Cartier Place Suite Hotel

Rooms and decor

Cartier Place Suite Hotel sits at 180 Cooper Street in Centretown, the southern part of Downtown. It opened in 1981 and has stayed family-owned by the Schein family for 40+ years, set in an 18-floor tower. The hotel runs 250 suites — an apartment-style format that is hard to find elsewhere in Ottawa. They come in three sizes: Studio Suite at 35 sqm, 1-bedroom Suite at 50 sqm, and 2-bedroom Suite at 75 sqm that fits a family of 4-6. Every suite has a full kitchen — a four-burner stove, a big fridge, a microwave, plates, cutlery, pots and pans — plus a living area separate from the bedrooms, a dining table, and a balcony in every room. The look is classic and some guests find it dated, since the last renovation was back in 2010. Beds are Sealy, the Wi-Fi is quick, and there is a 43-inch Smart TV. Real reviews on Trip.com (8.7/10), Agoda (8.5) and Booking (8.4) mostly praise the big suites and the handy kitchens, with the only knock being the traditional styling.

Food and amenities

The heart of Cartier Place is the floor-2 Health Club — a 25-metre indoor pool, a jacuzzi, a sauna, a steam room and a gym, open 06:00-23:00 daily and free to use. Kids can swim every day through winter, which is the part families rate as the best value. Cooper's Cafe, the main restaurant, runs 07:00-22:00 serving Canadian comfort food — breakfast around US$11-16, mains US$16-26 — not fine dining, but convenient. With a full kitchen in every suite, plenty of guests cook instead: groceries come from the Loblaws on Sparks Street, a 5-minute walk, or Metro in the Glebe, a 5-minute taxi. Free coin-op laundry makes multi-night stays easier. There is no free shuttle — it is a taxi (18 minutes from YOW, about US$22-29) or bus 97 from Hurdman (25 minutes, US$2.70). Staff are multilingual, speaking English, French, Spanish and Arabic. Overall score 8.7/10.

Location and getting there

Cartier Place sits at 180 Cooper Street in Centretown, the southern edge of Downtown — a touch farther from the Parliament Hill cluster than some rivals, but close to Lyon and Bayview O-Train. Parliament Hill is a 10-minute walk, the Rideau Canal 8 minutes, and ByWard Market 15 minutes on foot or 7 by O-Train. The Sparks Street pedestrian mall is 7 minutes, the Loblaws on Sparks Street 5 minutes for kitchen supplies, and Lyon O-Train station 6 minutes, putting the Confederation Line at your door. Confederation Park is a 5-minute walk, the Canadian War Museum a 10-minute taxi or one O-Train stop to Pimisi, the National Gallery 18 minutes on foot, and Gatineau Park a 15-minute drive. Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier Airport (YOW) is 14 km out — an 18-minute taxi for US$22-29, or bus 97 from Hurdman in 25 minutes for US$2.70.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. First, the decor is starting to feel old — the last renovation was in 2010 and the rooms keep a classic, traditional style. If you want a modern room, go for the Andaz or the Metcalfe; Cartier Place trades on space and facilities at a good price, not design. Second, there is no airport shuttle — use a taxi (US$22-29) or bus 97 from Hurdman (25 minutes, US$2.70), and take the bus if you want to save. Third, match the suite to your group: a 35 sqm Studio suits a couple, a family of 3-4 wants the 1-bedroom Suite with a sofa bed in the living room, and a family of 5-6 should take the 2-bedroom Suite at about US$146-204 a night. Fourth, Wi-Fi is slow in some rooms — ask for floor 8 or higher, where the signal is stronger.

Our take

Cartier Place Suite Hotel is the most sensible choice in Ottawa for mid-budget families and groups of friends who want a suite with a kitchen — 250 one- and two-bedroom suites with full kitchens and a separate living area, an indoor pool plus jacuzzi and sauna open daily, family ownership going back 40+ years, and a 10-minute walk to Parliament Hill, with rates from around US$103 a night and a 2-bedroom split four ways landing near US$36 a head. If your trip is a family of 4-6 saving on meals with a real kitchen, a group splitting a suite, or a longer stay where you need laundry, this is the most sensible answer. If you are set on a modern hotel or a spot right next to Parliament, the Metcalfe or the Lord Elgin fit better. Overall we give it 8.7/10 — best for mid-budget families, groups of friends, and multi-night stays with laundry.