Ottawa's BEST Hotel Deal? Holiday Inn Express & Suites SHOCKING Price!
Ottawa's Best Hotel Deal? Hold on to Your Hats! The Holiday Inn Express & Suites SHOCKS, and Here's Why (and Why Not!)
Alright, folks, let's cut the crap. I'm about to tell you about a "deal" in Ottawa at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites, and honestly? The price is almost scandalous. But is it actually the best deal? Well, that's what we're here to find out, isn't it? Buckle up, because this isn't your typical hotel review. We're going deep.
First Impressions (and a Little Bit of Existential Dread)
Pulling up, it's a Holiday Inn Express. You know, the kind of place you picture when you're picturing… a Holiday Inn Express. Not bad, not amazing. Functional. Clean-ish. The exterior is… well, let's be honest, it's a bit beige. Beige is the color of… well, it's the color of not making a statement. But hey, we're here for the inside, right? (And the price. Did I mention the price?)
Accessibility: A Mixed Bag (and a Small Triumph!)
Okay, let's get serious for a sec. Accessibility is SUPER important, and I'm happy to report… it's a mixed bag. I mean, they say they've got facilities for disabled guests – and I do mean say. Elevators, ramps, the usual suspects. The website claims wheelchair accessibility, which is promising.
However, and this is a big however, the website is vague. I'd call the hotel directly and grill them. Don't trust the pictures! Verify! Demand specifics! Ask about room sizes, accessible bathrooms (are they proper, with grab bars and space?), and door widths. If you're relying on these facilities, make sure everything is up to snuff before you book! Don't take any chances! (Okay, sorry, I'm feeling a little defensive about this. Accessibility is serious business.)
Okay, back to the happy stuff. They have a car park free of charge! That's a huge win for Ottawa.
The Room: Functional, But Let's Not Get Overly Excited
I'm sorry, are we talking about "minimalist chic"? I think not. It's clean, which is HUGE (and something I love to see). The bed? Comfy enough. They had an extra-long bed option, which is a nice touch for us long legged folks. It wasn't like I sunk into clouds of marshmallow fluff, but I slept!
The Good: The free Wi-Fi was actually fast. Blessing. And, blessedly, you can open the window! Fresh air, YES! And the little coffee maker worked. Bless it.
The Not-So-Good: The décor? Functional. The art? Well, let's just say it wouldn't be hanging in the Louvre anytime soon. The bathroom? Standard hotel-issue. Fine, but not a spa experience.
The Extra Annoying: The TV… oh god, the TV. Endless channels, and yet nothing you actually want to watch. The on-demand movies were, well, the price of a decent quality movie so, no thanks.
Cleanliness and Safety: A Modern Worry (and an Actual Sigh of Relief)
Okay, pandemic times. It's a worry! But here’s where the Holiday Inn Express actually scored some points. They seem to be taking cleanliness seriously. The website boasts a lot – and from what I could see? They’re backing it up.
- Good: Hand sanitizer everywhere, check. Daily disinfection in common areas? Seemed legit. They had the whole anti-viral cleaning product thing going on as well. Now, are they using it everywhere? I couldn't personally verify that BUT it was a relief to realize they were taking some of the standard precautions.
- The Not-So-Good: Room sanitization opt-out available? Huh. Because… what? It was kind of a weird concept.
Food, Glorious Food (or Lack Thereof) and Drinking
Breakfast. The dreaded hotel breakfast. And here’s where we get to the real shock. The "buffet". They had the basics… fruit, cereal, pastries, and the usual suspects. I'm a sucker for a waffle maker, and they actually had one! Score.
- The Good: They offered a "breakfast takeaway service." Always a plus!
- The Not-So-Good: It was your basic hotel breakfast. Don’t go expecting artisanal avocado toast.
- The Quirky: Okay, I did see someone trying to make a waffle with some sort of… questionable ingredients. I'm still not sure what it was, but it was a work of art.
Things to Do & Ways to Relax (Let's Keep Expectations Real)
This isn't the Fairmont. There's no spa, no pool with a view, no steam room. The "Fitness Center" was a room. It had some machines. Honestly, I’m not going to lie – I didn’t check it out. If I needed to work out, I would walk to my hotel room.
- The Good: They do have a swimming pool [outdoor] (season dependent, of course. Come on, Canada.)
- The Not-So-Good: Bring your own spa treatment. Don’t expect the Ritz-Carlton!
Services and Conveniences: The Stuff That Makes Life (Slightly) Easier
They had a concierge. They had a 24-hour front desk. Luggage storage. Daily housekeeping. The usual things that make being on the road a little less of a chore. But let's be honest, not the most inspiring set up.
- The Good: Free parking, again a huge winner!
- The Not-So-Good: The convenience store was pretty basic. Remember to take all your snacks!
For the Kids:
They seem to have some things for kids. Babysitting service is available, as well as kids' meals.
- The Good: Family/child friendly!
- The Not-So-Good: Don't go expecting a waterpark.
The Internet & Connectivity: The Modern Necessity
Free Wi-Fi in all rooms! Woohoo! It worked. I'm a happy camper. The internet worked perfectly fine.
Now, the REAL Question: Is This the BEST Deal?
Here's the deal. It's a solid, reliable place. It's not flashy. It's not fancy. But for the price…? The "shocking price" is what gets you in the door. And the free Wi-Fi makes you stay. You're not going to come here for a luxury getaway. You're coming here because you need a place to sleep that's clean, safe, and won’t break the bank (or give you a heart attack).
My Final Verdict and a Shockingly Good Offer!
The Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Ottawa? Is it the "best" deal? Maybe. It's certainly a good deal. Especially if you value cleanliness, convenience, and a reasonable price tag.
So, here's my offer – and I'm calling it "The Ottawa Explorer's Getaway!"
Book your stay at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Ottawa (at the "shocking price" they're offering!), and I'll throw in:
- A personalized guide to the best cheap eats in Ottawa - a list of amazing restaurants
- A hand-drawn map of the city's hidden gems, a list of things to do. Get off the beaten path.
- A promise that I won't tell you to order the hotel room service. You're welcome.
This offer is only valid for the next 72 hours so book your stay ASAP!
Click here to book your stay now and claim your "Ottawa Explorer's Getaway!"
[Insert Link to Holiday Inn Express & Suites Booking Page]
Final Thoughts:
This is not a perfect hotel. But it IS a perfect hotel for a specific type of travel: a budget-conscious traveler wanting a clean, comfortable, and convenient place to stay while exploring Ottawa! And with my extra goodies, it’s definitely a deal!
St. Paul Getaway: Unbelievable SpringHill Suites Deals!
Okay, buckle up buttercup, because this itinerary is about to get REAL. We’re talking Ottawa, Holiday Inn Express & Suites, and a whole lotta mess. No promises of picture-perfect travel blogger vibes here. This is lived experience.
Ottawa, Eh? A Rollercoaster of Hot Breakfast and Existential Dread (But Mostly Hot Breakfast)
(My God, I need coffee even thinking about this… and maybe a cigarette. Okay, no. Focus.)
Day 1: Arrival, Hysterical Exhaustion, and the Mystical Glory of the Continental Breakfast
1:00 PM (ish): Arrive at Holiday Inn Express & Suites Ottawa. The flight was delayed, naturally. My suitcase, bless it, decided to stage a dramatic escape from the baggage carousel, which resulted in a mild panic attack and a strong urge to yell at a baggage handler. (I didn't. I'm trying to be better.) The lobby is… lobby-ish. Clean enough. And, blessedly, free of screaming children. (Yet.)
1:30 PM: Check-in. The hotel clerk is… existing. I'm too tired to analyze. Just give me the key. I need to collapse.
2:00 PM: In the room! It's standard issue: two beds, a desk, the faint smell of cleaning products and quiet desperation. I immediately throw myself on the bed and contemplate the meaning of life (mostly in the context of how much I need a nap).
4:00 PM: (Attempted) Local Exploration: Decide I must venture out. Walk to a nearby… something. I stumble upon a Tim Hortons. It’s Canadian, so I kind of have to, right? Get a double-double and a donut. Consider buying a maple syrup flavored anything. The smell alone is enough to make me reconsider my life choices. Overwhelmingly sweet. I miss my bed.
6:00 PM: Realize I'm hangry. Find a mediocre chain restaurant nearby. Eat a burger. Regret the burger. Consider ordering room service, then realize there's no room service. Curse my life choices.
8:00 PM: Back in the hotel room. Stare at the ceiling. Contemplate watching TV, or maybe reading. Feel too tired to do either. Begin to mentally prepare for the continental breakfast… the legendary continental breakfast.
9:00 PM: Try to sleep. Fail.
Day 2: Breakfast, Parliament, And A Deep Dive Into My Inner Critic
7:00 AM: The alarm. The breakfast. The breakfast. Okay. Here we go. The buffet is… extensive, to a point. Cereal, toast, some questionable fruit, and the promised: Eggs. Glorious, pre-made, rubbery eggs. I load up on coffee and a rogue sausage. The sausage is surprisingly good. (Score!) I devour my breakfast and feel a surge of happiness. Suddenly, anything seems possible. I could run a marathon. I could write a novel! (I will do neither.)
8:00 AM: Head to Parliament Hill. The architecture is stunning. I stand there, mouth agape, feeling profoundly insignificant. Take some photos. Think about how much time people spent building that and how much of my own time I waste on social media. Realize there aren't any filters that can hide the fact that I have a double chin and that my hair is a mess. Sigh.
9:30 AM: Tour of the Parliament Buildings. The tour guide, bless her heart, is enthusiastic. I pretend to pay attention, but mostly I'm listening in order to come up with witty zingers in my head.
11:00 AM: Decide I need to find a shop to buy souvenirs. Start feeling anxious when I start window shopping. I keep telling myself, do not buy anything you don't need. Do not buy any of that Canadian maple syrup.
12:00 PM: Late lunch. Find a local pub. Eat poutine. Okay, I was wrong. The maple syrup is essential. The poutine is pure, unadulterated joy. Regret nothing.
2:00 PM: Museum hopping. Visit the Canadian Museum of History. Get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of…history. Feel a sudden, irrational urge to learn French. (This passes quickly.)
4:00 PM: The inner critic makes an uninvited appearance. "You're not seeing enough. You're not doing enough. You should be writing. You look like a travel slob." (It's very mean.) Sit in a café, drink more coffee, and attempt to silence it.
6:00 PM: Dinner! Eat at another restaurant. The meal is ok. The waiter is friendly, but I'm still haunted by the inner critic.
8:00 PM: Back in the room. Watch TV. Eventually fall asleep. Dreams about giant maple syrup bottles chasing me.
Day 3: More Breakfast, a River Cruise, and the Sweet, Sweet Embrace of Departure
7:00 AM: Breakfast, Round 2! The eggs… are still there. The sausage… still good. I feel less existential dread this morning. The power of a good breakfast is truly astonishing.
8:00 AM: Try to get some work done, check some email, and read. I fail.
10:00 AM: River cruise! (Finally, something that isn’t a building or a buffet!) The cruise is pleasant. The river is…wet. The scenery is okay. I make friends with a seagull. Consider naming it Gordon.
12:00 PM: Lunch. Have some sandwiches on the boat.
2:00 PM: Last-minute souvenir shopping. Finally, gasp, some maple syrup. It feels wrong not to buy it. It feels right to buy it. The guilt is intense.
4:00 PM: Back at the hotel. Pack my bags. Feel a strange sense of…relief.
5:00 PM: Check out. Say goodbye to the friendly hotel staff.
6:00 PM: The journey home.
8:00 PM (onwards): Reflect on the trip. The good. The bad. The rubbery eggs. The overwhelming sweetness of the maple syrup. The constant battle with my inner critic. The quiet moments of peace. I realize that travel, like life, is messy, imperfect, and full of its own weird kind of beauty. And that, maybe, is enough. Oh, and I'm definitely buying more syrup.
Post-Trip Ramblings & Epilogue:
Okay, so that wasn't the perfect itinerary. It wasn't even particularly good. But it was mine. And maybe, just maybe, that's what matters. Ottawa, you were… an experience. The Holiday Inn Express, you were a reliable base camp in a sea of existential anxiety and maple syrup. I'll be back. Probably. Eventually. After a nap. And some more coffee.
Escape to Paradise: Your Ultimate Cozy Huahin Getaway
Okay, So... Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Really? What's the "Shocking" Price? (and is my wallet safe?)
Is this actually a good deal, or is the "Shocking" part just marketing fluff? (Because I've been burned before, you know?)
Alright, so the 'shocking' part IS partly marketing, I'll admit. But here's the deal: Ottawa hotels can be RIDICUL- *takes a deep breath* -ulously expensive, especially if there's some kind of event going on. Hockey game? Forget it. Tulip Festival? Prepare to sell a kidney. What caught my eye was the consistently lower-than-average price point. Not dirt cheap, mind you, but significantly less than other comparable hotels nearby. I was skeptical, like a grumpy cat staring at a laser pointer, but the price was indeed... well, pretty good. Like, "hmm, okay, I'm mildly intrigued" good. I'd actually *consider* going back. That's a win in my book.
What's included, the bare essentials or the works? I need to know about the breakfast! (because, you know, hangry is a real thing)
Breakfast, ahhh, the most important meal of the day. And honestly? It's adequate. You know, the usual suspects: scrambled eggs (sometimes suspiciously yellow, but hey, free breakfast!), sausage links that taste vaguely of cardboard (but still satisfying, somehow), yogurt, cereal galore, and the holy grail of hotel breakfasts: the waffle maker. I made like 3 waffles one day. They were... fine. Don't expect gourmet dining, but it'll fill the hole. Coffee? Abundant, but let's be honest, hotel coffee is rarely award-winning. Think "gets the job done" coffee. Oh, and the staff? They kept replenishing the stuff like wizards. Never ran out, bless them.
The Nitty Gritty: Rooms, Amenities, and the All-Important Vibe
Are the rooms actually CLEAN? (Because bed bugs are my WORST nightmare!)
Okay, let's get the important stuff out of the way. I am a paranoid clean freak, always checking, but the rooms were genuinely clean. I actually did the "white glove test" (don't judge me!). No dust bunnies, no mysterious stains, no creepy crawlies that I could see. The sheets were crisp and white, the bathroom was spotless, and I slept soundly (which, for me, is a miracle). Now, I'm not saying it's a five-star luxury experience, but it was clean enough that I felt comfortable. My inner germaphobe took a chill pill.
What about the pool and gym? Are they epic or are they sad little afterthoughts?
The pool? It was there. It's the size of your living room, but clean. The gym? One treadmill, a bike, and some dumbbells. I'm a sucker for a treadmill, and it did the trick. Don't expect a full-blown fitness center, but if you're just trying to get in a quick workout, you're set. My workout plan involved getting up early enough to beat the dad bod army. (Mission: Partially accomplished.)
The "BUT...": Annoyances, Quirks, and Moments of "Oh, Dear"
Anything I should be *prepared* for? Any downsides to this "amazing" deal? Because nothing's perfect, right?
Okay, let's get real. The decor is... well, it's a Holiday Inn Express. Think safe, beige, and functional. Not exactly Instagram-worthy, but perfectly fine. Also, parking might be a slight pain depending on when you arrive. It wasn't TERRIBLE, but just something to keep in mind. And on one particular stay, *deep breath* there was an extended family in the hallway at 2 AM, kids screaming, doors slamming, the works. Not the hotel's fault, but it did make me question my life choices, and my need for sleep. I even yelled out the door "HEY! Be quiet!" and it worked, but only for like, 20 minutes, and then it all began again. Ugh. That's the only major gripe. Otherwise, it was a solid stay.
What about the staff? Are they friendly, indifferent, or actively working against me?
The staff were generally very nice. Mostly friendly and helpful . They were doing their jobs and smiling and that's good enough for me. The cleaning staff were super efficient, even when I left my room looking like a tornado had hit (oops). No complaints there. They seemed to genuinely want you to have a good experience, which is always a plus. One older gentleman at the front desk recognized me when I came back a second time, and actually remembered my name. I was amazed and strangely touched. It made me feel special.
The Verdict: Should I Book It? (And Am I Going to Regret It?)
So, final answer: Is the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Ottawa worth it? Would *you* go back?
Look, if you're looking for a reasonably priced, clean, and functional hotel in Ottawa, and don't expect absolute luxury, then YES. Absolutely. The price is right, the rooms are decent, and the free breakfast is, let's face it, a lifesaver. I've stayed there twice, and honestly, I'd go back. The location is convenient, the staff is friendly, and it's a solid choice for exploring the city without breaking the bank. Just maybe bring earplugs, *just in case* you encounter a screaming family... But honestly? It's a good deal. Go for it. You probably won't regret it. Unless the ice machine is broken. Then you might. But overall? Good choice.
