I have stayed at Fairmont Chateau Laurier in Ottawa in the past and returned this month.  It is not my favorite hotel in the city and several small details are missing but it can be suitable in some circumstances so I can recommend it.  

Location

The location of Fairmont is hard to beat, right in the city center and next door to the parliament.  It is a historical building with some appeal to tourists but in terms of iconic landmark I would say a notch below the Fairmont Château Frontenac in Québec City.  

Room

I booked the entry level room and as Platinum guest I received a two-category upgrade to a deluxe room.  Since am a repeat guest at this property and booked during low season on a weekend (even lower occupancy), my only conclusion is that Platinum suite upgrades are most likely out of bounds at this property, at least if booking the entry level room.  While I wish they were more generous with the upgrade, in fairness I can say that this upgrade was decent, the cash value is not immaterial like some other hotels, and the upgrade was not just for a view.  I stayed in the basic room in Fairmont Ottawa before and it is quite cramped (27 sq meters) and I much prefer the deluxe room we got this time, which is 37 sq meters and also includes a sofa bed so you can comfortably have 4 guests in that room.   In addition the view was nice; our room was on the 6th floor overlooking the Ottawa river and we could see the Hilton hotel (Gatineau) in the distance. 

The rooms were renovated recently but there are more features than in Fairmont Québec City that were left untouched for example the old style wood doors.  While the room was spacious, the bathroom is definitely not: you can barely squeeze in when you open the door.  Also the shower is in a bathtub which I do not like much, but at least it had a rain shower in it.  In terms of bathroom amenities the Fairmont in Québec City was more generous with mouthwash available and large bottles of Le Labo products with my name printed on them despite the fact that it was my first visit there.  I have been to Fairmont Ottawa several times and there you get small bottles and for other items such as mouthwash you need to call to get them.  There was also no Platinum welcome amenity in the room such as fruits or chocolates and also no welcome letter which is a minor disappointment for a hotel of this level and they miss an opportunity to provide recognition to guests and encourage loyalty.

Dining

The breakfast buffet at Château Laurier is fairly good and included eggs benedict, roasted veggies, in addition to standard western breakfast items.  Overall the quality was on par with the Fairmont name particularly the smoked salmon which was excellent.  The restaurant provides a nice environment for breakfast and did not feel overcrowded.  While the quality of breakfast was good, the overall offering remains below what you get at Andaz Ottawa where they have an extensive a la carte menu to go along the buffet.  In Fairmont the a la carte menu is more modest and you cannot combine it with the buffet.

We used our welcome drinks at the hotel bar.  The area is nice and they allow you virtually any drink you want from the menu (within reason) which is more generous than almost any other Accor property we have visited regarding those welcome drinks.  The Jungle Fire cocktail was interesting with the server lighting up the drink, literally.  

Fairmont has a Gold lounge and although you need to pay for it (no free access as Platinum), at least it’s an option for those who want it which gives an edge to Fairmont over Andaz and Westin Ottawa.  In Ottawa other than Fairmont, if you want a lounge you have to go to Gatineau for the Hilton, or in Ottawa proper the options with a lounge are not of the same caliber as Fairmont: Marriott, Delta, Sheraton.  Upon check-in I was offered a special rate of 75 CAD for a couple to upgrade to the Gold floor.  Since my rate already included breakfast I declined for this time, but I was left to wonder if I had picked the lowest pre-paid rate without breakfast, whether the offer would have been the same at 75 CAD or not.  If so then it would be a very good deal.  I would be curious to hear if others have received this offer when booking a low rate without breakfast.  Next time in Ottawa on a weekend when hotel occupancy is low such as in November and when I suspect the Gold floor will not be busy, I might very well try booking the lowest rate and see if we will receive a good offer for Gold or not, which would give us breakfast by default.

We ordered room service once and the shrimps + crab cake were delicious and well presented.

Wifi

Wifi was fine but the speed 10 Mbps leaves a bit to be desired for a hotel like this one which strives to be the best in the city and which hosts several business guests.  

Gym

The gym is quite good, TV and internet were hooked up to machines and in working condition, and there were several weight machines.  

Service

Upon check-out I noticed that the 50 CAD food & beverage credit which was also included in my rate (on top of free breakfast) was not showing up on my bill.  This hotel is not new and this rate type is not new either.  I wonder why the credit is not automatically added to the invoice and how many unsuspecting guests end up overpaying.  Regarding check-out time, I am not sure what is the exact policy for Platinum guests.  The Accor website says we have late check-out as a Plat benefit but it does not specify the time, so does it mean it’s not really a benefit and each hotel can do what they want?  I called the morning of departure to ask for late check-out and I was asked “are you Mr Goldman leaving tomorrow?”.  I said no, I am Mr Escape4 leaving today.  The front desk agent said that on her screen it said I am Mr Goldman, so that means someone is coming into that room and I must leave at noon.  Even after pushing it a bit and asking about Platinum late check-out I was denied, which showed zero flexibility because an incoming guest on a one-night stay can most likely be assigned a different room than mine particularly during low occupancy.  Anyway instead of arguing any further I hung up and I was disappointed by the lack of service.  I got a call back shortly after telling me that my room was already noted for 2pm check-out (why did this not come up before?) so I was fine to extend my stay. Then about a half hour later I got a second call informing me that I could check out at 4pm.  Bottom line it was good service recovery, but the situation could have all been avoided with a more proactive desk agent the first time around.

Overall

Overall my view of whether this hotel is good value for the money or not depends mostly on whether it is for week days or weekends.  During the week there are lots politicians who are not the most price-sensitive guests so Fairmont can sometimes charge high prices and get away with it; personally I find the value to be poor during the week more often than not.  On weekends however prices are lower throughout the city but the difference is generally more notable at Fairmont, which means the extra you pay for Fairmont relative to alternatives is more modest on weekends.  Of the four hotel chains that I usually stay at, the top option in Ottawa for each chain are Hilton, Westin, Andaz, and Fairmont.  The Hilton might be the best hotel of this group but it’s in Gatineau not in Ottawa so that can be a deal killer for some.  The Andaz is my favorite of the group and I am always treated very well there with frequent suite upgrades as Hyatt Globalist member.  Fairmont is usually more expensive than Andaz especially if you pick a rate that includes breakfast which I get for free at Andaz, but using Life Experiences gift cards at 25% off can make the price difference of Fairmont compared to Andaz less material and when I see suites are sold out at Andaz then the room type I get at Fairmont is comparable to Andaz because I know I will not get a suite upgrade at Andaz for that particular stay.  At the opposite end of the spectrum Westin is very stingy with elite benefits, even more so than Fairmont but a key difference is that at least Fairmont sticks to the rules whereas Westin can lie to guests and provide less than what they are entitled to (upgrades), so it’s by far my least favorite top end hotel in Ottawa.  That leaves Fairmont somewhat in the middle.  It’s a nice historical property which I could recommend to first timers in Ottawa but know that the “wow” factor is not the same as the Fairmont in Québec City.