Fairmont Chateau Laurier

The only choice when visiting Ottawa, bar none. Check-in was smooth, and the front desk staff even spoke a few words of Chinese. They were very friendly. We had to walk quite a distance to our room, and later realized each floor has nearly a hundred rooms. The room itself wasn't large but was well-designed, though the AC was a bit loud and didn't seem to turn off. The location is excellent; on our first night, we even caught fireworks right behind the hotel. Everything is close by: ByWard Market, Parliament Hill, the National Gallery, Rideau Hall, the Cathedral, and more. The breakfast downstairs was decent and convenient.

The room hygiene was absolutely terrible. I could overlook other issues, but the hair on the toilet was disgusting. I notified the hotel for cleaning, and yet when I returned in the evening, the hair was still there. For such an expensive hotel, I shouldn't have to clean the toilet myself – it's really upsetting... The key issue is the horrendous service; there's no way to complain effectively.

I specifically chose a highly-rated hotel, full of anticipation. However, the first room they gave me was on the 2nd floor, facing the air conditioning units, and it was incredibly noisy. When I changed rooms, I found the new one was super small, not at all the room I booked. My communication with Ctrip customer service was fruitless.

The hotel's location is excellent. You can walk to all the bustling streets nearby, and I could see the Parliament building right from my room. The front desk service was great. If you're driving, valet parking is available for around 60 Canadian dollars, paid at the front desk, which I believe includes the tip.

Great location in a hundred-year-old castle. The service was warm and welcoming, which made for a very pleasant experience.

Fantastic location, even though we only stayed one night. My only complaint would be the noise from the air conditioning unit in the room and the TV remote that wasn't working very well (though we weren't planning on watching TV anyway).