Holt Renfrew

I don’t like this place since when I go with my comfy clothes after school None of sales person come to serve me !!! But when I wear brand and I am dressed up and fancy at least 2 or 3 of them asking me if I need a help !! Well this is not acceptable to me !!! They (sales person) look at people from up to down !!! So uncomfortable! Better to order stuff online ! I updated my photo the way I was after class and they ignored me for proof ??

Location: Sherbrooke and de la Montagne. Street parking is available [metered] and the closest subways would be Guy and Peel. I think that Holt offers valet + underground parking but I’m not 100% certain.
The place: First, I want to point out that I’m writing this review specifically for the Jo Malone boutique. That being said, Holt Renfrew, being the high-​class place that it is, is unfortunately not somewhere you’ll find me shopping — mostly because I’m still waiting to win the lottery and I don’t foresee this happening any time soon since I don’t actually buy lottery tickets. All of that being said, if you’re looking for high-​end, quality merchandise, this place is for you.
The Jo Malone boutique is part of the fragrance/​cosmetics section and is thus, merely a counter. It’s very simple, bright and clean! If you’re coming in via de la Montagne, you’ll want to walk up the stairs and head to the back.
The goods: J-​M is a London brand that offers fragrances + some body products (limited) as well as candles (also limited). They have a wide variety of scents to choose from, all of which are natural. J-​M are known for pairing unusual ingredients and creating versatile fragrances that you can blend together to create new scents. On my first visit, Alan gave me samples of four fragrances that I thought I liked which is great since I have allergies and can’t just pick something and go home unless I’ve tried it first. When I decided on my scent, I went back to buy a bottle (offered in two sizes — 30ml and 100ml).
Service: Excellent! Alan is so, SO nice and friendly. When I went in the first time, I was reticent — I definitely had a preconceived notion about the level of service that I would get (you know, because I’m not loaded) but I’m pleased to report that I was way wrong. Alan is very warm and welcoming, and he really takes the time to get to you know, make suggestions and discuss the products and scents with you. Best part? You can expect to receive a handwritten thank-​you note about a week after you’ve made your purchase. He’s also more than happy to provide samples if you’re on the fence about which fragrance (s) you like.
Price point: A 30ml bottle will cost you $ 70 while a 100ml bottle will cost you $ 135. Considering the quality of the product though, the small bottle should last you close to a year, so while J-​M is expensive, I think it’s worth it.

I don’t really like shopping here. Don’t get me wrong, I love the stuff — Brunello Cucinelli cashmere, Burberry… but the customer service leaves something to be desired.
The shoe department was huffing a lot when I was asking for all these sizes in these different shoes, and it’s a hit and miss, really. Kristin over at Burberry is SO INCREDIBLY NICE no matter how you are dressed. I’d definitely go back to the Burberry section and deal with her directly for my next trench coat.
Otherwise. I’m torn. I give it 3 stars not because I don’t like the merchandise and some people, but if they were nicer, it’d be a 4.
All I can say is don’t judge the book by its cover. Sometimes I roll in there in UGGs and am dressed to be comfortable so I can shop, not to impress but that doesn’t mean I don’t have the $$.

Service here is subpar. Most of the times they don’t even pay attention to you. Especially if you don’t speak French or look like you can’t afford the things they sell. With the exceptions of a few stores (the YSL and Chanel counters have helpful staffs), I generally find myself ignored. However, during their bi-​annual sales, the discounts are great and worth checking out.

Oh, how this is heaven on earth. Hermes, Prada, Saint Laurent, Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Guerlain, Chanel, Tom Ford. .. shall I continue??? We had a grand time browsing and looking at all the beautiful designer clothes, handbags, leather goods, cosmetics, and perfumes. Everyone greeted us with a smile and let us look without iota about not buying something. If only money grew on trees… *sigh*

This holts has a great selection of items, however the staff here were just awful. I was looking to purchase a bag and wanted to buy my first REAL high end designer one. While I’ve had money saved up, the amount I was looking to spend is still a lot of cash for someone that isn’t overly wealthy. I found a Prada bag I was quite fond of and was debating that. The lady that was helping me was incredibly impatient and rude and kept telling me it was nice and I should just get it. When I decided to make a quick phone call she audibly sighed and walked back to the counter. While I understand I was looking at this bag for a solid 10 minutes or so, it’s incredibly rude to have someone rushing you when they obviously just want to make the sale and get you out of the store. I ended up buying it, but it was definitely not the kind of experience I wanted to have while making such an important large purchase. Not everyone is made of money, and sometimes you gotta give them time to really look at what they’re purchasing. It’s not so much to ask

I have very mixed feelings about this place.
Since I’m not married to a Russian oligarch or a member of the Mafiosi and I don’t see that happening anytime soon either, a plebeian like me has never bought any items of clothing or shoes or purses here.(Hermes Birkin bag at $ 15 000 anyone?).
That said, I have come here to buy my absolute favorite brand of makeup, Nars Cosmetics which has a cult-​like following among fashionistas and girly-​girls the world over. The girls at the Nars counter have always been nice and super helpful to me so no complaints there. Yeah, they are expensive but totally worth every penny. Also the ladies over at the Creed perfume counter were very helpful. Before I decide to plunk down a few hundred dollars on something, I definitely want to sample it first and they were more than happy to oblige my curiosity.
Also, at one point I was seriously thinking of buying a Hermes scarf, one of those things that literally never go out of fashion. Since I can’t afford to buy one brand new ($ 800+), I went on ebay looking for a slightly used, vintage print one. I called up the Hermes boutique at Holt Renfrew to ask someone if they could give me some pointers on how to spot a fake online. They went over and beyond that. They asked if I would like to come in sometime and one of their associates would explain to me what differentiates a real Hermes item from a fake one. I took a print-​out of the scarf I was eyeing on ebay and spent a pleasant afternoon with an associate who showed me the ropes. Finally another sales associate gifted me with a set of vials which had a sampling of various Hermes perfumes and said maybe if I changed my mind one of these days, I may come back and buy a real, new scarf. I doubt that will happen anytime soon, but the gesture was pure class nonetheless.
Go to Holt to stroll and look if you can and if some of the obnoxious sales associates in the boutiques don’t drive you out first to get ideas of what you really want. Then go on ebay

or even online Black Friday sales for retailers like Henri Bendels, Neiman Marcus, to get the same stuff a cheaper prices and with virtually none of the attitude.

Bien entendu, la réputation de Holt Renfrew n’est plus à faire en matière de vêtements, accessoires et autres biens luxueux. Sur plusieurs étages, vous trouverez divers articles de designers internationaux passant par Saint-​Laurent, Chanel, Hermès, Prada, Christian Dior, Burberry, Alexander Wang, Torry Burch, Marc Jacobs et j’en passé. Le service de complets sur mesure est offert, en plus de séances de magasinage avec styliste si je né me trompe pas. Le choix de produits n’est pas mal, mais les boutiques de Toronto et Vancouver semblent recevoir des marques vraiment plus intéressantes. Le marché du luxe à Montréal est bien différent de ces 2 autres grandes villes alors je comprends un peu pourquoi, mais bon. Quand même assez décevant lorsque l’on cherche un article bien préçis et qu’on apprend qu’il est disponible partout sauf à Montréal.
Le magasin est pour la plupart du temps bien rangé et propre (sauf en période de soldes, ouff!). Cependant, la décoration plutôt inexistante est désuète. L’endroit aurait besoin d’une bonne cure de rajeunissement! Un bon travail d’étalage né ferait pas de tort non plus, surtout dans la section des vêtements plus «street wear «pour femmes.
Le pire, pour une telle «institution «, est leur service inégal. Parfois, je reçois un service digne d’une reine et à d’autres moments, j’ai l’impression qu’on se fou carrément de moi. Plus souvent qu’autrement, je reçois un service assez médiocre et je n’hésite pas à en faire part à la direction. Selon moi, c’est tout à fait inacceptable de la part d’une boutique du genre. J’aurais certainement donné une étoile de plus si j’avais été bien servie lors de chacune de mes visites. Je m’y rends quand même de temps à autre puisqu’il s’agit du seul endroit à Montréal où je peux trouver certaines marques que j’adore.

Went in to check for a few things I couldn’t find in Halifax. We were out and about for the day so we wheren’t dressed to impress. I got the stink eye from a clerk in cosmetics but the others I delt with were fine. I found 30% off racks in a couple of depts so that was cool. I know US prices are better but one can’t always vacation in the US.

Difficile à croire que c’est seulement après des décennies à Montréal que je suis finalement entré chez Holt Renfrew… on m’avait décrit l’endroit comme le temple du chic et du cher à Montréal… je dois vous dire que si c’est le cas, je suis bien désolé pour Montréal.
Le lieu est relativement petit et les boutiques de luxe né sont que des comptoirs mineurs qui n’ont rien à voir avec les magasins de New York, Londres ou Paris.
Je né sais pas si cela est dû à la taille du marché montréalais ou le fait que nous sommes un marché peu porté sur le luxe, mais je suis ressorti triste de Holt Renfrew.

Expensive and time consuming.
My wife loves this place.

OMG, this Holt is horrible ! When you’re used to the Bay-​Bloor one in Toronto, this one looks like a grocery store !!
The selection is pretty small and actually not really good either… Example; my boryfriend went there to buy a pair of Tod’s shoes, they only carried 3 pairs… 3 pairs !!! Nothing !!!
We waited 15 min to have a snoby, rude saleswomen finally serving us… Of course, we didn’t buy anything and will not spend any penny in that Holt Renfrew, better wait and go to Toronto or in France…

This place is like a mini Bloomingdales (except they have a Tiffany counter). It’s a decent place to browse but not comfortably. The staff is a bit stuffy.