Stay Report: Best Western Plus - Downtown Suites (Ottawa, Canada - October 2017)

Stay Report: Best Western Plus Ottawa Downtown Suites
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I was going to be in Ottawa for work, and the company put us up at the Best Western Plus Ottawa.  It is the first time I have ever stayed at a Best Western Plus so I was not sure what to expect.

The hotel is located on the edge of downtown near the Canadian Museum of Nature, and is a 15-20 minute walking distance to many areas.  When you enter the hotel lobby, in front is the large check-in desk while to left is a small sitting area.  Free water is provided in the lobby (which is a nice gesture).  Further into the hotel, after the check-in desks, is the sitting area and where the free breakfast is provided.  Continuing ahead are barstool desks which provide nice work spaces as they have electrical ports on the desks (a nice touch).  In this hallway are also where the elevators are located, access to the meeting rooms, as well as rooms on the first floor.  Check-in was relatively quick, I received my key as well as access code to the wifi, and took the elevators to my room.

I had never stayed at a Best Western nor Best Western Plus, so was not sure what to expect the room to look like.  When I entered, it looked like a standard hotel room.  You enter the room into a hallway.  On the left is the wall to the adjacent room, while on the right is the bathroom.  The bathroom had a tub, a toilet, and a sink with some counter space behind the toilet.  The bathroom was a decent size and it was stocked with lots of towels (another plus point).  

Continuing along the hallway, also on the right hand side was a kitchenette.  This contained a counter with a small sink and a coffee maker on the counter.  There were cabinets above the sink as well as a microwave, and below there were additional cabinets and a refrigerator.  Both amenities were nice to have, but it would also have been nice to have some forks, knives, and/or plates to go along.  

Further into the room, on the left was a chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV on top.  Continuing along the wall was a desk.  The desk was large enough to provide a good working space, and the desk contained the lan internet connection as well as outlets on the lap (which only worked when the lamp was on).  Next to the desk was the window which looked out onto the city. 

Against the other side of the wall were the two beds.  This room had two double beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The beds were high and provided a decent nights sleep; the only negative were that there lots of pillows on the bed (I counted 6 on one bed).  One bed was closer to the window while the second bed was closer to the bathroom.  The bed next to the bathroom had an outlet on the other side (which was convenient, but only one plug worked) and there was also access to the closet.  The closet was located in a nook behind the kitchenette.  It was an odd location because it faced the bed so really only one person would have access to the closet.  The closet contained a safe, an iron and ironing board.  Overall, the room was decent - not spacious and not cramped.  The decor was a bit outdated but looked nice enough.

Amenities in the hotel included a fitness center with a sauna (which I was told was very nice), meeting rooms, work spaces (which were a nice addition and which had power outlets), free wifi (which was decent but a bit inconsistent), and complimentary breakfast.  Breakfast was served in the lobby and there were a variety of mostly cold items.  There were some hot and fresh items available, but it was the standard complimentary breakfast (similar to what other major chains - HI Express, Hampton, etc - have provided).  

As I stated, it was my first experience at a Best Western.  Going into it, I was not sure what to expect and having stayed here I am not sure what the difference was.  The hotel was a standard hotel room with some additional amenities.  The additional amenities are welcomed by the guest and that makes for a decent stay.