The way forward for hospitality seems to be very shiny for intrepid and significant boutique manufacturers and resort collections. We’ve seen this mannequin work in European and resort areas the place an area identification and true authenticity can shine by, however that is far much less frequent in North American the place the massive chains dominate. Based mostly out of Montreal, Canada, Nook Assortment reveals that any model can succeed with the suitable imaginative and prescient, ardour and crew.
Nook Assortment is a hospitality group rooted in Outdated Montreal. Greatest identified for Hôtel Nelligan (105 rooms and suites) and Hôtel Place d’Armes (169 rooms and suites) – each constantly ranked amongst Canada’s prime metropolis accommodations – the group’s imaginative and prescient extends nicely past lodging. Nook Assortment can also be the proprietor and operator of a number of celebrated eating places, newly launched Nook Residences for prolonged stays, and a luxurious spa positioned inside Hôtel Place d’Armes, collectively shaping a particular artwork of dwelling that defines the model.
Launched only some years in the past, this may occasionally seem to be an in a single day success, however in talking with CEO Dimitri Antonopoulos we found that it is a household affair going again many a long time! Therein, it’s that born-and-bred hospitality spirit that reverberates by each operation and visitor touchpoint at anyplace operated by Nook Assortment.
What we discover all through is a dedication to preserving the native spirit of the world – Outdated Montreal – and bringing it ahead to showcase the perfect of one in all Canada’s true cultural epicenters. That every one stated, let’s be taught from a grasp to see how this boutique authenticity shines by in our interview with Mr. Antonopoulos!
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Let’s begin with the founding of Nook Assortment and the way it’s rising.
Nook Assortment grew out of a household hospitality enterprise based over 50 years in the past, with deep roots in Outdated Montréal. We’ve all the time believed that the most effective hospitality is constructed on a powerful sense of place, actual human connection and respect for heritage, however with the braveness to evolve it.
In 2022, we created Nook Assortment to place that imaginative and prescient into sharper focus. Not a reinvention, however a step ahead: impartial luxurious hospitality the place each touchpoint feels intentional, private and genuinely welcoming.
What’s the distinctive gross sales proposition (USP) for Nook Assortment?
Nook Assortment’s USP is the best way we mix impartial luxurious hospitality with actual heat – creating feel-good experiences which can be private, design-led and deeply rooted in Outdated Montréal.
As a result of we’re family-owned and impartial, we are able to construct every property with a transparent viewpoint, with out compromising for model templates. We deal with the main points that form how individuals really feel: intuitive service, ambiance, meals and beverage, and areas that invite connection.
What actually units us aside is that our accommodations, eating places and social areas function as one ecosystem – locations the place vacationers and locals naturally come collectively. On the coronary heart of all of it is an easy perception: memorable hospitality isn’t about perfection, it’s about emotion, consistency and making individuals really feel genuinely cared for.
What’s distinctive about Montreal in terms of hospitality?
Montréal’s hospitality is formed by its wealthy cultural combine, the place European sensibility meets North American power. Town has an innate heat and creativity that translate into experiences that really feel private, expressive and alive. Right here, meals, design, music and tradition are usually not separate from hospitality; they’re at its core!
What actually units Montréal aside is the real openness of its individuals. Service feels pure moderately than scripted, refined but relaxed. There’s a powerful sense of neighborhood and delight in showcasing native expertise, which creates experiences that really feel genuine, inclusive and emotionally resonant for friends.
How is the owner-operator mannequin mirrored within the service presentation to friends and the crew tradition?
Being family-owned and operated shapes Nook Assortment in a really direct manner: we expect long-term, we keep near the main points, and we defend the tradition as a result of it’s private. We’re not managing for short-term wins. We’re constructing locations with longevity, repute and delight behind them.
For friends, meaning a constantly excessive customary of hospitality the place service feels intuitive, heat and human – by no means scripted. It additionally means areas which can be thoughtfully maintained and repeatedly refined, as a result of we’re current and concerned.
For our groups, it creates a tradition of belief and belonging, but additionally accountability. We would like individuals to really feel supported, happy with what they do, and empowered to take possession of the visitor expertise. That mindset, heat with excessive requirements, is what defines Nook Assortment each day.
Resort Nelligan goes beneath a giant transformation with a reopening in Could 2026 – not a simple feat for a historic property! Are you able to describe this course of by way of deciding on price range, space planning of key facilities and challenges to beat?
Reimagining a historic property like Resort Nelligan requires a fragile stability between honoring its heritage and evolving it for a brand new era of friends. From the outset, our method was to assume long-term – not simply by way of design, however in how the resort will emotionally join with friends over the following decade.
When it comes to price range and area planning, we prioritized the elements of the resort that form the visitor journey probably the most: arrival, rooms, wellness, meals and social areas. We evaluated each sq. foot by one filter: does this meaningfully enhance how the keep feels and capabilities – not simply the way it seems to be.
The largest problem is {that a} historic constructing doesn’t behave like a brand new construct. Preserving architectural character whereas upgrading infrastructure, acoustics, circulate, and luxury require fixed trade-offs and tight coordination between design, engineering and operations. However that’s additionally what makes the transformation thrilling; we’re not simply renovating a resort; we’re giving new life to a Montréal icon.
Apart from resort properties, Nook Assortment can also be a trendsetter in restaurant ideas with the latest launch of Mama C a 12 months in the past and Lovebird opening this 12 months. Are you able to describe each ideas and the way you identify what will likely be a success for each resort friends in addition to locals?
Mama C was one of many first main tasks launched by Nook Assortment a 12 months in the past, and it holds a particular place within the hearts of the homeowners. Celebrating Greek delicacies with a contemporary twist, every dish is fastidiously crafted to carry the heat and vibrancy of the Mediterranean to Montréal’s culinary scene. Designed by Atelier Zebulon Perron and awarded the 2025 Grand Prix du Design for Greatest Restaurant Design, Mama C’s décor completely balances heat, modern model, and respect for the constructing’s heritage.
Lovebird will open its doorways at first of 2026, introducing a refined cocktail bar idea paired with a fastidiously curated music program, positioned beneath Resort Nelligan. Additionally designed by Zébulon Perron, Lovebird’s inside showcases deep textures, heat earth tones and trendy accents, creating an inviting and intimate ambiance. With Lovebird, we intention to have fun the most effective of Montréal’s vibrant scene by expertly crafted cocktails and thoughtfully and scrumptious small bites. It’s the proper place to spark lasting conversations and share feel-good moments with pals, locals and guests alike.
When figuring out new ideas, we deal with what resonates deeply with our neighborhood and enhances our accommodations’ spirit. It’s about discovering the suitable stability between originality, high quality, and accessibility – creating locations the place friends and locals alike really feel at dwelling and desperate to return.
One concern of each restaurateur is the fickleness of diners. An thrilling idea launches to fanfare then patronage trickles by the third or fourth 12 months. How do you create restaurant ideas that stand the take a look at of time?
Longevity comes from constructing ideas that transcend developments. We don’t begin with what’s modern; we begin with what feels emotionally true and culturally related. The eating places that endure are people who kind a real relationship with their neighborhood.
At Nook Assortment, we deal with timeless fundamentals: heat, consistency, high quality and ambiance. That requires sturdy management on the ground, disciplined coaching, and the humility to refine particulars continually, even when a restaurant is already profitable. An area has to really feel good to return to time and again – whether or not for a weekday espresso, a household dinner or a particular celebration. That sense of emotional consolation is what retains individuals coming again lengthy after the opening buzz fades.
We additionally consider in evolving with out shedding identification. Menus, music and repair can adapt over time, however the soul of the place should stay intact. When friends really feel an actual connection to a restaurant – to its power, its individuals, its story – it turns into a part of their routine, not only a second.
As a 3rd pillar to Nook Assortment, you’re getting into the branded residence market with Nook Residences. How did you identify what in-unit options will likely be most interesting to residents and short-term friends? How do you keep cost-effective whereas constructing these merchandise?
With Nook Residences, our purpose was to create a real ‘dwelling inside the metropolis’ – a spot that provides the privateness, consolation and independence of an house, paired with the design and a spotlight to element of a boutique resort.
We fastidiously designed every house to be each lovely and extremely purposeful. This contains absolutely geared up kitchens, good layouts, beneficiant storage, high-quality finishes, considerate lighting and particulars that make on a regular basis dwelling easy – whether or not somebody is staying for just a few nights or a number of months. The emphasis is on areas that really feel calm, intuitive, and welcoming, permitting friends to really settle in.
Staying cost-effective comes from this readability of goal. By concentrating funding the place it has probably the most impression – consolation, performance, and the on a regular basis particulars that friends discover and keep in mind – we keep away from pointless complexity whereas delivering a premium expertise. The result’s a product that feels refined, sensible and emotionally resonant, with out extra or wasted sq. footage.
What’s subsequent for Nook Assortment? Can you describe the enlargement plan or any markets the place you’re eager to develop?
Our focus shifting ahead is considerate development moderately than fast enlargement. We’re deeply rooted in Montréal, and we see monumental potential in persevering with to raise Outdated Montreal as a vacation spot for boutique hospitality, tradition and way of life.
That stated, we’re actively exploring alternatives past Montreal. We’re all in favour of markets that share comparable elements: sturdy heritage, a vibrant native scene and a requirement for impartial, design-driven hospitality. We gained’t increase simply to increase; it should be the suitable undertaking, in the suitable location, with the suitable companions.
The subsequent chapter for Nook Assortment is about refinement, storytelling and deepening the emotional bond between our manufacturers and our friends – whereas staying true to what has made the group profitable from the beginning.
What different hospitality developments are you enthusiastic about for the approaching years? How do you see them working for Nook Assortment?
We’re excited by just a few developments that replicate how friends are touring right this moment. First, the demand for genuine, domestically rooted experiences continues to develop. Individuals wish to really feel related to the tradition, meals and power of town they’re visiting. And for us meaning hospitality that feels genuinely Montréal, not copy-pasted.
We additionally see wellness turning into extra built-in into the keep, not as a standalone ‘spa development’, however by higher relaxation, calmer design and areas that naturally help stability and connection. Sustainability can also be turning into non-negotiable, and we’re targeted on sensible progress that’s constant throughout operations with out compromising consolation or high quality.
Lastly, we’re excited by expertise that improves comfort and personalization whereas preserving human connection. For Nook Assortment, it’s not about changing hospitality with automation; it’s about releasing our groups to spend extra time doing what issues most: caring for individuals.
