Reviews of HI-Ottawa Jail Hostel

02 February 2012 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Its location and the very experience of a cell

Disliked: Staff could look a little more pleased. Girl at the bar was very nice though. Price for non HI-members is higher than price on the site. Be careful

13 November 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: location

Disliked: too expensive for what they offer, plastic bed, no breakfast

30 October 2011 Samuel would recommend this property

Liked: Ill come back to party with you guys very soon. Richard is really cool at the bar. A huge thanks to David the night rep. always smiling and friendly:)

Disliked: My hangover in the morning :)

21 October 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: The atmosphere there was just great.

Disliked: It could have been a bit cleaner, specially the kitchen and the sanitary rooms.

20 October 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: the rooms (cells) were an experience

Disliked: Breakfast was poor

19 October 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Although on prison style bunk beds they were very comfortable car parking very reasonable for a canadian city centre

Disliked: nothing

18 October 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Location is really good. Staff is very helpful. We like it. Next time we will stay there!

Disliked: Haunting!! Actually nothing is dislike.

12 October 2011

Liked: Jail, cool, been said a million times. Also, it was conveniently located for sure.

Disliked: The noise. Holy shit, it was impossible to sleep. All sound bleeds, and people were pretty obnoxious at times on top of that. I tried to grab a half hour nap once and no fewer than six times in that half hour did something loud happen. I barely slept the whole three nights I stayed there, and it seriously affected my ability to do what I was in Ottawa to do.

29 September 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Location, Jail building

Disliked: Pc connected to internet didn´t work for 2 days. There was announced that the bar would be open, but it wasn´t.

29 September 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: the property itself

Disliked: I didn't like that there are 2 sorts of prices, for members and non-members and it wasn't stated clearly anywhere, it should be better visible (maybe to put 2 sorts of prices members, non-members)

15 September 2011

Liked: Staffs were well-informed and pretty kind. Well-organized.

Disliked: Quite spooky at night. Bad air conditioning and ventilation.

11 September 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Location, history of the place.

Disliked: Our lights didn't work and the front desk staff couldn't arrange to fix them. The novelty of being in a jail wore off after spending some time in the small rooms without windows.

01 September 2011

Liked: everything was fine

Disliked: Jails make for mentally small spaces

31 August 2011 MELIZA would recommend this property

Liked: the building and location. also the kitchen and common areas were cool

Disliked: the staff from the morning was very rude and without cheerful disposition. no aircon on room and showers separate from bathrooms

13 August 2011 cyril would recommend this property

Liked: Novelty of staying in a jail Comfy beds

Disliked: Too hot!

29 July 2011

Liked: Jail atmosphere, special, exiting, scary to get up at night. new kind. BBQ organized during the night. Nice living room and kitchen. Clean.

Disliked: The price on the website does NOT match the REAL price. You have to pay 10,64 extra dollars to visit the jail (the jail is YOUR hostel). 2 of the 3 staffs I met weren't very helpful or nice. Just answered your questions without any emotion. Sounded like you were talking to robots. Looks more like a hotel than a hostel

28 July 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Sleeping in a jail cell is original and is a sure-to-remember experience. The tours are nice as well. It's quite enjoyable and it's not your regular accomodation - also it is rumoured that some rooms are haunted, and we had a weird experience of our own!

Disliked: Not a place to meet other people. A lot of families and older people were staying there, and the only people at the bar were couples in their 50's or so. If you like quiet hostels you'll love it though. Maybe I just picked the wrong night... Also to be fair, it's walking distance to the bars. Other than that, it's not so cheap... It comes to $40 with no HI card. The tours are $10 each. If I were to go back to Ottawa I'd choose something cheaper because I don't think it's worth paying more.

25 July 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: This hostel has a lot of character, its unlike most hostels I've stayed at. The staff was friendly and helpful. It was a nice walking distance to shopping/resturants/sites. If you don't feel like going out at night there are great places in the hostel for hanging out with fellow travelers. There are lockers available in your rooms that are large enough to fit a small backpack. Kitchen facilities are great!

Disliked: No complaints.

25 July 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: The rooms, The historic tour of The jail. It was The highlight of our trop in Ottawa!

Disliked: No A.C. In some rooms (ours) and No air flowing... Very hot. Bathrooms were So So.

22 July 2011 camille would recommend this property

Liked: Nice place, which used to be a jail... Le décor en vaut la peine! A tour of the jail is organized every night (about 10 $) to know more about the history of the place

Disliked: No free breakfast and not a lot of showers and restrooms

10 July 2011

Liked: It's exactly as described on the internet.

Disliked: Even though it's a HI Hostel it doesn't include breakfast.

28 June 2011 Christina would recommend this property

Liked: It wasn't crowded, hence it was pretty quiet, which I liked.

Disliked: Only stayed one night.

25 June 2011 Jessica would recommend this property

Liked: the history behind the building

Disliked: the showers were a bit dirty

05 June 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: It was fun to stay at a former prison, the location was very good and the staff was helpful! The room was very clean, very spacious and had lockers for everybody.

Disliked: Our room's door didn't lock although we were given a key (sense??) but there was a security code to enter the area of the rooms. Furthremore there was only one toilet on the whole floor. The prison tour is only discounted , not free and it starts randomly before the advertised time, so be there early! For the money you pay for staying at a prison, many rooms don't look prison-like but are in the former staff quarters.

31 May 2011 Daniel would recommend this property

Liked: I like the historic qualities of the building.

Disliked: Parking entrance is a tight squeeze.