OverviewHoliday Inn Hotel & Suites Downtown is located on Cooper Street at the intersection with Cartier Street, in Ottawa, Ontario. This hotel is two blocks south of Confederation Park and Ottawa City Hall on the west side of the Rideau Canal.
This property is 100% smoke free and consists of 229 guest rooms and 44 suites on 16 floors (with 3 executive floors). All units include individual climate control, windows that open, heated bathroom floors, free wireless Internet, and select standard double rooms are equipped with a kitchentte (including a microwave, fridge, and toaster). Pets stay for free and are not restricted by size. Parking is available on site for $17 per day.
Hotel amenities include a business centre, fitness facility (equipped with cardio and weight machines), an ATM, meeting space with catering services, coin operated laundry machines, and valet dry cleaning (at an extra charge).
Guests at this hotel have a couple of dining options. Room service is available from 7:00am - 11:00pm. While the full service on-site restaurant, Lanes, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and operates from 7:00am - 10:00pm.
This hotel is located in a neighbourhood called the Golden Triangle, which provides easy access to many downtown Ottawa attractions on both sides of the Rideau Canal. Guests at this hotel can walk to the Rideau Centre (shopping mall), Ottawa Conference Centre, and Byward Market (all-season farmer's market, boutique shopping, and restaurants) within 15 minutes via the Laurier Avenue bridge. On the west side of the canal, guests will find the National Arts Centre, which features orchestra, opera, ballet, and theatre performances, an 8 minute walk away (north on Elgin Street). Travelling further north on Elgin Street are the Parliament buildings, about an 18 minute walk away from this hotel. The Ottawa International Airport (YOW) is about a 23 minute drive from the property (walking and driving time estimates: Google Maps).
Verified by a Front Desk Agent on May 18, 2012: On-site restaurant operates from 7:00am - 10:00pm; and parking fees are $17 per day.
The GoodOf the reviews used for the analysis, most guests described having a positive experience and many reviewers said they would return.
The central location of this hotel was a highlight for many reviewers. One guest said the property was within, "easy walking distance to the [Byward] Market, canal, and Parliament Hill." A few reviewers, who stayed at this hotel during Ottawa's annual Winterlude festivities, mentioned that the hotel was a five minute walk from the canal for ice skating.
Many guests seemed to agree that the rooms were clean and spacious, and that the property, in general, was well maintained. A couple of reviewers also found the beds and pillows to be comfortable. A few guests complimented the view of the Ottawa skyline and the Parliament buildings from their rooms. While several other guests found the in-suite kitchenettes an added convenience.
The customer service from the front desk staff was highly praised by many guests. Several reviewers described the staff as friendly, welcoming, and helpful. A couple of guests mentioned that the staff readily provided recommendations for restaurants and attractions, maps, and directions.
Features of the hotel, such as the free wireless Internet, no fee for pets, and the heated bathroom floor were noted by some guests as value added features.
The Bad
While most reviews, of those used for this analysis, described positive experiences at this hotel, there were some common concerns.
There were several complaints about the limited amount of parking available on site. A few guests were unable to find a space and were left to find parking elsewhere, while other reviewers found the $17 per day parking fees expensive.
Several reviewers found the breakfast service at the on-site restaurant to be poor. A few guests complained about the food quality, while a couple of other reviewers thought the service was slow. A couple of guests were unhappy about the prices and specifically noted that a glass of juice costs $4.95.
A few guests found the wireless Internet service slow and one guest described it as "glitchy". A few other reviewers complained that the elevators were small and slow. A couple of guests thought that while the rooms were spacious, the bathrooms were small and a couple of reviewers mentioned that their in-room televisions were not working properly during their stay.
TripAdvisor.ca ranked this hotel # 28 out of 62 properties in Ottawa, based on 114 reviews.
Hotels.com gave this hotel an average score of 4.2 out of 5.0, from 54 guest reviews.
CanadianHotelGuide.com gave this hotel an average score of 8.1 out of 10, based on 11 reviews.
Expedia.ca gave this hotel an average score of 4.1 out of 5.0, with 90% of 10 guests recommending the property.
Verified by a Front Desk Agent on May 18, 2012: On-site restaurant operates from 7:00am - 10:00pm; parking fees are $17 per day.
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Analyzed by Tammy B.
Writing chose Tammy from the moment she could hold a pencil. The stories may have changed through the years, from creative fiction to television news reporting, but Tammy's passion for words (and fondness for pencils) continues on.
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