TripAdvisor, which monitors hotel reviews, has ranked the hotel among the top 10 percent in the world. The online travel website bases its rankings on the number of four star and five star reviews hotels receive from their guests and grants its Certificate of Excellence to those that rank the highest.
The reviews come from business travelers, vacationing families, and others who shared their opinions on TripAdvisor’s popular website. Comments note the beautiful decor of this new hotel, its impressive room sizes, cleanliness, and hospitable staff.
Many reviews praise the location, which is just outside the bustle of downtown but close enough for quick access to amenities. Parliament Hill, the National Arts Centre, and the rest of downtown Ottawa are just 10 minutes away, with Gatineau Park only a short drive beyond.
The Courtyard rests beside the 417 and the airport is 15 minutes away.
And unlike those downtown hotels, the Courtyard offers free underground parking and high-speed Internet, which can be accessed anywhere in the hotel. There is a fully equipped 24-hour exercise room beside a salt-water pool and jacuzzi, and even a laundry room, all located on the top floor with a phenomenal panoramic view of the city.
The lobby and decor is modern but not sterile, and cozy with warm earthy tones, which makes it a nice place to lounge with friends or watch the news on a huge flat screen TV. The Bistro, the hotel restaurant, provides fresh and healthy fare complete with calorie counts, something more common in the U.S. but rare in Canada.
The only criticism of the hotel, based on TripAdvisor reviews, is that its popularity sometimes translates into waiting for one of its three elevators during hotel rush hours, though that didn’t dissuade those same reviewers from giving the hotel five stars.
The Courtyard’s 43,000 square feet of conference room space allows for 37 individual meeting rooms and two ballrooms. For those visiting with little knowledge of Ottawa, a welcome help is the touchscreen GoBoard, a sort of GPS/concierge to help guests find anything from attractions to a fresh cup of coffee. Then again, the hotel serves Starbucks, so that might not be necessary.
For more information please visit http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/yowoe-courtyard-ottawa-east/
