friendly accommodating and creative staff in a beautiful modern venue. ability to bring food for…read morethe occasion and make some themes according to your needs. great experience here, affordable and highly recommended, Sandra K

We had my daughter's 10th birthday party here in September and she loved it. The wow factor was…read moregreat, everyone loved it. It felt like renting out a club, the girls were very excited. Karaoke is the main draw of course, but the room is also set up great for parties with lots of couches and areas to set up for doing presents and games and stuff. The staff was super accommodating and let the girls use the microphones to do play mafia and call bingo as well. Great spot, hidden gem, highly recommend if you're out of ideas for a birthday party!

This is my first time visiting this hotel. My friend and I didn't stay here but we came to check…read moreout their patio & lovely river view. We enjoyed our visit and will return again for sure . Thank you for having us.

Had a 3 day stay here on business. Decided to watch some of Game 7 of the World Series at the bar…read more Greeted enthusiastically by Megan the bartender and had a few pints with a co-worker. Friendly regulars and awesome service from Megan made it an enjoyable evening. If they had HD television it would have been even better.

I've eaten here three times now, and maybe it's the oil they use to cook their food or something…read moreelse but every time I've stopped by the observatory for food I've been sick right after. I usually get their chicken strips with fries, and it NEVER sits well with me. Sure, they taste good, but after twenty minutes I'm running to the washroom to toss it back up. A friend of mine has had their wrap and quesadillas and even she agrees that there's just something about the food that doesn't sit right in one's stomach. Overall, it's a really nice restaurant space - the fireplace is a nice, cozy touch. The food, however, leaves a bit to be desired. Prices are decent though, and they accept student meal plan, which is why I'm not giving them 1 star out of five.

The Observatory is run by the Algonquin Students' Association. I've been here once before for an…read moreevent where they had Perez Hilton come in, talk on stage, and sign autographs. A bunch of wooden chairs were set up facing the stage, and Perez gossiped about celebrities for an hour or so, told us how he got to be a famous blogger, answered some questions, signed t-shirts, and dropped as many F-bombs as he possibly could. The bouncers were a little too serious for the nature of the event and the guest of honour. You'd think that they'd lighten up a little considering it was Perez Hilton talking and not a concert or anything, but at least they made sure to keep everything safe and fight-free. Food and alcohol are offered at the Observatory. They are fully licensed and offer Starbucks coffee and a decent selection of sandwiches, salads, pizza, pub-fare, and breakfast, all for affordable prices. For those of you that are Algonquin College students, you can use your meal plan here. They also have couches, TVs, and pool tables if you want to hang out and/or study. It's also available for private rentals when it's not being used for other events. To contact the Observatory directly, here is their information via the website: Paul Norman, The Observatory Manager (613) 727-4723 ext. 5327 or by e-mail at normanp1@algonquincollege.com

We attended a graduation gathering there. Clean and very nice set up. Drinks were reasonably priced.read more

From the owner: We serve dinner every Friday, we have events like Comedians, The Grass River Players, and we rent…read moreour space out to the public for private events.

Dow's Lake is a man-made lake on the Rideau Canal. It's the site of many fun activities and there…read moreare several restaurants there with beautiful views of the water. You can rent canoes, kayaks, and pedal boats/paddle boats in the summer. In May there's the Tulip Festival which is technically in Commissioner's Park, but this park surrounds Dow's Lake. In the winter when the lake freezes over, you can skate on it, and it's connected to the Rideau Canal, so you can skate for a pretty good distance. There are 3 restaurants at Dow's Lake. Over the years they have changed, but currently the restaurants are Lago, Umbrella Bar, and Mexi's (aka Mexicali Rosa's). There's a paid parking lot nearby ($3.50 per 30 minutes up to a maximum of $14), or street parking ($0.25 per 6 minutes) a bit further away, or free parking on residential streets in neighbouring Little Italy (3 hour limit as per by-laws).

Dow's Lake Pavilion is a short distance away from the airport and Ottawa's downtown core. I like…read morethat you can escape from your daily routine to this picturesque area without doing a road trip. There are canoes and pedal boats that you can rent. You are required to sign a waiver, wear a life jacket, and put down a $20 deposit. You can use cash, and debit and credit cards, except for American Express. Sadly, Amex doesn't seem to be as widely accepted as it used to be. There are lockers where you can store your belongings when you are on the water. I recommend coming with what you truly need. I parked in the lot across from the Pavilion. Parking is $3.50 for 30 minutes, to a maximum of $14. I paid by credit card, which was great. I didn't risk parking on the street, but I know that I can now. It's cheaper that way, but you do have to be cognizant of the time. You can also dine here after a fun time out on the water. We ate at Mexi's. You have the option of dining in the restaurant or sitting out on the patio. I missed the tulip festival. Perhaps I'll plan my vacation and take them in next time. (254)

I *LOVE* this conference centre! I wish this wonderful city had had one of these a long time ago!!…read moreYes, the parking is expensive - we paid $10 the first time we were there, and $7 last weekend after it was taken over by Ernst & Young (and getting out of the parking lot is hugely better when the place isn't teaming with people!!) I've been here 3 times now, and once was by shuttle bus. I would recommend this as an option if you have the choice. You don't go here for the food. There are restaurants for that. You come here for to see demonstrations and sales shows. What I love about this place: First of all, I find it inviting, because of the wide, brightly lit and carpeted hallways (big windows let in natural light); the large, well lit function rooms (electric light); and the availability of a coat check. Most recently I attended the home and garden show here, and they were charging $3 per coat (forewarned is forearmed! At least you know now that they offer this service.) The Home Renovations show was good, but the Henry's Digital Show was stellar! It was Henry's who offered the shuttle bus, so you could have parked at one of their stores to catch the bus as we did, hitching a ride in Kanata, and it made one stop at their newest store on Hunt Club. Good advertising, I thought!! The first time we went here, I don't even remember what the show was, but that was when we paid $10 for parking, and I do recall that Lulu Lemon had a sale there that day as well, and the parking lot and the building was a ZOO!! The Lulu Lemon presentation had a lineup out the door! The show we attended was good, but the Lulu Lemon sale must have been a real hit! Mind you, I have heard that they never ever have a sale, so this was something special. After the Home Reno show this past weekend (18-20 January 2013), we noticed another exhibition hall was open, and they were advertising a sale on crocs and other sell-off stock, including some clothing. Entry to that exhibit hall was free, so we went in. I wanted a new pair of crocs which I got, but we did not find clothes at the right size. Ah well! It was enjoyable any way! What you find at the show all depends on the demonstrators who rent the spaces there, but overall, I've enjoyed what I've seen.

If it was possible to give 0 stars, that is the rating this centre would have received. Every…read moremember of this team that I spoke to was extremely rude and dismissive. They took out the frustrations that they had with the event organizers on the patrons. I will never return and be sure to share my experience will all who inquire about the EY Centre. The washrooms were closed promptly after the event and attendants were being turned away as if they were loiterers instead of paying attendees. At one point after the event, security guards were forcibly trying to remove patrons by kicking and spitting at them. I have never seen anything like this in my life. The entire staff was deplorable. Especially the security guards! Whether they were contracted or not it reflects poorly on the entire establishment. I expected much better overall treatment and service as a PAYING guest of the EY Centre. I will never return.

Ottawa is so lucky to have this facility. Located in the Riverside area near Billings Bridge it's…read moregot an unreal amount of stuff happening at all times of the year. Under their umbrella, there's a ton of fitness centres and wellness programs (like the Nepean Tennis Club!) under their "lifefit" heading. I had my first experience here in a summer camp when I was young, and then at a volleyball camp as a teen. As an adult, I appreciate all the clubs and sport leagues available. They also do training courses like CPR and First Aid, and have specialty classes like Fine Art which is cool. Their facility is a big one, and there's a ton to learn and see, so take your time and soak it all in. I'm a big advocate of checking out their website to see what might be of interest to your fine self. You can get an individual or family membership, and there's a lot of options, so if you get confused, maybe go in for a chat. The FieldHouse Bar and Grill is also a part of the centre and serves up breakfast, lunch dinner and snacks and drinks. There's also a sports shop that sells fitness gear like clothing, tennis rackets and they offer restringing which is helpful. They also have banquet and special event services as well as a massage and physiotherapy clinic! If you're looking to get active or make some new friends, this is an awesome place to check out. Also great for kids - they have a massive summer program!

I've never used the sports facilities here, but I really enjoy this location for conferences and…read moremeetings. They have multiple rooms that can be used for a number of different events. The lobby is nice and welcoming and the signage is very helpful to get the guests to where they need to be in the building. The food the catering staff creates is top quality and their event staff must be on point as I've never attended an event where anything went wrong from the venue's perspective. They recently added a temporary extension off the front. I'm not sure what this building houses. It includes an enclosed walkway from the main building to the new temporary building. That walkway is a bit awkwardly placed and makes cab drop-offs and pick-ups somewhat difficult. It's not possible to see the full driveway and getting passed the temporary walkway is a bit of a squeeze in order to get to the cab drop-off/pick-up. But with all new things come a few bumps, so I'm sure they'll figure this out quickly.

I really love live music. LOVE. Its too far for me to go too…read moreoften but some bands make it worthwhile. Overflow really brings in great attractions. Tickets around $25 makes for an affordable night out. Great, unassuming place to meet at with friends and party til 11pm or so. 0 judgement. Always great crowds. The staff is decent. Drinks, $9, not bad. My friend had a hamburger here last time and really enjoyed it. Sound in here is great. I'd heard the area wasn't great but... My car hasn't been touched... So far. I love not paying for parking.

Nice space. They only serve beer at this point but bring in food trucks for events. The room…read moreincludes a state and signs are up in the room and on their website for music events. This would be a great space to rent out for a party, find raiser, wedding, etc. And the beer is good. Hubs had the Crosswalk, an award winner for this brewery. I had the Porter and enjoyed it. Would I recommend? Yes Would I return? Yes

great service friendly,there music was also good young man did a great job food was fantastic ,wine…read moreandshampan were very good and main meal was real good will go back to them again with friends or family

We discovered this gem recently, and think everyone should try it. They have a smaller menu that…read morechanges regularly, which allows them to concentrate on making each item perfection. The staff are very friendly and go out of their way to ensure you have a great experience.

I recently stayed at this Hampton Inn for two nights. It's located about five minutes away from the…read moreairport, near a few other different hotels and convention center. While it's not in the heart of the city, you can access downtown rather easily. Being so close to the airport, the hotel does have a shuttle that you can call upon arrival. I ended up taking an Uber because they were readily available, but this is a great option if you don't want to pay. From there, check in was a breeze with the kind staff. This hotel does not have a bar or restaurant, but does have complimentary breakfast in the morning which features a wide array of hot foods like bacon, waffles and omelets, as well as fresh fruit, yogurt, oatmeal, and cereals. You definitely can find something for everyone! For lunch/dinner nearby, there are some restaurants in the same plaza as all the hotels. I ended up ordering delivery one night which was a breeze, as well. The fitness center is spacious and the equipment gets the job done. There is also an indoor pool and small patio for laying out if the weather obliges. The room itself also felt nice and open. The bathroom felt especially big! There's a mini fridge and microwave should that come in handy. All in all, this was a good option if you need to stay in this part of town. While I would've appreciated the option of even a mini shop with snacks/beverages to be available, it gets the job done and the proximity to the airport is clutch!

I've stayed at this hotel twice and it has become my favourite. The staff were excellent. They…read moreare kind, friendly and very accommodating. As usual, I bring my Lysol spray and Lysol wipes. I wipe down everything including high-touch areas. To my surprise, the wipes were spotless. During this time of covid, it was a relief to know that they had cleaned the room well between guests. They are located within walking distance of restaurants, convenience stores, and gas stations and they have a shuttle bus to the airport. They have free parking included. The facility has a pool and a nice workout room. There are conference facilities and a business area which I did not have to use. The rooms come with a microwave and mini fridge which is great for cold drinks and snacks. The room includes a hot breakfast and they do not disappoint. It is a self-serve breakfast with waffles, eggs, sausages, porridge, fruit, juices, yogurt, cereal and hot drinks. If you have an early flight, they provide a brown bag breakfast. There are servers there who assisted and replenished the items. They also keep the breakfast area spotless. I was very impressed. I highly recommend this hotel.