The star hotel in Old Montreal, which once hosted the Rolling Stones, has closed for good, confirmed to The Press the owner of the building, Vincent Chiara.
Posted at 7:00 p.m.
The classroom had remained closed since the pandemic. We did not know until then what would become of him.
“Our goal is to give the building a residential vocation,” explained the president of Groupe Mach in an exchange of text messages.
Some St-James stars
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PHOTO OLIVIER PONTBRIAND, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
The Edge, from U2
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PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones
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PHOTO ANDRÉ PICHETTE, ANDRE PICHETTE PRESS ARCHIVES
Stéphane Rousseau in the hotel library, in 2015
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PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
Madonna leaving the hotel in 2006
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PHOTO DAVID BOILY LA PRESSE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Adib Alkhalidey, Julien Lacroix, Anne-Élisabeth Bossé, Philippe Laprise, Katherine Levac, and Jay Du Temple, in the hotel penthouse, in 2019
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PHOTO BERNARD BRAULT, PRESS ARCHIVES
Michael Schumacher in 2006
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PHOTO IVANOH DEMERS, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Bruno Pelletier, inside the hotel, in 2003
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PHOTO ROBERT MAILLOUX, PRESS ARCHIVES
Writer Kathy Reichs
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Opened in 2002, Le St-James was transformed by waste magnate Lucien Rémillard. He had needed works of 18 million. Mr. Rémillard had paid 2 million to acquire the heritage building in 1999.
“Dating from 1870, the building was first the headquarters of a bank (Merchant’s Bank), and initially had only four floors. Five were added in 1899, after which it was occupied by the ancestor of the Power Corporation group (the name was the same), then by the brokerage firm Nesbitt Thompson,” wrote our retired colleague Jacques Benoit in June 2001.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Vincent Chiara, owner of 355, rue Saint-Jacques
Subsequently, the antique collector had opulent condos fitted out in the neighboring building, Le St-Régis, at 275, rue Saint-Jacques. Former Premier of Quebec Pauline Marois once occupied an apartment there.
When it opened, Le St-James, at 355, rue Saint-Jacques, had 61 rooms, including 24 suites. The hotel used to be fully booked on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends.
As is well known, the Stones booked the entire luxury hotel twice in 2003 and in 2006 during the Montreal stop of their tour.
“In addition to a large business clientele, the St-James Hotel welcomes renowned celebrities, such as Madonna, Celine Dion, Britney Spears, U2, Elton John, Mick Jagger and many others”, had describes the establishment’s lawyer in her lawsuit against Revenu Québec in 2013, during one of the many disputes between Mr. Rémillard, his companies and the tax authorities.
Lucien Rémillard sold Le St-James in 2015 to Groupe Mach for 24 million. A similar amount appears on this municipal assessment roll. The operation of the hotel was then entrusted to a company belonging to the owner of the Keg restaurants.