OverviewLocated in the middle of Ottawa's downtown area, this hotel is particularly popular with business travellers and with guests seeking accommodation within walking distance to a number of Ottawa landmarks. On-site amenities include a gym, a sauna and an indoor heated pool.
This 411-room hotel offers guests a number of different room options, including Standard Rooms, more spacious Suites and Club rooms. Guests of the Club rooms also have access to a private lounge that serves a deluxe continental breakfast and evening appetizers. In all rooms, guests can expect WI FI, bathrobes, a coffemaker, a 42 inch LCD TV, a hairdryer, and an iron and an ironing board. Pets are allowed at this hotel for a cost of $35/stay. There is on-site parking available for a cost of $18/day.
There are a number of restaurants located within walking distance of the hotel, but there are a couple dining options located on site, including a Tim Horton's in the lobby. Lift Restaurant and Bar is open daily for breakfast from 6:30am-10:30am, for lunch from 11:30am-2:00pm and for dinner from 5:00pm- 10:00pm.
This hotel has recently undergone top-to-bottom renovations. Rooms and the pool area are complete, and renovations to the lobby are expected to be completed by September 2012.
Guests are well located at this hotel to Ottawa's business district, as well to a number of attractions and sights, including the Rideau Canal and Parliament Hill, which are both less than a 15 minute walk away. The Byward Market is slightly farther, but is walkable in about 20 minutes or so.
The Museum of Civilization, which has an IMAX theatre and a children's museum, is about a 5 minute drive away over the river into Gatineau, Quebec. Guests travelling by air should budget about 23 minutes to drive the 14.6km between the hotel and MacDonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW) (distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps).
Check-in is at 3:00pm, while check-out is at 12:00pm.
Confirmed with a front desk agent: WI FI, parking and renovation status (call date: July 3, 2012).
The GoodAccording to guests of this hotel, much of their positive experiences could be attributed to the hotel's location, as well as to good customer service.
Several guests liked being within walking distance to a number of business offices and Ottawa attractions. One guest said "a great location for a tour of Ottawa". Another guest liked the city view that his room provided.
Staff at this hotel get top marks from guests, who used words like "helpful" and "welcoming" to describe their impressions. One guest said that "the best part of this hotel is the staff".
Guests also felt that there were good amenities in the rooms, and that they were comfortable. There was particular mention made of comfy beds and bedding.
There were some additional comments about good food and service in the on-site restaurant and from guests who enjoyed the pool.
The Bad
For guests of this hotel that had problems, there were a few common threads among complaints, most notably disturbance from noise and some issues in the rooms themselves.
Noise was an issue for a few guests, who said that A/C/heating units rattled and were noisy. A few more felt that the walls were thin, and were disturbed by noisy neighbours.
According to a number of guests, there was a lack of thoroughness when it came to cleaning, both in the rooms and in the common areas. Particular mention of dirty walls and bathroom tiles were made.
A number of guests also said that rooms were very small, awkwardly configured and difficult to manoeuvre around in. A few guests said that the bathrooms were especially small. One guest said that the toilet was extremely close to the door, and that the sink was "small and the faucet badly located".
There were several comments from guests indicating that the hotel was in need of updating. However, the hotel is currently under renovation, expected to be completed in full in September 2012.
There were some peripheral complaints, centring on things like malfunctioning voicemail, tight parking spaces and spotty WI FI connections.
Confirmed with a front desk agent: WI FI, parking and renovation status (call date: July 3, 2012).
TripAdvisor.com guest reviewers ranked this hotel #35 of 62 Ottawa hotels, based on 136 reviews.
Hotels.com guest reviewers rated this hotel 3.8 out of 5, or "good", based on 190 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviewers rated this hotel 7.7 out of 10, or "good", based on 24 reviews.
