Embassy Hotel & Suites

NOTE: Please take note that this occurred while the hotel was in the middle of a renovation
Pros:
Service: I will say the staff at this hotel is GREAT and I found it was the saving grace for my experience here. They realized they are in an odd position and were accommodating for a lot of things. I always like to highlight when staff goes the extra mile and they did in our case for sure.
Roomy Rooms: The rooms are big, we had a lot of space and there was a balcony too. I liked the freedom of the space and was quite happy with it.
Cons:
Lighting Placement: I realize this is a bit odd to list. But the switches for a lot of the lighting is REALLY oddly placed and my wife and I found that we spent a good amount of time looking for the light switches (like above the fridge).
Cleanliness: I don’t think it was mold, but it sure as hell looked like it in the bathroom. I opted not to shower during my stay. I stand by that decision.
Parking: There is a limited amount of parking if the hotel is full. and even less choice if you drive an SUV or bigger (which I do). I ended up SQUEEZING into the garage and ended up dinging my car (my fault, not theirs) but the space available and it being cramped was not a great atmosphere.
Summary:
Some good things, mostly bad things, but I might stay here again AFTER they are done renovating. Only time will tell.

I will not recommend this place to any one. Yes the rooms are huge but everything is so old and dirty. Not sure how people gave 4 stars to this place.

i really like the hotel. the mattress was super comfy. staff is friendly. not a 4 star hotel but clean and pleasant. kitchen comes in handy. We have a balcony. I REALLY love Cooper’s Grill — the restaurant downstairs. Soft Classic Rock (mostly 70s) playing — warm atmosphere — nice servers. Very cool. I had the steak and eggs but the fish & chips & eggs looked like a good possibility. Anyhow — this stay — so far is a good one.

The room was clean, there is parking inside the building but the spots are tight and the staff was extremely friendly (it is Canada after all)

My family stayed at this hotel for 2 nights as we were in town for the FIFA Women World Cup. This hotel is extremely affordable given that is located right next to the City Hall and within walking distance of the Ottawa River and the Parliament.
This hotel is definitely a bit dated, but not 80 years as another reviewer claimed. I would said about 20 years, but the bed was comfy so I have no complain. I didn’t hear any noise from the neighbors either. The wifi in my room worked great. I was able to post pictures to Facebook quickly without any interruption.
The service that I received from the front desk was good. The restaurant inside the hotel also serves delicious breakfast at really good price so not having free breakfast built in was fine with me.
The only complain that I have is that adjusting to the right shower temperature took a bit of work. Other than that, the cleanliness in the sleeping area and the bathroom was good.

Outdated. Terrible pillows. Unsecured rooms. Crunchy carpet. Faucet does not turn off. Worst hotel I could have picked.
My room had four closets. My window was unlocked. The door to a connecting room had no dead bolt and was unlocked.
No breakfast or coffee given. Terrible front desk service.

Terrible, terrible hotel. There’s not much else I can say.
I read the other reviews and those who said the hotel was dated and old is correct. I bet these other reviewers didn’t see the «gym»! OMG! Everything in there is 80 YEARS OLD. Believe me, it is Pathetic with a capital P. I am here for business and I am so disappointed in this place. The walls are paper thin, I can hear my neighbors almost clearly. It’s horrible here. The staff is sort-​of helpful, but not really. The décor… well, there is no décor! It reminds me of a Prison-​Hostel for crying out loud!
The wireless internet is slow and choppy. Every night it stopped working after 8:00pm.
At my last visit to Ottawa I stayed at the Marriott and it was absolutely fantastic. I wish I was there right now…
NOT RETURN WORTHY. DO NOT STAY HERE.
If I could change hotels, I would. That’s how much I dislike it.

First, the pluses: the staff in this hotel are extremely nice, friendly, and helpful. The blow dryer in the bathroom was better than I expected.
The negatives: This is a very dated hotel, without a lot of modern comforts. I stayed in a king room with a kitchenette opposite the bed. The air conditioning was not working during the four days I was there, so I had the windows open– and since it’s a very studenty area, I got to listen to partying, loud music, and even the bagpipes during my not-​so-​restful slumber. The bed was cheap and uncomfortable. The towels are very thin and scratchy. And the wifi is TERRIBLE — I could barely load text-​only pages. It would be very difficult to use it to do actual work.
My compatriots found out with dismay that the bar is closed on weekends.
Totally fine for student and/​or budget accommodations, but if you’re looking for anything luxurious/​comfortable this is not the place for you.

This place is certainly nothing like the Embassy Suites in our city, (Niagara Falls.) It was a second class version of it. I was quite surprised by it at first. The place reeked of oil (from the restaurant.) The décor is tres passé. The room feels like a time warp, like you’re back in the 70s. We believe the oven is from the 60s. They did have a new TV, although the quality was lacking. Nearly everything else is at least a couple if not several decades old. It was pretty spacious living area but tiny bedroom (for 2 double beds). The kitchen and bathroom were also tiny but at least there was a kitchen. It was nice to have a patio as well. You get what you pay for. This place was affordable just not very aesthetically appealing.

My fiancé and I just arrived here later on in the afternoon after a long drive from Quebec City. We were lucky enough to find a space in their small parking lot (ground level).
We only stayed here because a friend reserved a room for us. My first impression when walking into the lobby was that this place does not look that nice. The lobby was not that nice, and it looked a bit dated.
After checking in and arriving up to our floor, I was a bit depressed as we walked out of the elevator, for the hallway looked old too. When we got into the room, it was nice to see that we had a large room with a full kitchen (microwave, coffee maker, four burner cook top, stove, sink, refridge, plates, cups, utensils), walk-​in closet, flat screen TV, and two beds. There was a pretty good sized balcony with a decent view of parts of the city and a church.
All in all, I’d have to say that the room was pretty nice. However, if you are looking for a top end hotel with a modern atmosphere and furnishings, I’d look elsewhere. This hotel offers a decent sized room with a lot of amenities, but it is very simplistic in some ways too.
As for their staff, one front desk girl was really nice and helpful, while the other person just did her job. All in all, we had a positive experience here.

This is where I stay when visiting friends or on business in Ottawa.
Interestingly enough, this is also the place out-​of-​town actors/​creative teams stay when performing in a show at the NAC (National Arts Centre).
The suites are functional, somewhat tasteful and have everything you could need. It really IS like a home away from home. In a not-​too-​fancy-​hotel kind of way. Some of the apartments are over 1,000 square feet, so it works for longer stays REALLY well (I know this from experience! I personally stayed there for three weeks once, and I have friends that lived there for three months doing a show).
There are two bedroom, one bedroom and bachelor-​style suites, and I think they all have a full kitchen — I’ve never stayed in a room that didn’t — and I’ve stayed in a LOT of rooms here a LOT of different times! The kitchen is INTEGRAL to longer stays, or when you are trying to be economical by grocery shopping instead of eating out!
It’s a short walk through City Hall to the Rideau Centre mall, and it’s extremely well located for both Elgin and Bank Streets, etc. There are a lot of great bars and restaurants within walking distance, and it’s right by a WHOLE bunch of different transportation options (OC Transpo shout-​out!!!) if you need to get somewhere else! VERY good location off the main streets.
They have underground parking available, and there is an above-​ground lot across the street as well. Both cost, but aren’t overpriced at all. It’s a good deal for this area of the city. The underground lot is small, so it fills up quickly. Book a parking spot when you reserve a room, just to make sure… especially if you’re visiting in winter.
It is always immaculately clean. Not much more to say about that… I’ve never seen an exception. It smells great but not overpowering in any way — no strong perfumes, no strong cleansers, but you can feel it’s well taken care of. When you’re staying longer, you can choose how often to have housekeeping.
They have in-​room wireless available for an extra daily fee, but each unique computer requires a different code (as my Mom and I found out last time we were there and couldn’t figure out at first why only one computer would work at a time… LAME).
You receive a free paper each morning you stay. Unfortunately, it’s the National Post, not the Ottawa Citizen or at the very least the Globe. Boooo!
The staff is FAB — all super friendly, helpful (always willing to go out of their way/​beyond job requirements to make your stay totally comfortable), and they are all really knowledgeable about the hotel, the area, the city and the transit options.
A note about eating nearby:
There’s an Italian restaurant across the street that’s worth checking out if you want to stay close to «home», but it’s worth much MORE checking out Elgin Street’s many awesome and delicious options. ESPECIALLY FOR BRUNCH! There’s a few cool little places along Somerset Ave. as well, which is within a few blocks as well.