Saintlo Ottawa Jail Hostel

Rooms and decor

Saintlo Ottawa Jail Hostel sits at 75 Nicholas Street in the heart of Downtown. It opened as the Carleton County Gaol in 1862 and ran as a working jail until 1972 — a full 110 years. The building was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1973 and converted into a hostel in 1974, and Travel + Leisure has listed it among the 10 strangest hostels in the world. It's part of Canada's Saintlo Hostels chain (formerly HI Canada) and has 154 beds. These split into cell rooms — 50 actual cells fitted with a single or bunk bed, just 1.5 x 2.5 m and very tight, at CA$35-60 a night; dorms of 4, 6 or 8 beds in larger rooms at CA$30-50; and private rooms for two in the old guard's quarters at CA$100-150. Three original cells are kept as a museum — death row, the hanging room and an isolation cell — and they're part of the free tour. Real guest ratings sit at 9.2/10 on Trip.com and 8.8 on Agoda; that 9.2 is very high for a hostel, with most reviewers praising the experience and the central ByWard location.

Food and amenities

The highlight here is the free ghost tour — every night at 20:00, running 45 minutes, where staff walk you through death row, the hanging room and the isolation cells while telling the prison's 110-year history, including the hangings. The most famous story is Patrick Whelan, who assassinated Thomas D'Arcy McGee — a founding father of Canada — in 1868 and was hanged here in 1869, Canada's last public hanging; some guests say they've seen a dark shape in the cells. Free breakfast runs 07:00-10:00 with toast, Nutella, cereal, fruit and unlimited coffee, which adds up if you stay a few nights. There's a full shared kitchen with cookware and a fridge, a common room in the old guard's quarters with board games, books and a TV, big under-bed lockers with USB charging, free bike storage, coin-op laundry in the basement and a free 1-hour walking tour of Parliament Hill each morning led by the concierge. The overall score lands at 9.0/10.

Location and getting there

Saintlo is at 75 Nicholas Street in central Downtown, a 3-minute walk from ByWard Market — about as close as any hostel in the city gets. ByWard Market (3 minutes) has the original BeaverTails, cafes and pubs; the Rideau Canal is 5 minutes, Parliament Hill 8, the National Gallery 5, the Rideau Centre 3 and Notre-Dame Cathedral 5. The Rideau O-Train station is a 3-minute walk on the Confederation Line, which reaches the rest of the city. The Canadian War Museum is an 8-minute taxi and Gatineau Park a 15-minute drive. YOW Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier Airport is 15 km away — a 20-minute taxi at CA$35-45, or bus 97 from Hurdman in 25 minutes for CA$3.75.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. First, the cell rooms are tiny at 1.5 x 2.5 m because they're real former cells, so a big suitcase won't fit — store it in the under-bed locker or in luggage storage at reception, or book the larger private room in the old guard's quarters if you're travelling heavy. Second, bathrooms are shared, 4-6 per floor split between male, female and unisex — if you want an en-suite, that means a private room. Third, expect noise at night since ByWard Market is busy after dark and the ghost tour starts at 20:00 — if you're a light sleeper, pack earplugs and an eye mask or ask for floor 3 or above, away from the street. Fourth, some guests genuinely find it spooky, especially in the cell rooms — reviewers mention dark shapes or the sound of chains — so if that's not for you, pick a dorm in a larger room rather than a cell. Fifth, Wi-Fi can be slow in some cell rooms because of the thick stone walls — use the common room, where it's faster.

Our take

Saintlo Ottawa Jail Hostel is the best fit for the solo backpacker who likes an unusual experience and for budget travellers who want to be in ByWard. You get an 1862 jail turned hostel, a night in a real cell, a free ghost tour every night at 20:00, free breakfast, a shared kitchen, unlimited coffee and a 3-minute walk to ByWard Market — with rates from about $26 a night, the cheapest in Ottawa. That Trip.com score of 9.2 is very high for a hostel. If your trip is backpacking and meeting other travellers, or you love history and a good ghost story, this is the most natural pick. If you're a honeymooning couple, a family with kids, or you just want quiet, something else on the list will suit you better. Overall we give it 9.0/10 — best for backpackers, students, solo travellers and anyone who loves history and a bit of the supernatural.