3* BBV B&B du Village

A good choice for exploring several sides of Montreal rather than basing the whole trip around one neighbourhood, AC Hotel by Marriott Montreal Downtown sits between the Quartier des Spectacles, Chinatown and Old Montreal. The Gay Village is farther east along Sainte-Catherine, but easy to reach by Metro or a longer walk through the city centre. The standout facility is the 21-metre indoor pool, joined by a whirlpool and fitness centre with views across downtown. Rooms have a clean contemporary look with hardwood floors, rainfall-style glass showers, Nespresso machines and smart TVs. Downstairs, the AC Lounge serves tapas, cocktails and Spanish wines. Place-des-Arts and Place-d'Armes Metro stations are nearby, making this an especially convenient base for sightseeing, festivals and evenings in different parts of the city. GayMapper tip: A particularly good pick if an indoor pool matters and you want Old Montreal, downtown and the Village all within easy reach.

Sitting between the Latin Quarter and the Gay Village, Fairfield by Marriott Montreal Downtown is a particularly practical base if you want nightlife nearby without making it the entire focus of your stay. Berri-UQAM Metro is close by, with Sainte-Catherine Street East, the Village and the Quartier des Spectacles all easily reached on foot. Rooms are modern and unfussy, with larger one-bedroom suites adding separate living space, a refrigerator and microwave. A complimentary hot breakfast is included, there's a 24-hour fitness centre and an on-site restaurant, which gives it a useful amount of substance for a three-star hotel. It's also well placed for exploring beyond the Village, with Chinatown and Old Montreal within easy reach and excellent Metro connections across the city. GayMapper tip: A strong all-round choice if location and value matter more than boutique style – free breakfast is a useful bonus in an otherwise fairly expensive city.

Few Montreal hotels come with quite as much history as Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth. Sitting directly above Central Station in the heart of downtown, it also connects into Montreal's underground city – particularly welcome when winter weather makes wandering the streets considerably less appealing. This is a large full-service hotel with 950 rooms and suites, an indoor pool, hot tub and saunas, Moment Spa, several places to eat and drink and the cocktail-focused Nacarat bar. Its most famous room is Suite 1742, where John Lennon and Yoko Ono staged their 1969 Bed-In for Peace and recorded Give Peace a Chance. The Village is east of downtown rather than on the doorstep, but Metro connections make nights out there straightforward. GayMapper tip: A great fit if you like landmark hotels with a story – and Suite 1742 is one of Montreal's more unusual hotel splurges.

Right on the edge of the Gay Village, Hyatt Place Montreal - Downtown is a useful option if you want the location of a Village hotel with the facilities of a larger full-service property. Sainte-Catherine Street is just outside and Berri-UQAM Metro is around the corner, putting both the gay scene and the rest of Montreal within very easy reach. Rooms are unusually spacious for a downtown hotel, with seating areas, big TVs and mini-fridges. There's also an indoor swimming pool, a 24-hour fitness centre, bar and breakfast service – handy additions if you're staying for more than a quick weekend. With more than 350 rooms, the atmosphere is lively and urban rather than intimate, and the location works particularly well for combining nightlife with Old Montreal and the Quartier des Spectacles. GayMapper tip: Probably the best addition to the current list if you want a pool and proper hotel facilities while remaining genuinely close to the Village.

In the heart of Montreal’s Golden Square Mile, Vogue Hotel Montreal Downtown, Curio Collection by Hilton is a polished base for shopping, restaurants and museums, with Sainte-Catherine Street just steps away. Peel Metro is close by, so evenings in the Gay Village are only a straightforward ride across downtown. Rooms are spacious and elegant, with plush beds and particularly impressive marble bathrooms featuring both showers and jetted tubs. Downstairs, YAMA brings an East-meets-West approach to dining and cocktails, while the Vogue Café works well for coffee and something lighter during the day. There’s also a fitness centre and dedicated wellness area. What gives Vogue its character is the attention to design, from the dramatic lobby to its quirky Cabinet of Curiosities, making it feel more individual than the average international luxury hotel. GayMapper tip: A great choice for couples who want a stylish downtown stay with shopping and dining outside the door and easy Metro access to the Village.

For a simple central base with excellent transport connections, Hôtel St-Denis gets the important things right. It's in the Latin Quarter, just around the corner from Berri-UQAM Metro and within an easy walk of the Gay Village, so you can head out along Sainte-Catherine Street without needing taxis or complicated late-night journeys. The hotel has a traditional, independent feel, with spacious air-conditioned rooms rather than the increasingly tiny rooms found in many newer city hotels. There's a 24-hour reception, and the surrounding streets are packed with casual restaurants, cafés, theatres and festival venues. The location also makes sightseeing straightforward: the Quartier des Spectacles is nearby, while Old Montreal and the waterfront are easily reached on foot or Metro. GayMapper tip: Particularly useful when Montreal hotel prices jump during Pride or festival weekends and you want to stay close to the Village without blowing the budget.