VICTORIAN CHARM MEETS THE WIRELESS AGE, TRAVELODGE DORAL INN OTTAWA
Written: Dec 12 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Location, free Internet.
Cons: No pool, lousy breakfast, small towels
The Bottom Line: Probably not the best place to stay in Ottawa, but far from the worst.
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| JAMES23's Full Review: Travelodge Doral Inn Ottawa |
I recently spent a weekend in Ottawa to see some friends and visit the new Canadian War Museum. As it’s cold in Ottawa in the winter and as I frown on sleeping in the streets as a rule, this meant booking a room there.
I checked out various options online and consulted with the friends in Ottawa, which incidentally strikes me as odd, when people ask me to recommend a place to stay in Toronto I’m honest with them, and say I really don’t know. I live here and therefore don’t use local hotels. Restaurants, bars and assorted local attractions I can suggest, but don’t ask mw where to lay your head down in my hometown.
Eventually after looking at several options I settled on the Doral Inn mainly because it was close to the war museum and the place where I’d be having dinner. Considering the company I’d with and the copious amounts of adult beverages consumed, having a hotel an easy five-minute stagger away was fortuitous.
The Doral Inn is a recently renovated Victorian Inn now run by the Travelodge chain. The original building dates from 1879. It’s more of a bed and breakfast that a chain hotel, small and quaint for those looking for that sort of thing.
It’s located in the west end of the city on Albert Street near Bay. As I said this makes it convenient to the War Museum and in fact in bills itself as the closet hotel to that institution. In fact it is within walking distance, 15-20 minutes. Parliament Hill with the Parliament buildings and Supreme Court of Canada are about an equal distance away in the other direction.
However the Doral Inn is not convenient to downtown Ottawa’s two nightlife and entertainment districts, Elgin Street by the Rideau Canal and the Bytown Market area. It is possible to walk there but count on it being fair hike. A taxi to this area should run under $10.00.
There are several restaurants and/or pubs in the immediate area though. The Glue Pot a local sports bar and the Black Bear are within five minutes. I can personally vouch for both of them. There is also a 24-hour convenience store across the street form the inn.
As I said this is more of a bed and breakfast than a full-scale hotel and as such amenities are limited. There is no pool or health centre. The hotel does have a deal with the nearby Delta Hotel that allows guests to use their facilities for an $8.00 charge.
The Doral Inn does have a small business centre and meeting facilities. There is a lounge off of the main lobby with free high speed Internet access for guests. In addition all the rooms are equipped with free wireless high speed Internet access. In fact I noticed that I was also able to access the wireless network of the bed and breakfast next door from my room. Local telephone calls are also complimentary which does save on roaming charges for visitor.
There are a limited number of small safety deposit boxes in the lobby, and the hotel will store bags for guest after checkout if they have a late evening departure. There is also a dry-cleaning and laundry service available.
The hotel offers a complimentary breakfast from 7:00 am to 10:00. To be honest it probably isn’t worth getting up for just cereal, toast and/or muffins and some fruit with juice and coffee. In fact the complimentary coffee is available 24 hours a day for those who can’t be bothered to use the coffee maker in the room.
There is a selection of local and national newspapers and a few magazines available in the small Atrium off of the lobby.
The normal selection of what to do brochures and information on local tourist attractions and dining and entertainment options are available in the lobby. In addition there are a selection of free maps of Ottawa with many of the major attractions marked on them for guests to avail themselves of.
There is limited parking for guests to the rear of the building. The hotel does not offer an airport shuttle but the Ottawa local transit system has a stop across the street. This takes one to the train station in less time than a taxi would using dedicated bus lanes. There are of course taxis available.
There are 40 guest rooms available and if mine was any indication they’re all small and basic. There was a clock radio, TV with basic cable, although no pay per view movie options and a coffee maker and small fridge but no mini-bar. There is an iron and ironing board in the closet, although it may be hard to set it up if needed as I said the rooms were tiny.
Baseboard heating/air-conditioning with easy to use controls were also in the room. There is a safety lock and the room is equipped with a modern card key access and one that does not shut off the air conditioner/lights when you leave the room. Incidentally the property is quite secure and the front door is locked after 11:00 PM with access strictly controlled by the front desk staff from then on.
The bathroom was again on the small side, but clean and no shortages of hot water that I noted. There is a selection of complimentary toiletries and an adequate supply of towels.
My only complaint was that the towels seemed to be a bit on the small side. Maybe I’ve been spoiled in the past but I find it hard to dry off after my shower with a tea towel.
All rooms are non-smoking and signage advising guests that I $100.00 cleaning fee will be charged are prominently displayed. Incidentally the guest notice on the room door must date from the inn’s original days as it makes note of horses and livestock.
Rates vary and there are the normal discounts for corporations, government etc. There is also a long stay option. I booked two nights for $95.00 Canadian per night plus tax (total $212.00).
Overall I’d rate the Travelodge Doral Inn a fair value and would probably stay there again if visiting. I’d just remember to go out for breakfast and pack my own towel.
Recommended:
Yes
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JAMES23
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Member: James Smith
Location: Toronto Ontario CANADA
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