I had the opportunity to stay here recently on a business trip. Looking at competitive locations in the area, I settled on this one based on ease of accessing desired areas by foot, and also considered secured parking.
The parking garage is underwhelming, and tight for a full-sized vehicle. The entry to the hotel is a bit of an odd setup, where after going to the fourth floor to register and get a parking pass, you go back down, drive your car around the alley and use your pass to enter. After finding parking, you take the small service elevator to the lobby, then switch elevators to head up to the hotel.
The nights I stayed there was a hockey tournament in town, and desk staff was kind enough to locate me floors away from the teams staying at the hotel.
Upon reaching the room, I was pleased to find a spacious suite with a small kitchen, clean decently-sized bath, and a separate living and bedroom. Jacking in to the complimentary Internet connection from the desk was easy via LAN cable, and wirelessly for my iphone4. The view from my room wasn't the most scenic, but was decent for a city scape. A nice touch in the living area was a jar of wrapped bonbons :)
The TVs were decent 37" LCD flat panels (one for the living area and one for the bedroom) and the TV and hotel entertainment were accessed from one remote. I found the remote a bit laggy, and some of the channels had enough interference to discourage a PPV movie selection.
The hotel was quiet enough to get rest when I needed it, central enough to leave the rental car parked when exploring downtown, and had a nice bonus of a Tim Horton's at ground level. Complimentary coffee in the room was provided, but was passed up in favor of the Timmy's at hand :)
I ventured to the restaurant in the same building which is acessed through another hotel, and I was less than impressed. The appetizer and main courses were over cooked and not terribly tasty. I could have caught them on a bad night, but my experience seems to be consistent with others at the Phi Bistro & Bar.
By contrast, I asked for a good place to eat some pub food, and the desk staff suggested D'Arcy McGee's on Sparks Street; not to get far off the mark with the hotel review, but the live entertainment was drunk in as thirstily by my ears as the excellent draught on tap. The gal at the reg desk in the hotel really knew her stuff!
The staff and service at the Marriott were friendly and helpful, and they made my stay comfortable, and enabled me to work efficiently to conclude my business in town.
Overall it was a great stay, and I would recommend this hotel to the casual and business traveller alike!
- Residence Inn Ottawa
- Ottawa Residence Inn
