Fairmont Chateau Laurier

Arriving by car after a long drive was unnecessarily stressful. There was no one managing the hotel’s driveway or carparking. After sitting in a queue for over ten minutes with no staff in sight, the entranceway cleared and we followed a sign to valet parking to only be abruptly told by an officious staff member that we could not park there. They offered no alternate other than declaring the car park was full. We then had to locate a public car park nearby. The entire process took almost an hour to then be able to checkin. At no point prior to arrival were we advised that hotel parking was so limited, nor were any alternative options communicated. The hotel itself is grand in appearance, both inside and out, and well located just a short walk from the shops, restaurants and bars of downtown. Check‑in was lacking any recognition of Accor Gold status. The room décor was in keeping with the property, however there was a noticeable stuffy odour. Several housekeeping issues were evident, including a glass bathroom shelf hanging loose from the wall, the safe still locked from a previous guest, no pens (only notepaper), a very dirty aircon vent and missing glassware. Despite booking two doubles for two, and reconfirming this at check‑in, turndown service was set for one. With one of the worst arrival experiences of any hotel, I later spoke with a manager. Rachel was excellent, listened intently to my concerns and constructive feedback, and offered a suitable goodwill gesture of a complementary breakfast. Service in the main bar was poor. While seated at the bar, both I and my phone were soaked when the bartender used the glass chiller. Whilst I appreciate that accidents happen, the apology lacked any genuine concern and no napkin to dry myself was offered until I specifically asked - the bartender simply continued making a cocktail. Breakfast was good, and the team were friendly, but the check‑in process was slow and overly administrative. Despite having made a booking, long queues formed because staff were slowly searching for each guest on a tablet rather than using a printed list (the international standard approach). Aside from breakfast we dined out, noting that room service dinner stopped at 1030pm which was very surprising for such a large premium hotel. In all, not recommended.

I am 66 years old with cancer. I wanted to take my PSW wife on a nice weekend as our trip to Cuba was canceled. She works extremely hard and wanted to show her a fun time. We arrived at the hotel about 3 pm and did our check in. We wanted to take a look around this grand place. I wanted to sit in this throne like chair to get a picture taken. Upon sitting down, put all my weight on the right arm to steady myself. this arm wasn't attached. I fell forward snapping my head and neck backwards. It has been a month now with extreme pain in my neck and shoulder. Not getting much sleep having to take pain killers, ice and heat to get through the day. I was offered a discount off my food that didn't even cover the parking. Out of pocket lots of money!!

It’s the small , thoughtful touches that keep us coming back. David Struthers, director of the Gold Floor , and his team know how to truly create a warm welcome . This visit was a last minute treat for my mom- and i cannot thank you enough for the gorgeous suite- but- more importantly for your warmth. A special thank you to Angela… always a pleasure to see you. merci! a bientôt!

Disappointing stay. Checkin was lengthy (+45 mintes), with many issues with "their system". No on site parking and valet unavailable for family arriving later in the day. Rooms were fine. Wifi never worked for most of us. Waited 45 minutes for a table at the bar. Never seated, as we had an off site dinner reservation. Desk staff poorly responsive to late night request for towels (I think I woke them up--at 11pm!). Sunday morning room service took forever. Check out was also lengthy (online unavailable). It's a great location for visiting Ottawa, but I would look for other options. I would not go back.

We love this iconic, historic hotel and stay once a year as a way to immerse ourselves in Canadian culture. It's worth touring the hallways on the first floor to take in its photographic history and the role the hotel played in the evolution of Canada. Also there are some fabulous Josef Karsh photographs of dignitaries who have stayed at CL including that of Winston Churchill, which was famously stolen, found in Italy and recently returned to the hotel. We always request a room facing the parliament buildings, for excellent views of the Peace Tower and Eastern Block. There's something very Canadian about waking up to views of that neo-gothic architecture after driving through the snow covered, granite-sided highways leading into Ottawa from the south. The hotel is within walking distance of the National Gallery, Canadian Mint and other museums as well as Byward Market. And the largest skateway in the world begins at the doorstep of the CL and winds for 7 kms. Skating on the canal was one of my favourite parts of our weekend. There were some negatives however this year. The hotel appears a bit tired with the front doors covered in salt and dirt from high volumes of visitors and the lovely, ornate circular stairwells are in need of repair above the second floor. But the biggest disappointment this time was related to food service. We couldn't get a reservation for breakfast for the next morning so we ordered room service. There was no printed menu in the room or QR code to scan so we tried the hotel website but were told the menu items we chose were not from the menu they were using. Then we were told breakfast would take up to 1 hour to be delivered. After 1hr 15 min we were told it would be another half hour, at which point we cancelled our order, checked out of the hotel and had to hunt for breakfast elsewhere. When we mentioned the problem to the front desk at checkout, staff look inexperienced, bewildered and did nothing to respond. In summary, the hotel is iconic and worth visiting but until the food service situation is sorted out, be warned, staying overnight can easily involve being without food unless you leave the hotel.