As you arrive at Maison aux Pignons in the St Laurent neighborhood of Montreal, this vacation rental yields no hint at the bonsai garden wonderland out back. Upon entering the backyard, your eyes behold thirty to fifty valuable bonsai trees. It looks more like a carefully tended garden in Japan than a Canadian garden. This small backyard paradise would completely shut out the outside world if not for the sound of an occasional passing train and airplane. This was once the home of the train’s station master but was sold to Guy and Lucie Audette destined to become a Montreal vacation rental favorite.
Garden party at a vacation rental?
This is a rare rental indeed! Where else can you rent a lavishly furnished apartment with a bonsai garden out back and a fountain too? There are three separate sitting areas in the garden depending on your mood.
One is in front of the fountain, and one to the left has a café table under a pergola, and two chairs. The sitting area on the right has a table accommodating four or more if you want to eat outside. All have bonsai trees and other garden plants nearby.
Rent both sides of the duplex and have an your own outdoor party in this gorgeous garden. Or you might meet the neighbors and enjoy swapping traveler’s stories if you rent just one side. The owners will sometimes rent one side long-term so you might not be able to rent both. It’s best to contact them to see what is available.
All the comforts of home (from USD 115)
As if the garden out back isn’t enough to make you want to stay here; the inside of the house is supremely well outfitted. Flipkey awarded Maison aux Pignons the “Top Vacation Rental Award” for a good reason. The rooms look like they were professionally decorated and the linens are top notch too. Relax on the surround style sofa as you watch TV or read a book in the living room.
Apart 2 Bedroom 2 beds near metro -Parking Free
Address: 1313 Saint-Louis
Accommodates: 3
Parking Garden Terrace Non-smoking rooms Laundry Free parking Internet services Heating
Gourmet kitchen
The kitchen has almost anything you could possibly want if you plan on cooking. They even give you real wine glasses to use as well as nice dinnerware. As a trained chef I found this to be the best equipped kitchen and dining rooms I’ve ever seen in a vacation rental. The knives were sharp and the cooking equipment excellent. You will be able to cook all your meals with ease if you choose to eat home cooked style.
With the famous Marche Jean-Talon farmers market a few Metro stops away, you have access to some great meats and produce.
All you could want
Maison aux Pignons is also one of the cleanest rentals you will find showing attention to detail in the highest degree. The bathroom shower has good water pressure and plenty of hot water. Guy, the owner, is a licensed plumber so you would expect all the plumbing to work well, and it does. If you need to do laundry, it’s a breeze with the full size washer and dryer combo.
The essentials
With its close proximity to Pierre Trudeau Airport, most visitors fly in, and have the owners pick them up for a fee of 29 USD/ 40 CAD, or take a taxi for the fifteen minute ride. It is not cheap to stay here but for a party of four, it’s probably still reasonable for a vacation rental of this quality.
Prices for summer weekends were around 250 USD/346 CAD per night the summer of 2015, and vary depending on the season. Off-season and winter rates are significantly lower. If you love sipping wine and munching appetizers in a garden atmosphere, this place has one of the best backyards you will ever find in a vacation rental. I recommend visiting May through October to see this garden and city at its best.
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