I arrived at this hostel late evening and was unfortunately ill so i was grateful to be given a room in the 2nd building that was clean, quiet and only 1 other person in the dorm.
The next day however i was told that i would have to be moved into the main house which was a bit of a pain as i had to pack all of my gear up again just to go next door, and as i was ill it was something that i could of done without.
The 2nd room that i stayed in was alot more cramped and there wasnt alot of floor space for storage, but overall the room was ok.
However there were only 3 showers/bathrooms in the main house, and that wasnt adequate for all of the people staying in the hostel and quite often i had to queue in the corridors to wait for the next one. Also the kitchen was tiny especially for everyone in the main house and there only being 1 cooker...!
Overall it was a nice hostel, buit with a bit more organising it could be alot nicer place to stay.

I haven't stayed in proper travellers hostel for ages, but this place was great! The vibe was fantastic. The hostel is actually two houses next door to each other, and we got a private room in the second house. The linen cracked me up - nothing matched and one of the pillow-slips had Raggedy Anne & Andy on it! So cute! Still, it was all clean and the bed, while very squeaky, was really comfy. The common room/TV area was really welcoming too and after several days on the road, it felt like being at home and we even decided to go to the supermarket and get groceries to make a nice dinner (it had been some time since vegetables had been included in our diet!). We had a shared bathroom right outside our bedroom, and all in all, the place made me feel like I was flatting again rather than staying in a hoste.

On arrival in Ottawa the weather was dreadful - absolutely pouring down with rain. But we only had one day to explore, and the hostel happily had umbrellas that they lent us so we headed out to find a really super cool city - the pedestrian mall with the all the BBQ Ribs & Chicken stalls has to be seen (and tasted!).

Only negative comment I have about this hostel is that on arrival it's really hard to tell who works there and who's staying there - it's a bit 'relaxed' in terms of order, but it didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things.

Definitely happy to recommend.

I don't stay in a ton of hostels, but I've been to quite a few in North America, and this seemed to be one of the better ones.
The Backpackers Inn is located in an old house on a quieter street near the popular Byward Market. You can easily walk to cafes, restaurants and bars down the street.
The dorm room I stayed in was on the top floor and, at the back, there was a public access computer. There was also free wifi (ask for the WEP), which was consistently fast and reliable. $25 got the bed plus linens.
What was nice about the room was that, although showers were only available on the second floor, there was a small bathroom with a toilet and sink just inside the room. There are also lockers available inside the room, and locks are sold for just $2. The room was clean and well-kept.
The common areas were also clean, with a beautiful, recently remodeled kitchen area and comfy couches both in the living room and on the small porch outside.
The staff were friendly and check-in was kept very efficient. Staff were also very knowledgeable about the area, eager to help with questions and were bilingual in French and English.
My night was very quiet. Maybe I was just tired, but I slept through everyone coming in and there didn't seem to be much noise from downstairs or outside. It was actually one of the best sleeps I've had at a hostel dorm. The other people there seemed to all be like-minded travelers, there to experience Ottawa (which is a gorgeous city, and I'm glad that I came here).
There is street parking available (the spaces just outside were usually open), but public transit is a bit of a pain as, from the airport or train station, it requires a 4 block walk.
This hostel is very popular, so you should call ahead to reserve a bed, because they almost filled up when I was there.

The Ottawa Backpackers, a relatively inexpensive Inn, manages to promote a family type atmosphere of friendliness but its service is inconsistent, uneven and unprofessional.

The time I spent there was at the turn of summer into autumn weather when Canadian fall nights can get quite cold. When I arrived no proper blanket was available on my bed. The guests are not advised of the availability of portable heaters.

So, I got cold and unfortunately got sick.

No desk clerk is available during the night in case of problems.

For every comfort it seemed there was a setback. For example, the kitchen is big and well stocked with necessities for making tea and cooking and eating, but the window, when I was there, was faulty allowing cold air to seep in making the premises quite cold.