To visit Ottawa is to visitone of the world’s most beautiful capitals. Located in southeastern Canada, it’s the country’s fourth most populous city. With its vast urban area, you’ll be seduced by its many diverse neighborhoods punctuated by natural spaces. So where to stay to visit Ottawa ?
A rich urban city with a laid-back style, Ottawa will seduce you with its dynamic, young, sociable local atmosphere, ideal for family travel. For those with a passion for art and culture, Ottawa is home to some of the country’s greatest museums and offers an abundance of cultural outings.
As we shall see, the city is divided into different neighborhoods with different atmospheres. So choosing where to stay in Ottawa is an important part of making the most of your stay, especially if it’s a short one. In this guide, we’ll come back to the theme of accommodation in Canada’s capital. We’ll recommend the most interesting places to stay in each district, grouped by budget and taking stock of each area’sambience, proximity to public transport and points of interest.
Key information
Before going into the description of the neighborhoods to target when selecting accommodations in Ottawa, here are the essentials to know about tourism.
Our favorite places to stay
First of all, if you’re in a hurry, here are our favorite places to stay in Ottawa:
- $ this youth hostel offers an excellent compromise for a good-value stay in March By.
- $$ this hotel, located close to the main places of interest for an attractive price.
- $$$ this upscale establishment, just steps from major attractions. It’s one of the best places to stay in Ottawa, budget permitting.
Map of different neighborhoods to stay in Ottawa
We’re now sharing the map on which you can find all our recommendations for hotels and apartments where to stay in Ottawa. This map will also enable you to locate the different geographical areas we’ll cover in this guide.
We’ve used the following color code: green for budget hotels, blue for mid-range hotels and red for luxury hotels.
Ottawa accommodation essentials
Here’s some information to help you get a feel for the city:
Where to stay in and around Ottawa
Let’s get to the heart of the matter with a review of the main areas where we recommend staying in Ottawa.
Stay in Downtown: the city's historic district
Located close to Parliament, Downtown is Ottawa's central district. Ideal for all needs, if you don't have a lot of time to spend in Ottawa, this is your best bet for accommodation. Although it's considered Ottawa's "flagship" district, it's not very big and is limited to just a few streets.
Nevertheless, you'll discover must-see monuments like Parliament Hill, home to the Canadian government, and numerous historic buildings like Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica, one of Ottawa's largest and oldest churches.
You're also bound to pass by the Rideau Canal, which runs through the center of the city. It's the perfect place for a stroll or a spot of sport.
You'll find plenty of stores, as well as monuments and museums for culture lovers. Downtown is characterized as the arts and fashion district. We can only advise you to take a stroll along Sparks Street, which is entirely pedestrianized. You'll love its many restaurants, bars and boutiques. For art lovers, the Ottawa Art Gallery showcases some of the finest local and Canadian artists. Film and music events are not uncommon throughout the area.
For accommodation, the area contains a number of mid- to high-end apartments. Hotels are often large towers overlooking the center. As you can see, prices in this area are rather high. Even for apartments and hotels, rates are still expensive. If you're lucky, you'll be able to enjoy a breathtaking view of the area. In terms of transport, you'll be right next to a train station, as well as numerous bus stops and parking lots.
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All apartments feature a fully-equipped kitchen, bathroom and spacious bedroom. You'll appreciate the sober, modern decor and layout. Afitness area and laundry service are also available.
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At this accommodation, you'll enjoy both modern and classic rooms, as well as a bar-restaurant. There's also a gym and a 24-hour reception. You'll appreciate the accommodation's colorful, designer decor.
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In this sublime historic accommodation, you'll stay in spacious, fully-equipped and tastefully decorated rooms. You'll appreciate the luxury amenities provided in every room, as well asaccess to a state-of-the-art gym and indoor pool.
Accommodation in Centre Town: between homes and shops
Located in the heart of Ottawa, south of DownTown, you'll find the Rideau Canal to the east. Here, you'll discover perfectly restored Victorian-style residential homes in the heart of tree-lined streets. But you'll also find more commercial areas, notably on Bank Street and Elgin Street, where you'll find numerous boutiques, restaurants and food stores.
This is a good alternative if you want to stay close to Ottawa's points of interest, but in a quieter area than DownTown. In fact, you can take advantage of a cultural offer by visiting the Canadian Museum of Culture. Considered Canada's most visited museum, it showcases the key figures and events that have contributed to the country's development. For nature lovers, Dundonald Park and Jack Purcell Park will stretch your legs.
The great thing about this area is that you can do it all on foot. That's no mean feat when you consider that Ottawa can be visited in around 2 days. However, you'll also be close to public transport lines that will serve any area. What's more, the central bus station is also located here.
As you can see, it's the ideal place to stay with your family, close to everything. What's more, you'll enjoymore affordable accommodation than in DownTown , with very well-equipped apartment rentals. However, you'll find that there's less accommodation on offer than in Downtown.
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This accommodation offers suites with fully equipped kitchens. You'll appreciate the simple, uncluttered decor and fitness center. Street parking is also available .
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Enjoy spacious suites with fully-equipped kitchens and simple, elegant decor. You'll appreciate the many services on offer, including laundry facilities and a gym.
Lodging in Marché By: the hottest spot
Staying at Marché By means staying in Ottawa's liveliest district. You'll have fun day and night. Located east of the city center, it takes its name from the old Canadian Farmers' Market, which dates back to 1826. This largely pedestrianized district boasts many original boutiques, crafts and regional products.
For lovers of local produce, it's the ideal place to stay, with a large number of short-distance markets and specialized grocery stores. And if you're looking for a bite to eat, the Byward Market boasts a wide range of good addresses to suit all tastes, as well as a multitude of boutiques. As you can see, this area is ideal for shopping.
However, for those wishing to stay right in the heart of the city's points of interest, this is not the ideal area, as it is only accessible via the Food, although it is a prime location and a real alternative to Downtown. In fact, it's just a few minutes from Parliament and close to the capital's best attractions.
The area is easily accessible on foot from Downtown, by public transport or by car. To stay here, you'll find more affordable accommodations than in Downtown. There are numerous hotels and youth hostels.
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This budget hostel is an excellent alternative for staying in Marché By without breaking the bank. You'll enjoy simple rooms with colorful decor. It has laundry facilities and a fully-equipped shared kitchen.
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This accommodation offers rooms with microwave and mini-fridge. Enjoy simple rooms with classic decor. Some have balconies with city views.
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Staying at this accommodation means you can take advantage of a fitness center, laundry facilities and indoor pool. Rooms are spacious and classic in style.
Stay at The Glebe: for a change of scenery and authenticity
Facing south from the heart of Ottawa and bordered by the Rideau Canal, the Glebe is a quiet, leafy area just outside the city center, where it's great to stay.
It's a village-like borough, with a lively district offering a wide range of restaurants, pastry shops, cafés and unique boutiques, as well as a wide range of activities. We recommend a visit to Bank Street, one of the most popular and lively streets in the area. The other part is more residential, even middle-class, where you'll appreciate the 19th-century brick houses and small apartment buildings, unlike Downtown. It's also more expensive to stay there.
For lovers of street art, this is one of the best places in the capital to contemplate it.
The Glebe is the ideal place to stay for those wishing toimmerse themselves ina more authentic and exotic area. It's also a more remote area from the hustle and bustle of the capital to stay, as it's about a 25-minute walk from DownTown. As far as monuments are concerned, apart from a few churches,the area is not conducive to cultural discovery but more to strolling. There are plenty of parks and lakes to stroll around, including Lansdowne Park and Dow's Lake.
This is a good area to stay, as it's one of the least expensive in Ottawa, but there's very little to choose from, so you'll have to stray a little. There are a few affordable apartment rentals where you can stay. If you're lucky, you'll even find free parking for your car, which is rare when you choose to stay in Ottawa. In terms of transport, the area has plenty of parking and bus stops.
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You'll be staying in bright, modern accommodation. You'll enjoy a lovely view over the city. Some units have balconies or terraces. Take advantage of the on-site gym and wellness area.
Where to stay: ChinaTown and Little Italy
Located to the west of the heart of Ottawa, this area includes two neighborhoods with a distinct atmosphere: ChinaTown and Little Italy. There are few accommodations in these areas, but they're well worth getting to know.
ChinaTown is concentrated around Somerset Street West, between the center and Little Italy. As you can imagine, this district is theideal place for lovers of Asian specialties. Every year in July, it hosts the Asian Festival.
As for Little Italy, it's located on Rue Preston. Along this thoroughfare, you'll appreciate the atypical sculptures that bear witness to the area's past. In this district, you can enjoy authentic Italian cuisine, as well as flavors from around the world. Every year, the Italian Week festival takes place in June. Take the opportunity to visit nearby Dow's Lake for a boat trip along the canal.
This area is served by numerous bus stops, but as previously stated, it's not rich in terms of where to stay. We therefore recommend that you stay elsewhere.
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You'll be staying in bright, modern accommodation with a living area and kitchen. You'll appreciate the balcony, which offers a pleasant view of the city. You'll love the jacuzzi , where you can relax in a beautiful setting.
Summary
Canada’s capital is quite large. As you can see, there are many good places to stay in Ottawa. The most important thing is to make your choice based on the experience you want, but also on your budget and the length of your stay. If you’re only spending 2 days in Ottawa, it’s essential to opt for accommodation in a good location to avoid wasting time in transport.
We recommend that you book where to stay in Ottawa as early as possible, especially during the summer months, which are the most pleasant time of the year. There will be more rooms available, and you’ll be able to stick to your accommodation budget