I was put into this hotel by my employer... At first, I was really disappointed because they put my colleague at Novotel which was supposed to be a much nicer one... after looking at the Holiday Inn's website, I was absolutely not looking forward to this trip.

But having stayed here for 3 nights between Dec 17-20, 2007, I am very happy to report that I have changed my mind about this little gem! Okay, the room that I stayed in was exactly what they showed on their website, spacious, double king-sized bed, your standard boring executive room setting. But what impressed me so much is the friendliness of their staff!! They seem to always go beyond their duties to make my stay comfortable and worry-free, little things like... when I asked for a toothpaste the service manager would bring it to my room within 5 minutes... when I asked for things to see in the city the reception staff was genuinely interested to help... when i needed to have my luggage stored for just for an hour after check-out so i can have my breakfast at the diner the luggage staff didn't seem a little bit intimidated (that it was just going to be a short 1 hour)... even now, as i'm typing on their (only) computer for guest, since i returned my key, the reception staff still gladly issued another one for me, no questions asked... even their elevator staff, everytime i walk by him his friendly greeting always warm my heart... 'bon apetite!', and 'be safe!' as i was leaving the hotel.... last but not least, their diner staff were so accommodating and you can see they sincerely want to satify your every requests. the food is excellent as well (contrarily to what i expected). make sure you try their filet mignon. i was stuck in terms of meal options as i got these meal vouchers from my employer. but their food is reasonably priced, and as long as you avoid certain items like pasta and go for their steaks, yummy, you won't regret it.

during my short stay i didn't get to see this town that much (well i still have this impression that there's really nothing much to see here in the winter), but i did manage to walk to the byward market and rideau mall which is where everyone will ask to you go if you ask for suggestions. the walk is super nice, about 15 minutes, you pass this park that is right behind the hotel, and you get on a bridge. the xmas lights are amazing, and the snow made it feel extra special. you will get a glimpse of the parliament which i suspect would just take me 10 minutes more to reach if i kept walking along the canal.

i am the last person who would say nice things about chain establishments or hotels, but i must say, i almost fell in love with ottawa because of my stay at holiday inn!! thank you.

Nice, quiet hotel in residential area 2 blocks off Elgin Street. Staff were very nice and attentive. Lobby was always clean and no long waits for elevators. Internet access in lobby. I had asked for a top floor room and got exactly that. Nicole checked us in and Ronnie & Conner gave us some hometown diners to check out. I was very impressed with the size of our double room -- IT WAS BIG. It had a desk area, oversized 2 cushion couch, long wall of windows, separate kitchen w/ frig & microwave & separate bath w/ tub. Beds were very comfortable. Bath was a little on the small side but adequate. Only thing we asked for was xtra "regular" coffee packets and they were left each day. I would definitely recommend this hotel. It is not in the thick of the Byward Market or Rideau Centre or Sparks Street action, but the walk is less than 10 minutes. Dunn's Deli is around the corner and offers a great $3 breakfast. Just don't order hamburgers in Ottawa because they only cook them well done, i.e. hockey pucks!

The location of the hotel is good, in a quiet street, not far from all the sights. We had a room on the 15th floor with a good view of downtown Ottawa. The room was nicely furnished and we would have been completely happy with it if it had not been for the noise, not from the street, but from within the hotel. Next to our room was a door with the inscription 'disposal'. We do not know if this was the rubbish disposal system, but all the time we heard a strange noise like the fan of an aircon system. We turned our own aircon off, but the noise was still there. Although we found this quite disturbing we were still able to get a good night's sleep; the beds were very comfortable.
The breakfast was disappointing. They do not have a buffet but you have to order a la carte. We ordered continental breakfast and just got one croissant each and some fruit salad. So we had to order toast and butter in addition, and they charged us separately or this. They also charged us for the orange juice. So we ended up paying $ 32 for one croissant each, some toast and butter and some fruit salad and orange juice. This is what I would call a rip-off.

This hotel is good value, in a decent location, and with large rooms with a kitchen (microwave, fridge, sink, crockery etc).

When we first arrived, there was not enough crockery, cutlery and towels for the room. This was rectified, with three visits by the bellman. We also could not gain access to the car park with the pass provided, which was a nuisance, and on departure, were told 'it was not normal' to leave our car for a few hours while we shopped. Given it was '24 hour in-out access' we didn't feel it was as advertised.

That said, the location was good - near to the canal, the city hall and Rideau Centre, the room was very large, and suite-like, and it was very good value really. Just a bit of a shame about some of the service.

It's a good option for families wanting semi-apartment living.