Holiday Inn Express & Suites Downtown Ottawa East by IHG

Avery Lamb

2 months ago

Stayed at this hotel for a week in February 2026 for medical travel and stayed 5 days. My flight was delayed so I did not arrive until 2am in the morning. I had called the hotel to ensure this would be okay and they confirmed it was fine. Upon check - in, I was not informed about the hours the pool and gym were open or when breakfast would be. I was barely talked to. The breakfast every morning was nice to have, but I would stick to the already made items (cereal, fruit, bagels) because the pancakes are rubbery, the cinnamon buns were not edible. The coffee station is nice and stays open after breakfast until the evening. The coffee is actually good, not what I was expecting. The pool was disappointing. It is only 3ft deep and the smell of chlorine was so strong. The pool tiles also appear dirty. I did not swim. The room itself was good, except my power adapter blocks kept falling out of the loose outlets, they need to be replaced. The TV is a nice size. The bathroom has full bottles of dove products for washing hands and for the shower. The room is spacious and has a nice chair. There was no notepad and pen in the room. The room I was in had two queen beds that are super comfortable, especially the bedding. The room had a safe, Keurig Coffee Maker and microwave. Housekeeping was kind and did a great job. The hotel is on the edge of the byward market. You can walk to the Parlament, Ottawa sign and the Rideau Shopping Center. There is a community hub across the street and it is a rough area. The parking situation is hit or miss because they charge 25$ a night, but they often do not have enough space to accommodate all the guests vehicles, so many cars must be parked a 5 minute walk away in public lots for around 15$ a night. When we ordered Uber Eats, the driver was easily able to deliver the food directly to our room with no hassle. The hotel does lock its doors at night, you need your keycard or to use the intercom to get in. The hotel had a security guard in the lobby every day I was there. They have a mini market with convenient snack items and other things. The front desk also has complimentary toothpaste, toothbrush, comb or razor. There is a phone in the room and my favourite item in the room was the alarm clock. The hotel property is a non-smoking property, however, both staff and guest were smoking outside the door and nobody did anything.

Rasheed Esivue

4 months ago

I stayed here for work and enjoyed every bit of it. I love the fact that the staff are very polite. My first encounter was with Ketan and he was very professional and polite. When I got back from work in the morning, I had issues with parking in the basement parking and I came to the front desk, the lady there at the time was very helpful and eventually got me a place to park. Breakfast wasn't the greatest though but not bad. Overall, it was a good experience.

Christina Prevost

5 months ago

The staff were polite, but that’s the only positive I can honestly give. This hotel’s listing is incredibly misleading for something rated nearly four stars. You cannot park at the hotel. They send you to public lots a 5–7 minute walk away, and you have to pay for them yourself. We had to haul our bags through an area with many tents and homelessness. and nothing on the website prepares you for that. The neighbourhood around the hotel is rough, very active, and absolutely not somewhere most people would feel comfortable walking, day or night. We booked this place because it was advertised as being “close to everything,” but we didn’t even feel safe enough to leave the hotel once we arrived. Our plans for a nice dinner out turned into ordering food in our room because neither of us felt comfortable stepping outside. If the hotel was honest about the parking situation and the reality of the area, people could make an informed choice. As it is, the description feels deceptive, and I would never recommend this place to families or anyone unfamiliar with the city. I really wish I had read a straightforward review like this before booking. I highly recommend you look elsewhere for a hotel.

Jean-Francois Stockli

5 months ago

I haven’t had the chance to stay here yet, which is why I didn’t rate the rooms. However, I stopped by today for work and had the pleasure of being assisted by Marie-Josée (I believe she’s the manager). She greeted me with excellent service, genuine kindness, and a warm smile — something that feels surprisingly rare in many Ottawa hotels. Based on today’s experience alone, the next time I book a hotel downtown, I’m definitely choosing this place.