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HI-Ottawa Jail Hostel

  1. Sandy Hill
  2. Carleton County Lodging

Reviews, get directions and information for HI-Ottawa Jail Hostel

HI-Ottawa Jail Hostel

About

A great place to hang! www.hihostels.ca/ottawa

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The HI Ottawa Jail Hostel is probably the only jail in Canada you'll want to spend the night in! Formerly known as the Carleton County Gaol, this preserved heritage building guarantees a one-of-a-kind experience as you may spend the night in one of the former cells or take a tour of the 8th floor where death row inmates counted their last hours. Don't worry, we also offer all the necessary amenities for a comfortable stay: a bar, a backyard patio, organized events, a kitchen, a FREE continental breakfast, free Wi-Fi access and much more.

The hostel is part of Hostelling International (HI). HI is a not-for-profit organization with over 4 000 hostels worldwide and more than 60 across Canada. For more info: www.hihostels.ca.

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L'auberge fait partie du réseau Hostelling International. HI est une organisation à but non-lucratif regroupant 4 000 auberges à travers le monde. Pour plus d'infos : www.hihostels.ca.

Address: 75 Nicholas St, Ottawa, ON K1N 7B9, Canada
Phone: (613) 235-2595
ac.sletsohih@awatto
State: Ontario
County: Ottawa Division
City: Sandy Hill
Zip Code: K1N 7B9


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Reviews
I had an excellent stay at Ottawa Saintlo Jail Hostel! I stayed for four nights and booked a single cell, and although it was small it was cosy and perfect for me! The facilities were clean, and I liked that there was a kitchen so I could cook my own food to keep costs down and laundry facilities that were available. The staff were friendly, and I thoroughly enjoyed the jail tour from Ariel. The location is super close to Parliament, the Rideau Shopping Centre, and Byward Market. There is also Rideau O-Train stop a few meters away. Overall, I really enjoyed my stay and felt very at home here!
The hostel is located right in the edge on the Byward Market, and steps away from many tourist attractions like the Parliament sign up online for a free tour, the canal, the Rideau mall and train station and several museums.nnAs for the hostel, there is no elevator so be prepared to lug your luggage up plenty steps. I guess thats one if the reasons this is considered a “youth” hostel, although there were plenty middle aged folks. The room are very cozy, basically the size of a walk in closet. If your are a person of large stature, you might not have the best experience. The positive is that you get more privacy than your typical hostel. I was happy to trade a bit of space for privacy.nnI love the fact that they include the hostel tour for free and they do group outings. They also provide a place you can do your laundry for free if you bring your own soap. The down side is that the courtyard is under utilized. It has so much potential as a great hang spot. There is also no TV’s, even actual jails have TV nowadays.nnThe breakfast offering was great as far as hostels go. The sumatra and guatemalan coffee was cafe quality.
Had a fantastic experience staying at this hostel in a single cell room. Thankful I had a room on the 4th floor, because there is no elevator and lots of stairs. The room was tiny, as expected, but the bed was more comfortable than I expected. The room locks, but only has bars at the top and bottom of the door, so sound definitely travels in. Light sleepers should use earplugs. The floors and walls of the room looked like could have used an extra scrub, but overall not bad. The dinning area is nice and offers a good selection for breakfast bagels, cereal, oatmeal, eggs, home fries, a few fruit options. All staff I interacted with were friendly and pleasant. The complimentary tour was great too! Our guide was very knowledgeable and did an outstanding job of telling the jail’s history.
I'm going to preface this review with we usually stay in hotels for our trips but wanted to try something unique and different. If you're used to hostels, I can safely say you'll enjoy your stay here but if you frequent hotels, read below.nnThe good:n- Novel experience-tell your friends you stayed in jail for a weekend! n- Staff are very friendly and helpfuln- Location is fantastic, a short 5minute walk to Rideau station and Byward Market and other local attractions.n- Free breakfast is a nice added valuen- They can hold your luggage while you explore before check-in or after check-outnnThe not-so-great:n- We stayed in the Double Jail cell. In hindsight we might have had a better experience spending a little more for the Private Ensuite room. What we didn't realize was the jail cell is not fully sealed off from the hallway so you can hear everything from outside the cell and also on the street the cell bars are open above the door and on the lower part of the door which also ruins privacy and can affect sleep if you're sensitive to light.n- The shared bathrooms have doors on the 4th floor which slam shut and can be heard in the hall and from the cells.n- Male and Female washrooms are on separate sides of the floor so depending where your cell is, it might be a short walk to get there. General maintenance of the male's washroom could be improved toilet seat loose and cleaniness not 100% until the next morning.n- Our cell in particular had a sticky floor and seemed like the cell was masked with an air freshener spray that wasn't very pleasant. The beds were no doubt clean but the sheets/blankets had stains on them.nnOverall, if you're staying here for a night just for the novelty, it's arguably worth it. If you're looking for privacy and quiet, consider spending a little more for a private room here or elsewhere in Ottawa.
Stayed 1 night as a solo traveler. Affordable price.nGreat location near Rideau Canal, the Ottawa art gallery and the Byward market. Free breakfast had pretty good selection, place is nicely maintained and there's someone at reception 24/7. The beds were pretty comfy just a bit squeaky. There's a fan, wall outlets and light for each bunk. Bathrooms were clean. They offer lots of activities and guided tours of the jail. I recommend!
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