The Argoat has carved out a niche that's genuinely its own. The 25-room property doubles as a working gallery: the owner, a longtime visual arts advocate, fills every wall and corridor with original works by Quebec artists, established and emerging, available for purchase at prices she describes as well below market. The result is a hotel that feels lived-in and considered rather than decorated.

Practically speaking, the self-serve breakfast includes fair-trade organic coffee and real maple syrup, free parking comes with EV charging stations, and there's a secured bike room with a repair kit for cyclists. Dogs are welcome. The tone of the whole operation, colorful, unpretentious, genuinely convivial, matches the neighbourhood it's been a part of for years.