More Traveler Reviews of Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel Ottawa
Excellent Service
from A TripAdvisor User on 2004-03-04
I received mostly excellent service from the hotel staff. front desk tried very hard to find an upgrade for me, eventually getting a manager to authorize an upgrade to a junior suite. our waiters were great too, received full breakfast for no extra charge even though we were only entitled to continental breakfast.
stay away from the concierge desk however, hautish and condescending attitude ruined an otherwise great stay.
the public spaces are beautiful but the guest rooms look worn and in need of renovations. the bathroom is tiny and the facilities though clean are not up to standard. the junior suite consists of a moderate room and a fairmont room connected together, and let me just say the moderate room is tiny! enough space for just a bed and not much else.
i would definitely return for a visit but i will stay clear of the concierge desk.
Top notch hotel, but can be expensive
from A TripAdvisor User on 2004-02-02
I ve stayed at the Chateau Laurier about five times over the past three years. I ve also used the hotel as the site for a major conference, so I feel comfortable giving an objective review. As many have pointed out, the location of the hotel is tough to beat. It s a stone s through from Parliament, the U.S. Embassy, and a medium-sized shopping mall, the Rideau Center. If your stay requires yo to be close to the major government buildings, this is a good choice. I ve had some good rooms there, and I ve also have some real stinkers. I once got an upgrade to a junior suite, which was an L-shaped room with two bathrooms. How decadent is that? One person in a room with two showers and two toilets! The downside of that room is that the TV was in a cabinet that made it hard to view from the bed. I ve also stayed in what must have surely been one of the smallest rooms in the hotel, a room barely larger than the queen-sized bed, with a sliver of a window in the bathroom. The hotel is not new, and so the fixtures have a slightly faded look and feel. The conference facilities are quite good, with a wide range of rooms that can be set up for small meetings or large presentations. The hotel food is above average, with a very nice breakfast buffet (a bit expensive, though). The hotel staff are unfailingly polite and helpful. Whether you check in at 3:00 pm or 3:00 am (as I did one time), they treat you with grace and efficiency. The hotel has one main entrance, and sometimes the lock the side entrances, which forces you to walk around the building to get to the front. That can be a bit of a pain, since it is an uphill walk.
Wonderful experience in a classic hotel
from A TripAdvisor User on 2004-01-30
Stayed at the Chateau Laurier in June of 2003, and had a wonderful stay. The bellmen, concierge, and front desk staff were helpful and pleasant. The room was nice, the courtyard view was not - they really should fix it up with some landscaping. But the enormous floor to ceiling marble bathroom was amazing. You can get everywhere worth going from this starting point by foot, and the hotel is such a landmark, worth staying just for the bragging rights! Definately an essential part of the Ottawa tourist experience.
Looks better on the outside
from A TripAdvisor User on 2003-11-06
Surprisingly old fashioned and decrepit room for far too much money.
Complained but nowhere to move too as hotel was full because of Governor General awards.Though large it was totally depressing and felt like a throwback to the sixties with no charm whatsoever to redeem it.
The staff though efficient were also charmless and cool.If one was contemplating suicide this would be the perfect place to happily do it.
Great Hotel & destination
from A TripAdvisor User on 2003-10-10
My fiance & I went to Ottawa for Labor Day weekend 2003 and stayed at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier. The staff was very pleasant and we received a beautiful Fairmont room with a sitting area and huge walk in closet. There was nightly turn down service and we were given complimentary bottled water and various flavored fruit preserves. We also took a tour of the grounds which was very beautiful and historic. I would recommend this property to anyone. The surrounding area includes the Rideau Canal, House of Parliament, Byward Market and the US Embassy. There were a lot of eateries and bars. Nice & centrally located. The only down side was there were a bees everywhere, around the Market/outdoor cafes but don't let that stop you from visiting Ottawa and staying here.
We had a great time! Room was huge
from skylady on 2003-09-30
My husband and I went to Ottawa for a bit of R&R away from the kids for the weekend. We had a beautiful double suite overlooking the Parliament Buildings. The room service was excellent (had it three times!!). We had the most comfortable king bed, and two baths. I guess you get what you pay for $325/night.
Extremely disappointed
from A TripAdvisor User on 2003-08-27
The Chateau Laurier is indeed an institution in Ottawa and is very well located but it really really needs renovations.We had booked a Fairmont Room from vancouver trusting the pictures on the website, as well as comments from people on this site .Well, the fairmont Rooms are quite large but smell horrible, perhaps it's the the very old carpet and the old furnitures.The room was dim and the view was a dark and not attractive inner court.We even didn't stay for one night.We left 10 minutes after we checked in.The staff tried to keep us there by showing 2 different rooms, but they were all the same.What a pitty for the Fairmont group which has very nice hotels nationwide.I dont recommend this hotel.Save your money and stay somewhere else in a newly renovated hotel.Good Luck and Bon voyage in Ottawa!
Small room
from A TripAdvisor User on 2003-08-02
Was in Ottawa for a convention and got a package rate on the room. And it was a very small room. Other conventioners staying at near by hotels got a lot more room for their money, espeically at suite hotels. The hotel was beautiful and the location absolutely could not be better.
The room was well decorated and had a closet bigger then the nice size bathroom. Staff was very friendly through out the hotel. Enjoyed my stay but will stay at another hotel on the next visit to Ottawa.
It has it all!
from A TripAdvisor User on 2002-10-07
We stayed at the Chateau Laurier for four days in early October. This hotel is fabulous. We called directly and got a "gold" room on the fourth floor that included a nice continental breakfast and afternoon hors d'oeuvres on week days for about$170 US dollars. The hotel is central to everything. We walked to Parliament Square, Byward Market, Museum of Civilization (across the bridge in Hull), Art Museum, the cathedral, and many other places. River and canal tours are located right outside the door. The service is great and the staff friendly and helpful. I would highly recommend this hotel.
The Doyenne of Ottawa Hotels
from A TripAdvisor User on 2002-07-25
I stayed at the Chateau Laurier for four nights in June 2002. The hotel is part of the prestigious Fairmont chain, and everything they do is first class. The chateau is one of the old Canadian railroad hotels, with a lovely sense of grandeur. The location, right on Parliament Hill, and a few blocks from the market and the U.S. Embassy, can't be beat. One can go for a stroll or a run along the Rideau Canal, one of the city's prime attractions. I was fortunate enough to be put on the fourth floor, which they call the "Golden Floor." I also got a room upgrade, Although I was the only occupant, my room had two full bathrooms. Closet space was more than adequate. The one odd thing about the room was the placement of the TV. It was inside an armoire, and place at an odd angle relative to the bed. In order to watch TV in bed, one had to open the cabinet, slide out the TV, and then rotate it. Even then, the angle was not ideal. The bed was king size, just great. They offer a nightly turn down service. I did not eat anything at the hotel restaurant or room service, so I can't comment on that. A cab ride to the airport is about C$25.
