Court-appointed receiver now accepting offers in sale of Château Montebello

The court-appointed receiver in charge of the Château Montebello is now accepting bids for the sale of the historic hotel. CTV’s Dave Charbonneau reports.

The offer period is open in the sale of the iconic Château Montebello, which was placed into receivership after its previous owner racked up tens of millions of dollars in debt and was ordered to liquidate its assets.

On Thursday, investment management company Colliers said a sale and investment solicitation process for the nearly 100-year-old resort in Montebello, Que has been launched.

Château Montebello has remained open for business during receivership under a longstanding agreement with Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, which does not expect it to close.

Chinese real estate firm Evergrande had previously owned the property but racked up significant debt and was ordered in 2024 to liquidate $245 billion in worldwide assets.

A Quebec judge named PricewaterhouseCoopers as the official receiver for the resort.

Nearby businesses say the resort is a key part of the community’s economy. Maxim Chartrand, of the Bistro Montebello, says approximately 75 per cent of the restaurant’s business comes from those staying at the hotel.

“For us, we’re kind of alive because of all the tourism that gets generated by the Montebello Château,” Chartrand said.

In a news release on Thursday, Colliers said the offering encompasses the operating hotel, an 18-hole Stanley Thompson-designed championship golf course, a 100-slip marina, approximately 17,000 square feet of meeting and event space, five food and beverage outlets, a full-service spa, and approximately 685 acres of excess land presenting future development potential. The firm added that approximately $17 million in capital improvements had been invested between 2019 and 2025.

Château Montebello was built in 1930 and has become an iconic destination in the Outaouais region of Quebec. It has played host to numerous Canadian prime ministers and other world leaders over the years, including the 1981 G7 Summit.

Guests at the Château Montebello say they hope the experience of staying at the hotel and the spirit of the historic building will remain intact if it comes under new ownership.

“I hope whatever happens, they keep operating it the way they operate it now,” said Cosmos Darwin, a guest at the Château Montebello. “The property can change hands, and if it’s still operated as a Fairmont hotel, I mean, we may not even be able to tell as guests.”

“Sometimes properties need to change in order to survive, but I’m sure whoever purchases the property like this will preserve what makes it special,” said Caroline Colbert, a guest at the Château Montebello.

Colliers says non-binding letters of intent are due by April 7, 2026, with definitive offers due May 13, 2026. The anticipated closing is targeted for the week of July 27, 2026.

Further information regarding the sale can be accessed on Colliers Canada website.

With files from CTV’s Dave Charbonneau.

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