Neighbours demand action after stabbing at Pointe-St-Charles ’boutique hotel’

Article content

Neighbours of a controversial “boutique hotel” in Pointe-St-Charles are once again calling on the city to act, this time after an apparent stabbing in one of the units on Sunday morning.

A man in his 30s was taken to a hospital after suffering upper-body injuries at Clubhaus, a luxury rental property on Centre St. that has been a source of frustration for local residents over what they describe as excessive noise since it opened in 2022.

Article content

“It was a pretty crazy scene,” a neighbour, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Gazette. “Everyone’s up in arms because there’s blood all over the ground, on the brick, all over the window — it was like out of a movie. It was very concerning, obviously.”

Without confirming the exact location beyond the nearest intersection, Montreal police said the incident occurred at 2:34 a.m. An independent source confirmed the location as Clubhaus after several local residents flagged the event in a neighbourhood Facebook group.

“Several people were inside the unit when police arrived and located a man injured to the upper body, possibly stabbed and hit,” Sgt. Manuel Couture, a spokesperson for the Montreal police, said on Monday.

He specified the victim’s life is not in danger and that no arrests have been made so far.

“For the moment we will have to meet with witnesses, verify whether there are video cameras. We will also have to speak to the victim,” Couture said. “After that, there will be verifications to see if we can find a potential suspect and proceed to an arrest.”

Clubhaus was initially pitched to the Sud-Ouest borough as a universally accessible hotel project. It operates today as a luxury property with suites that can accommodate groups of up to 20 people, and includes rooftop hot tubs and fireplaces.

Article content

Article content

Residents have repeatedly posted on Facebook about noise such as screaming and fireworks coming from the Clubhaus rooftop since it opened, mainly on summer weekend nights. They often tag local politicians in their posts. Some of them, including Sud-Ouest borough mayor Benoit Dorais, have acknowledged the property is disruptive to neighbours.

Neighbours say this year has been consistent if not worse in terms of noise, but said Sunday’s incident has added a layer of concern.

“When you have crime scenes of this nature, then it just begs the question: Well, what’s going to stop this from ever happening again?” the neighbour said.

With nightly rates reaching thousands of dollars, he pointed out the units are often booked by large groups.

“The biggest issue with that is that more often than not, every weekend, you have a bachelor party there, and every weekend you have … all kinds of nonsense,” the neighbour said. “It’s just essentially disturbing everyone’s peace.”

Another nearby neighbour who requested anonymity told The Gazette that a few weeks prior to Sunday’s incident, he saw people stripping on one of Clubhaus’s rooftop patios in the middle of the afternoon. A week after that, he said, dozens of people appeared to be there for a graduation and were screaming in the streets at 5 a.m.

Article content

“Before this opened, I slept with my windows open all night,” the neighbour said. “Now I have to sleep with earplugs, even with the doors closed. And I’m anxious from the noise all the time. I can’t even leave my windows open during the day because I hear them on the roof. … I’ve had to start taking anxiety medication to sleep some nights.”

Both neighbours said they’ve reached out directly to local politicians with their concerns — including Dorais and Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs MP Marc Miller — but haven’t heard back.

In 2022, the city and the property owner were in court after the former revoked the business’s hotel permit on the grounds that the space didn’t include a lobby, which is a requirement to operate a hotel. The owner challenged the city’s decision at the time. A representative for Clubhaus said on Tuesday there are no ongoing legal proceedings related to its permit to operate the hotel.

Dorais, meanwhile, said the city is still involved in legal proceedings related to the property.

“We really consider that Clubhaus is currently harmful to the neighbourhood, so, yes, it is certain that we are continuing our various steps,” he told The Gazette.

Article content

But for residents, it doesn’t feel like much is being done to address their concerns.

“I don’t understand what’s going on,” one of the neighbours said.

Francis Dolan, a community organizer with Regroupement Information Logement who was skeptical about the project from the beginning, said on Monday he’s thinking of also bringing up the issues surrounding Clubhaus — and that of short-term rentals in the area more generally — to Saint-Henri—Sainte-Anne MNA Guillaume Cliche-Rivard.

Dolan said he’s particularly concerned about the upcoming Formula 1 weekend.

Clubhaus units are available to rent on the property’s website as well as third-party platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo. The listings were temporarily removed from Airbnb in the spring of 2023 over disruptions to neighbours, given the platform’s party ban, but eventually reappeared.

Those listings now specify parties are not allowed. Clubhaus’s Ultimate VIP Penthouse, meanwhile, is described on its website as a three-storey unit that sleeps 20 and includes “a full-sized wet bar.”

“The private rooftop, which includes a hot tub and outdoor bar, has been recognized as one of the most spectacular rooftops in Montreal,” the description reads.

Clubhaus declined to comment about Sunday’s incident.

Airbnb said the incident wasn’t connected to one of its reservations, but added that it is looking into it and that it may take action if needed.

kthomas@postmedia.com

Article content

Article content