An Honest Review The Fairmont Château Laurier: Is It Worth It?

The Fairmont Château Laurier is a four star hotel in Ottawa Ontario (Canada’s Capital city).

It’s one of the best Ottawa hotels you can stay at for its history and experience. But it also comes with a higher price tag… So is the Château Laurier Ottawa worth it?

I stayed in the Basic Fairmont room at the Château Laurier for three nights in January 2023. I’ll go over everything from the room, cleanliness, and different amenities offered. This way, you can decide if it’s worth the cost for you!

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

Some Background On The Fairmont Château Laurier Ottawa Canada

The Château Laurier is an iconic part of the Ottawa skyline. It’s right next to Parliament and looks like an epic castle overlooking the Ottawa River.

Although it was never a castle, it sure looks like one. In fact, the Château Laurier was always built to be a hotel.

Unfortunately, they don’t offer tours of the hotel (unlike in Quebec City and La Malbaie). But, they’ve set up historical pictures and newspaper clippings around the hotel so you can learn more about it.

2024 update: There is now an organized history tour offered through Viator of the Chateau Laurier.

And! This is all open to the public! You can ask the concierge exactly where to find them, but there are three main areas…

You’ll find a bulk of them to the left of the main lobby in a hallway (across the grand staircase).

Next, if you walk towards Wilfrid’s Restaurant, you’ll find another hallway with photos. This is known as Peacock Alley.

And finally, there are a few more by the pool downstairs.

How Old Is The Château Laurier?

The Château Laurier is over 100 years old! It was the idea of Charles Melville Hays.- the general manager of the Grand Trunk Railway, all the way back in 1908.

His idea was to have a hotel for people to sleep once they arrived from the train.

He later perished on the Titanic (in April 1912) and missed the grand opening in June of 1912.

The original hotel was smaller than what you see today. There was a large expansion in 1929 when the pool and tea room were added, and even more guest rooms.

It became a part of Fairmont hotel chains in 1999, now making it the Fairmont Château Laurier.

Why Is It Called The Château Laurier?

The hotel is in fact named after Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Canada’s prime minister at the time. It’s was named after him because he pushed for the hotel to be built where it was.

Because of his efforts, it was named in his honour.

P.S. One of the two restaurants at the Château Laurier is Wilfrid’s… now you know why it’s called that too!

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How Much Does It Cost To Stay At The Château Laurier Ottawa?

Let’s get the cost of the Château Laurier out of the way!

The cost of a room at the Château Laurer really ranges. It depends on a few factors like when you want to visit, and what room (and if you want a view?)

We were able to stay at the Château Laurier for about $200/night (CAD) in January 2023. We booked in a Basic Fairmont King room with no view – this was the most basic room you could book (I think we ended up with an upgrade, but they never said that we did…).

We visited in the middle of winter (the end of January) and we booked before knowing if the Rideau Canal was open (one of the top Ottawa winter attractions).

Because of all these factors, the room ended up being 25% off due to low season (this was also a membership discount.) Become an Accor Live Limitless member and save on Fairmont stays (it’s free!).

Otherwise, you’re looking at at least 25% more (if not more!) if you want an upgrade room, in the summer, with a view! That could be upwards of $600/night (CAD).

What’s The Cancellation Policy

One thing I love about booking with Fairmont is the flexible cancellation policy. We were able to cancel our stay up to 2 days before!

This was very convenient – especially since it was winter.

We were going to cancel if the Rideau Canal hadn’t opened yet. Or, because we were driving, if there was supposed to be a terrible snow storm.

I always like booking with free cancellation, and the Fairmont has a very lenient policy. They’ll always give you the cancellation date before booking a room.

Where Is The Château Laurier?

The Château Laurier is right next to all the main tourist attractions. I’m talking Byward Market, Parliament, the Rideau Canal (and Rideau Centre).

Honestly, if it’s you’re first time in Ottawa, you can’t really get a better location than this!

Having visited Ottawa before, this is a very touristy location and not local in the slightest. So we were often walking 15+ minutes to a restaurant on Elgin.

Which doesn’t sound long, but just something to keep in mind. it’s important to keep that in mind. If it’s raining (or snowing and cold!) you might not want to go that far.

Hotel Amenities

The hotel offers a lot of amenities, but if you’re used to staying at Fairmont hotels, it might be less than what you’re used to.

Because this is a city hotel in Ottawa, there’s obviously no golf course or outdoor swimming pool.

Valet Parking (& Cheaper Parking Options!)

The hotel offers valet parking for a hefty fee! When I was there it was $60 CAD (with tax!).

There are a lot of self parking lots around the hotel that will be half the cost (for 24 hours), in fact the hotel even offers suggestions.

But! They don’t tell you that these self parking options don’t let you take your car out. If you’d take it out, you’d have to pay again to get back in.

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We parked at the Indigo Lot at 700 Sussex and were able to take our car in and out – but we weren’t supposed to. It’s 300 m from the hotel (very close!) and there was no gate or scanning system to enter or leave. The garage door would just open automatically for cars.

You download and pay through their app. So, you can try that, but I can’t promise that they haven’t added a gate since we visited.

Otherwise, if you’re visiting on the weekend, you can try parking in Byward market. It’s supposed to be free on weekends.

The Pool At The Château Laurier

As I mentioned, the pool was added in 1930 as part of the expansion of the hotel (along with Turkish baths and treatments).

Unfortunately, they not longer have scary ultra violet treatments or turkish baths. But the pool still has the incredible Art Deco vibes, that you never see in a hotel.

It’s like you’ve been transported back in time.

Now – do not expect a modern pool… It’s also awkwardly in the basement (so a little bit sketchy). But, it is a one of a kind experience at one of the best Ottawa hotels!

The Health Club

The hotel offers a fully equipped gym. But! Please note that there is no spa at the hotel.

They do offer massage therapy where they will bring in a masseuse. You have to make a reservation in advance. When we were visiting, the staff didn’t know much more about this when I asked, and they seemed to think it was only offered on weekends…

It Is A Pet Friendly Hotel

This is on par with every Fairmont, the Château Laurier is in fact pet friendly – for a fee (of course!).

This can be a blessing if you want to bring your furry friend along (as we did!) or a curse…

The rooms are not very well sound proofed (I’ll go into that in a bit) and two doors down there was a dog… how do I know this? Well it woke us up a few times with some barking and yapping.

And there’s not much you can do about it…

How Was The Basic Room?

We booked the Fairmont King room without a view. It did not look like the picture… but no surprise there…

It was a lot smaller than the picture looks. The picture shows two chairs, we barely had enough room for the one. This wasn’t so nice, because there wasn’t really anywhere to sit other than on the bed. There was also barely any room to walk between the bed and the TV.

We had really high ceilings though – like almost 20 ft! This made the room feel a lot bigger and airy than it was.

I do think we got an upgrade though because we ended up with a view of Parliament – which we didn’t pay for. But there was no mention of an upgrade when I checked in.

I did really appreciate the view though. It felt like I was waking up at Hogwarts every morning. It kind of transported you somewhere else!

If we didn’t have the view of Parliament, we would have been looking at the city, inner courtyard (which is nothing), or Major’s Hill Park.

So I might actually say that the upgraded view is worth it!

Was It Clean?

The room itself was a bit run down… there were nicks in the furniture and rips in the chair. But that’s normal.

The desk was also full of dust – like it hadn’t been dusted in a week. I wouldn’t be surprised if we were place in the extra room at the end of the hallway.

There was also a weird rust spot on the wall of the shower. Not much you could do about that though.

But everything else was spotless. Clean sheets and towels with a well made bed!

There wasn’t anything else that stood out to me – and I’m picky!

There Is A Lack Of Sound Proofing…

There were really good days and bad days with noise. Sometimes we didn’t hear a thing, and other days we heard EVERYTHING in the hallway and even in guest rooms.

We heard a dog yapping for an hour and even the phone ringing in the room once I called to say something! We were doors slamming shut and glasses clinking together (room service maybe!?)

I noticed that the door didn’t touch the ground at all! There was a gap – which is probably why we heard a lot! If there was anything going on in the hallway, we heard it!

Like I said, this wasn’t an issue every day. It was really bad one morning though, maybe a lot of guests were checking out.

But Is It Worth Staying At The Château Laurier?

I never book a stay at a Fairmont for the rooms – they’re never as good as you want them to be for the price. You have to know you’re most likely overpaying for a small room.

But you’re not booking the Château Laurier for the room. You’re booking it to stay in a piece of history in Ottawa. Like, this is not only one of the best Ottawa hotels, but it’s also one of the first… from 1912!

If you’re able to, I think it’s worth it at least for one night. No one is saying that you have to stay here every you’re in Ottawa. One night is all it takes to experience it!

P.S. You Can See The Hotel Without Booking A Room

If the Château Laurier isn’t for you, you should not feel uncomfortable walking in just to see it even if you don’t have a room booked. It’s meant to be admired.

You can access almost everything except for the rooms.

For example, you can see the lobby, all the pictures to learn more about the history. See the grand hall and the unique architecture throughout the hotel.

You can even see the pool (obviously you can’t go swimming though!). But there are windows so you can see the entire pool without actually going in!

You can even walk up the spiral staircase to the 6th floor (oddly enough, the 7th floor are offices…). The staircase gives you the view of Parliament that you would get from the rooms.

P.S. To get to the spiral staircase you have to walk up the grand staircase to the Mezzanine (second floor). From the top of the stairs, turn to the right and head towards the wall. Then you’ll see the stair behind glass doors to your left.

You Can Also Make A Reservation At One Of The Restaurants

If you don’t have a room at the hotel, and feel awkward just walking in, then book a reservation at one of the restaurants. This is a great way to go inside the hotel without feeling awkward about being there.

(Even if you do have a room, you’ll have to eat at the restaurants to enjoy them – otherwise the rooms are off limits and they’re BEAUTIFUL!).

Keep in mind, the restaurants at the Fairmont aren’t too cheap either (but they will be cheaper than book a room for the night)!

The Château Laurier has two restaurants on site: Wilfrid’s and Zoe’s.

Wilfirid’s serves breakfast and weekend brunch. It has gorgeous windows overlooking the locks and Parliament – if you wanted to get that view.

Zoe’s is for lunch, dinner, and afternoon tea. It offers a modern art deco vibes with tall ceilings overlooking Rideau street.

Go For Afternoon Tea At The Château Laurier

I think the best way to enjoy Zoe’s is to go for afternoon tea. It seems expensive at first, but if you’re two people you’re able to split the tower.

They will charge you a splitting fee, but this also gets you an extra pot of tea with 2 extra scones.

Because you’re able to split it, the cost becomes a lot more reasonable for afternoon tea (even on par with most restaurants). And those restaurants won’t give you the quality and service of the afternoon tea at the Château Laurier.

They have a selection of about 20 teas to choose from. You’re also able to tell them any dietary restrictions so they can swap anything on the tower for you.

Discover more places to go for coffee or tea around Ottawa.

How To Book The Château Laurier!

So have I convinced you to book the Fairmont Château Laurier in Ottawa?

You can book directly through Fairmont’s website.

Or book it through Booking.com has reasonable rates as well or Expedia.

Otherwise, continue reading to see my Ottawa hotel alternatives….

Ottawa Hotel Alternatives To The Château Laurier

I’ve stayed in Ottawa a few times now, each time at a new hotel so I have a few recommendation for every budget if the Fairmont isn’t for you. You can’t go wrong with any of these hotels, they’re all centrally located downtown just a walk away from everything you need.

A more reasonable place to stay (and my favourite) is the Westin Ottawa (especially if you’re visiting in the winter. Modern, updated rooms, you really can’t go wrong. But the best part about the Westin is that it’s directly connected to the Rideau Mall. So you can get all your shopping done without ever stepping foot outside! See room rates & availability on Bookin.com.

For a more budget friendly option, stay at the Business In and Suites. Let’s just say the rooms aren’t the most modern look, but it’s very practical – giving you a large space for longer stays, breakfast included, and it’s in an even better location downtown (just off of Bank street). See room rates & availability on Booking.com.

See more accommodation options on Booking.com.

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Last update on 2024-10-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API