The Arc Hotel
140 Slater Street
Ottawa, ON CANADA
Visited: November 2016
- What I liked…
- Central, downtown location.
- The lounge is modern, cozy and seems like it would be a fun place to gather for an aperitif or two.
- Instead of offering guests a free breakfast, the front desk offers visitors a coupon for a free glass of wine in the lounge. Since we rarely have time for breakfast, this was very well-received.
- Clean, modern and new - the design of the hotel is european sleek with high ceilings, mixed finishes and warm tones.
- Standard rooms are minimal, but are clean and well-kept.
- They have valet service, but only if you ask at the front desk.
- We were fairly close to all of the downtown action at the Byward Market, but so close that it overwhelmed the area. Quiet is good sometimes!
What I didn’t like so much…
- Bed was a little soft for my liking - but I prefer a firmer mattress. Pillows were soft and downy - which I like for stacking, though.
- We only had a couple of small rolling suitcases, but still having to lug them up the main steps (without any valet or bell man assistance nearby) was a little tricky and cumbersome.
- I don't think it is exactly a criticism, but more our bad luck? It never fails that we get checked into a room at the farthest end of a long hallway. (If someone out there knows why hotels assign certain people to these rooms, can you let me know?)
This hotel pops up as a good deal on most discount hotel websites and for the value, it does the job. No surprises and it checks all the basic boxes on my must-have list, so I am sure we will be staying there again soon.
Andaz Ottawa
325 Dalhousie Street
Ottawa, ON CANADA
Visited: April 2017
- What I liked…
- Central, downtown location - 3 minute walk to the Byward Market.
- The lounge and lobby area has plenty of seating to linger anytime throughout the day or night.
- Upon arrival, we were offered valet parking, a very prompt check-in and a glass of wine (along with a voucher for another glass for later)!
- Clean, modern and new - the design of the hotel is european sleek with high ceilings, subdued finishes and serene colour tones.
- Standard rooms are spacious and the beds are very comfortable.
- Like the other Andaz hotel that I recently visited, their policy is to always offer free non-alcoholic beverages in the room. Superb!
- Staff are so friendly that I can see how frequent visitors would easily become like family.
What I didn’t like so much…
- It might be because it was only 7-months new, or because the new Andaz concept ticks ALL of my must-have's...but I can't think of anything to complain about right now. If I visit again in the future, I will provide an update here.
This hotel popped up on hotels.com, thankfully, or I wouldn't have found it as I rarely stay in hotels in Ottawa since I have family nearby. I would even consider booking directly with this hotel for future visits instead of searching around online. Hard to beat!
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