’hoods.

We’re big fans of apartment stays, especially in urban hot spots like Montréal, and we have nothing but good things to say about this particular two-bedroom apartment (price varies; around $120/night during our visit). Everything from its Mile End location—a few doors down from the neighborhood institution that is Café Olimpico, two blocks from the city’s best bagels, with a Bixi bicycle docking station right out front—to its modern décor and helpful owner was perfect. See Airbnb to check availability and find more apartments like it.