Name: Ottawa Backpackers Inn
Address: 203 York Street, Ottawa, Ottawa, Ottawa, K1N 5T7, Canada
Rating: 7

Air conditioning

Smoke-free property

Heating

Television in lobby

Terrace

All Spaces Non-Smoking (public and private)

No elevators

Reception desk

General

Non-smoking rooms

Family room

Linens

Rooms

Laundry

Luggage storage

Services and amenities

Coffee/tea for guests

Common kitchen

Meals

Free Wi-Fi

Internet

Barbecue grill(s)

Barbeque

Recreation

Playroom

Family/Kid Friendly

Kids

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

Extra decontamination measures

Personal protection equipment for guests

Contactless check-in and/or check-out

Additional measures against COVID-19

Health and Safety Measures

Location

At the hostel

Gatineau Airport

Ottawa/Macdonald-Cartier International Airport

Ottawa Backpackers Inn

Ottawa

Actually I was there in the summer of 2022. I had a single room on the 1st floor. It was fine. I liked the available coffee ... No issues for me, but perhaps because I am 65+ and had a single room. I also liked the free parking in bzck.

Because of this ed experience I am renting a sin gh li bedroom in mid-August 2023 with the same parking too. Don't expect any "issues" this visit, either.

A good basic clean single room.

I stayed two nights at the hostel and found the place super quiet. The location is excellent, very close to Parliament and the most important places in the city. They have shared and private rooms, I stayed in the shared one with six beds. It also has shared kitchen and living area. The best cost x benefit I've found in Ottawa.

The best cost-benefit I've found in Ottawa.

I’ve stayed in a many a hostel in many a country in my time as a solo traveller, I have yet to experience the anything close to the experience I had here, shoes stolen on CCTV at 2am seemingly brushed under the carpet even though the culprit was identified! My closest shower had mold on the ceiling, wasn’t sure if the bar of soap was provided for guests or if it was made up of the dead skin cells of the racist long term guests that congregate in the living area to seemly discuss the issues of the day and to return to their seats indented with there exact figure due to over use. The smell of cannabis was potent at the front and rear of the building and was almost unbearable to times. I never used the common area’s with the aging populous as it constantly felt I was living in a real life faulty towers. The staff on the other hand were fabulous, couldn’t do enough for us guests, hats of to you, you can only work within you’re means. I had been made aware to keep all belongings within eyesight at all times, I was told by fellow travelers in OTHER hostels outside of Ottawa. This really does need addressing and I’m sorry I’ve had to be the one to do it. A lick of paint is only the start of fixing the issues, I’m not even sure Alex Polizzi could fix this without a huge financial backing.

House of Horrors

This was a quirky little place that I actually liked. The staff working were incredibly warm and welcoming to the of us that stayed here together.

It wasnt too far from the centre of ottawa so theres plenty around you.

Unfortunately the aircon in our room seemed to be broken which meant for a very hot nice sleep.

Its very reaaonably priced with a cozy atmosphere.

Quirky little hostel

One hostel is ok in Ottawa!The bedrooms are named after several regions of America.The room I stayed in had only a toilet without shower and to take a bath I had to go downstairs.I didn't have breakfast but all right, I was warned.

Hostel in the capital of Canada

Dirty, smelly dorm rooms. - air conditioning is a complete joke (a small unit in a window that would stuggle to keep a small room cool not at all suitable for dorm with 10 people!)
Constant smoking front and back porch - whole place stank of canabis. 
Long term residents dominated and were a little creepy at times - 
Issues with cleaning
Lack of bathrooms
Security issues - people just wonder in and out (whats the point of only one of the door's being locked?) 
lack of sufficient lockers 
Dishonest pricing

Area is very sketchy ... nearby shelters and many drug and homlessless issues .

There is free tea and coffee and wifi - other than that I cannot find much positive to say.

A dive ... not alot more to say

It's like staying in a Canadian home. Very homey and the facade is beautiful; very Canadian in style. Very comfortable and accessible. It's close to the main attractions of Ottawa. The space is spacious and very clean. The kitchen is quite clean and complete. The receptionists are very friendly and attentive.

Hermoso!

- The hostel is particularly well located, next to the Market By, within walking distance of the Parliament, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Canal Rideau, many parks, etc. There is also a grocery store (Metro), a liquor company (LCBO) and a Dollarama nearby. - When I went, the bathrooms were very clean and I saw the housekeeper at work during my stay and she was cleaning them at work every night. - When I finally got to the main hostel, the canal Rideau, many parks, etc. There is also a grocery store (Metro), a liquor company (LCBO) and a Dollarama nearby. - When I went, the bathrooms were very clean, and I saw the housekeeper at work during my stay and she was cleaning them at work. - When I finally got to the front of the hostel, I decided to buy a carpet, and I could not use a carpet, so I decided to make a carpet, so I decided to make a carpet, and I finally got to the front of the hostel to make a two-hourred room,

One of my worst experiences in a youth hostel

Ottawa Backpackers Inn is getting this one-star review because they "lost" our booking and because of how they handled the issue (or, rather, didn't handle it) after it came to light. 

My partner and I booked a private room at the hostel over a summer long weekend (from Friday to Monday) directly on their website. We received an e-mail confirmation for the booking. However, when we arrived on the Friday, we were informed that our booking was only for the one night. Initially, the staff member on the desk blamed us for the issue, saying that we had changed the booking after we had initially made it (we had not) or had booked the wrong nights (we did not). At our insistence, he checked their online reservation system and confirmed that we were correct - we had booked for all three nights with no changes. He had no explanation for why our correct three-night booking was not showing up in their bed scheduling system. However, because of this, we had only been scheduled to be in the room for one night, and someone else had been able to book the room for the rest of the weekend. All of the other private rooms were fully booked. He reluctantly offered us beds in one of their large dorms - however, this was not a practical alternative for us (we were travelling with multiple bags/suitcases, including laptops, because we had planned for the private room we had booked). At no point did he offer any sort of discount or even an apology,  saying only that he “felt bad”.

In the end, after we spent a portion of the Friday calling around, we were fortunate enough to get a hold of a friend before they left town for the weekend and were able to stay at their place for the remaining two nights of our trip. If we had not had that as a resource, we would have been put in a bind - because it was a summer long weekend, a lot of the other options were fully booked or quite expensive.

The hostel itself was fine - a bit run down and pricey for what it was, but consistent with other hostels in Canada. However, because of our experience, we will not be staying with them again and will be cautioning others not to do so either.

Lost booking and unhelpful staff

As soon as we entered we found ourselves in front of a couple of shelves where all the guests' shoes are showing off very well; on the ground old antique carpets and some looted from use; for the hallway and up to the back exit and along the stairs we breathed a softened air from the flavourings of spices and various kitchens that the guests use. We had the car for a minimum payment in the back of the structure and that for 2 times I had to move because at the check-in the prefect gave me the wrong place; the outside of my little-interrupted structure; the room, in the basement, had a shared bathroom with the staff of the structure, a really insufficient window and a shade of light and the lamp was right back to the hotel and the day it worked.

Ottawa Backpackers Inn

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