Fairmont Chateau Laurier

Everyone who works at this hotel seems so happy and eager to please. This hotel must really be a pleasure to work in. Certainly the architectural beauty and prime location make this the place to be in Ottawa. Very comfortable and quiet rooms. Parking is exorbitant at $60/night. Drop your bags and park across the street at the National Arts Centre for half in a safe secure underground lot.

The valet was a shitshow. It took forever to be able to pull our car up to unload and check-in. The chair in the room looked like it was mauled. I expected a higher quality.

This hotel is magnificent! It is beautiful and the staff are attentive. We stayed here in the summer from Thursday until Sunday. The room was spacious and the bathroom modern. I loved looking around at all of the art deco details. There’s a good size gym in the lower level which has all the equipment you could need. It’s a bit musty down there and has carpet which is a bit odd for a gym, but it worked well for my stay. We arrived on a Thursday afternoon and the valet parking was crazy busy so definitely don’t be in a hurry if you arrive at a busy time.

We are currently staying at this hotel and came to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. While the hotel itself is beautiful the experience hasn’t really been memorable. While acknowledging our reservation via email the staff did nothing to help mark the occasion. Just not the level of service we’d expect from this brand. While the property and building is stunning and full of history the Hotel is extremely busy with events, and doesn’t feel exclusive. Rooms are small, but efficient. Swimming pool always full of kids, never got to enjoy. Our closet was stuck so tightly because of the humidity we thought it was a door to an adjoining room and only now learned it is indeed a closet. Resorted to hanging clothes in the bathroom. That was annoying. Bathtub feels old and dirty. I suppose you have to have a higher tier room to have any sort of view. Overall for the expense of the hotel we have had such better service at other Fairmont and competitive properties and probably won’t return.

Valet parking was full, the driveway was packed with cars, and it took us nearly an hour to find a spot in a nearby parking garage and check in. Not exactly what you need after a long day of travel. The rooms are nice and clean. Overall it was fine, but all in all, it doesn’t live up to five-star standards.