After hours of Winterlude fun, we spent our nights at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Ottawa Downtown.

This family friendly hotel is located a few blocks away from the main streets of the downtown core which made winding down after an adventure filled day more relaxing.

Here’s what we loved about the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Ottawa Downtown:

Central Location

This hotel is the perfect location for families and travelers who want to be close to major attractions and popular neighbourhoods.

The Rideau Canal, historic Byward Market, City Hall, Canadian War Museum, Parliament Hill and trendy Elgin Street shops and restaurants are all within walking distance from the Holiday Inn Downtown Ottawa.

We rented a car to get ourselves to the Holiday Inn from Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport and we didn’t use it again until it was time to head back to the airport.

Staying at this hotel is very convenient if you’re in town for Winterlude, The Tulip Festival or Canada Day Celebrations. Rent a car only if it’s absolutely necessary.

Having packed our skates and helmets with us from home for Winterlude, we were thankful that walking to Rideau Canal (a UNESCO World Heritage site and the world’s largest skating rink at 7.8 kilometres long) from our hotel took less than 5 minutes – even with a 5 and 2 year old in ankle deep snow.

It was like having access to Winterlude fun in our backyard.

The Room

Upon check in we were given a Hospitality Suite and adjoining King Room on the 15th floor.

The lobby was bustling with many families checking in for the opening weekend of Winterlude. I was a little worried about the noise factor as our 2 year old Mr. C is a light sleeper.

There were other families staying on our floor but we never heard them or the elevators from our rooms. Impressive!

The suite had a double bed, a pull out sofa bed, a dining area, wet bar with mini fridge, sink and Keurig coffee maker and a work area. The floor to ceiling windows gave us views of City Hall and Parliament – very nice!

The King Room was tastefully designed like the suite and featured a small sitting area, king bed, flat panel TV, floor to ceiling windows, a mini fridge and a desk.

Bathrooms in both rooms were clean and the heated floors were a nice touch especially first thing in the morning and for non sock wearers like our children — they refuse to wear socks indoors!

After hours of skating and playing outdoors, all we wanted to do was relax – rest our feet and fall into bed.

The beds were very comfortable (even the sofa bed got rave reviews from the kids) and with the fluffy pillows and black out curtains, we slept until 9 each morning. If you are a parent of young children, you know 9AM is considered “sleeping in”. Glorious!

Super Friendly & Knowledgeable Staff

We can’t say enough about the staff at Holiday Inn in Downtown Ottawa.

It’s not often that you come across an entire team – from housekeeping, restaurant staff, front desk and bell hop –  asking you how your day was and if you need help with anything.

Our normally reserved kids were having full conversations with wait staff at Lane’s Restaurant (their on-site restaurant) and other team members.

“What did you do today?” they asked us one evening.

“We went skating!” replied our 5 year old daughter. “Beavertails! We eat lots of Beavertails and fries!” said our 2 year old – he doesn’t know the proper name for poutine so fries it is.

When we needed directions, the helpful staff members would whip out a paper map from behind the front desk or the podium by the elevators and show us the quickest way to get to our destination.

They were also very helpful recommending where to go with toddlers, what activities our kids might like at Winterlude and family friendly restaurants. Looking for a place with mouthwatering poutine? They’ll tell you where to go!

We had 1 dinner and 2 breakfasts at Lane’s Restaurant — the hotel’s on site restaurant.

We chose to eat at the hotel because of their kids eat free program and for convenience. We didn’t want to drive or walk outside first thing in the morning or after a busy day in search of good food.

The complimentary bread rolls and pecan butter at dinner were demolished in a matter of seconds. The kid’s pizza with a side of vegetables was perfect portion for our 5 year old. Mac and Cheese with apple slices on the side fit the bill for our slightly picky eater, Mr. C. My husband and I’s dinner entrées were filling and tasty – pasta and schnitzel with spaetzle.

Breakfast was our favourite meal at Lane’s. Generous portion sizes were so filling that we didn’t eat lunch until 3:30 in the afternoon (and this was with a 10AM breakfast).

It also seemed to be everyone else’s favourite meal as well since every table was occupied each morning at breakfast time.

With the Kids Eat Free program at Holiday Inn, it’s easy to see why Lane’s is so popular. Breakfast totaled just under $30 for the 4 of us which included drinks and entrées for everyone.

Miss. L and Mr. C loved the cups that came with their meals. We left Ottawa with 6 cup “souvenirs” thanks to Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites.

Know Before You Go

• Free WiFi for every guest – perfect for travelers who want to stay connected
• Kids eat free at Lane’s Restaurant and is available for kids age 12 years old and under when ordering  from the Kids’ Menu and when accompanied by a family member dining from the regular menu.
• There are suites with kitchenettes (mini fridge and microwave) as well as full kitchens (stove, microwave, fridge, plates, glassware, silverware, pots & pans) available at this hotel
• Cribs are available upon request. There are no bed rails here but we improvised and used some chairs to block off the sides of the beds.
• Parking is $21/night
• Early check-in and late check-out (up to 2 PM) are available without charge as long as your room is free.

*Thank you to the Holiday Inn Ottawa-Downtown for hosting my family and making our first family trip to Ottawa a memorable one.

More About Holiday Inn Ottawa-Downtown

Address: 111 Cooper Street, Ottawa, Ontario K2P2E3
Price Range: $$
Hotel Class: 3 stars
Reviews: Over 63% of reviewers rated this hotel Very Good or Excellent
Availability: Click here for rates and availability

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