First things first. It's a private club and all that entails: by invitation only, strict jacket…read moreand tie dress code, no cell phones. Not everybody's cup of tea but if you've ever wondered about the 'special elevator' in the Sun Life Building, here's the deal. Legend has it that the original venerable Rideau Club burnt down shortly after they admitted women (Ha!), so they moved it to the swanky (and fire-resistant) top floor of the Sun Life Building at 99 Bank. Once you get up top, there are lots of portraits of PMs (Poor Kim Campbell sticks out like a lamb among the goats). Also, there a big chunk of sculpted stone from the original Rideau mounted on the wall. You enter the main lobby and are greeted by the most gracious and professional concierge ever. After discreetly giving you the dress-code once-over, the concierge will direct you to the mens' or ladies' dressing rooms. The dressing rooms encompass a coat room, little lounge (to make forbidden cell phone calls) and a super-deluxe washroom. The "club" is divided into various private dining and function rooms, the members' dining room, a bar and other little nooks and crannies. Decor is plush - like a swankier and slightly more modern Chateau Laurier. The coolest part - if you find this kind of thing cool - is that the place is full of (mostly retired) politicos, journalists, etc. It's a bit like your grade 10 social studies text book has come to life. The second best part is the food and the service. The food is excellent - full meals, appetizers at receptions - all are very very good. I had a creme brule with shortbread the other night that made me faint with delight. I have never seen anything too experimental or fusion in their repertoire. This is your grandfather's food (if grandpa was a governor general). The service is also excellent. These folks are pros. Despite the strict entry and deportment requirements, once you clear the door, every guest is treated with equal warmth and attentiveness. Yup, private clubs are anachronistic and elitist but if you get a chance, polish your shoes, borrow a necktie and check it out - if only for the creme brule.

TL;DR/The Short Version: Cool event space in the Zibi complex…read more The Long Version: I've been to Place des Festivals Zibi twice now, both for Cirque du Soleil performances, but they hold other events there too like the Gatineau Festibière (beer festival). My first visit to Place des Festivals Zibi was in 2017 when they first opened and my second visit was in 2024. They have parking on-site, which I used during my 2024 visit. It's quite large and while not paved (and had no parking lines painted) it wasn't too chaotic (but I was sure to come earlier, park near the exit, and I backed into my parking spot to facilitate a quick getaway, lol). Our parking was included in our show tickets but signage said it was $20 otherwise. For the events I went to, they had security who checked your bags and you have to walk through a metal detector. The security staff were pleasant and respectful. The washrooms were port-a-potties, but they were the most modern port-a-potties I've ever seen (mind you, I avoid public washrooms as much as possible and even more so port-a-potties, so I haven't used many in my life, haha). These things had flushing toilets and running water (!) They were like the washrooms in airplanes and trains. I think these were brought in by the Cirque du Soleil folks though, so the type of port-a-potties might depend on what event is going on. The event space itself is large. I'll talk a bit about my experiences there, but keep in mind they were both for Cirque du Soleil shows (Volta in 2017 and Echo in 2024). For Volta, I was there on I believe Media Night (it was 6 years ago and my memory of details of it is not the best, sorry), so I got some bonus perks like free champagne and some snacks like pretzels and macarons. For Echo, my husband won a pair of VIP tickets through Hilton Rewards and our experience was magnificent. The VIP tent opened an hour before the show and we were greeted with red or white wine and Prosecco. There was an open bar. They had a small self-serve food station and staff walking around offering more food. The self-service station had cold cuts, cheese, spreads and salads. The staff distributed food were cute small plated portions dishes like pulled beef with mashed potatoes, chicken with rice, gnocchi and fish tacos. The food was delicious and staff were professional. We got popcorn for the show. For intermission, we had access to the open bar and the self-service station was filled with mini desserts. We also got a gift which was a tote bag and an umbrella. The VIP experience was excellent and we loved it, especially since we won the tickets, lol. The price printed on the ticket was $290 per ticket. This did not include the "meet the artists" after the show component, which I believe is the next tier of VIP tickets. So we didn't meet the artists, haha, but two artists did come by the VIP tent for some photo ops briefly before the show. Kudos to the event organizers for not overselling VIP tickets. The VIP tent was not overcrowded, between the actual tent and the cordoned off outdoor area, there was lots of space and tables and plenty of food to go around. There was never a long line up for self-service stations, the food was regularly replenished and used plates and cutlery were cleared in a timely manner. Everything worked like a well oiled machine. Entrances were well marked and which entrance to use was on your ticket. They had ushers to help you find your seat. When the show was over they had people directing traffic. I was impressed how things were well organized. (203)

This sailing club has lots to offer, whether you have a boat or not…read more Want to try out sailing? There's a company that teaches out of this club, Advantage Boating. They supply the boat. Want to race? Sign up to crew on someone else's boat, and make some new friends. Moving to Ottawa with your boat? Call them and see if they have an opening. From Laser racing and on up to the larger boats there's something for everyone. Nice people, well maintained docks and a strong volunteer corp make this a great club.

Facilities are adequate for Ottawa. The Galley is okay- good for a snack, sometimes the food is a…read morelittle pricey. Their patio is very nice to hang out on a summer night after a sail. Bathroom is usually clean.

Beautifully new conference centre. I went to the FI conference here, and felt the venue contributed…read moreto the success of the event. Lots of natural light, comfortable seating, and modern interiors. Conveniently located right next to Rideau centre, and it connects to the mall too!

Since it's opening, I've been to the Ottawa Convention Centre about 6 times, with the latest visit…read morebeing today, for the Wedding Palace Bridal Show. My husband-to-be and I just got engaged and decided to attend the show to get an idea of all the things we should be planning for in the next year or two. While being around hoards of women tend to give me "b*tch, please" anxiety, all of the vendors' booths were set up in organized aisles, which helped us weave through the crowd and tame my OCD tendencies as much as I could have in such sardine situations. I've been here for the Food and Wine Show, a couple of women's shows, Sexapalooza, and last year's wedding show. Though it's always packed with people, I don't remember there being this many vendors wall to wall. Not going into too much detail about the specific event, the actual venue itself is pretty ginormous for its prime, downtown location. With all of the glass globe windows, it's pretty hard to miss. I must admit, however, that because the large events I've attended are held on the top floor, it takes 2-3 escalators to get up there, and though I'm not afraid of heights, my first time going up those things made my eyes pop out of a head a little bit when I looked back and down after getting to the top. They seem so long and steep! Obviously, considering the height of the building, but still! Oh, and who could forget the ATM so strategically placed right at the top of the escalators before entering the main area through the open doors. It's been awhile since I've bought anything to eat there, but they usually have food and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks available. You can take the drinks around with your while you peruse whatever show is currently happening at the time, and there's also a fair-sized seating area with tables to eat at, and some couches to lounge on when your feet need a rest. Multiple restrooms are also easily accessible all around, though I found waste bins to be scarcer than they should have been for such large groups of people. The decor isn't anything special, really. It's generally a greyish color, but at night they turn on different colored lights, like pink and blue. Because of this, the venue lends itself to both business- and pleasure-related events. Of course, you can rent out the space for your own events, but I'm sure the cost will be up the wazoo, just like the coat check, which was $3 each and no two-coats-on-one-hanger allowed (whatever, I'm cheap, so sue me). 5/30 #30DaysOfYelp

Great venue. I recently attended a wedding there and really enjoyed myself. The food was good…read more Staff were polite and amazing, and we were able to celebrate with the newly weds until the next day! The setup was beautiful as well. Kudos to management and team! I was highly impressed!

One of these days I actually WILL get in to try the cafe. But darn it - I'll have to try that again…read morebefore 2:30 pm! We were about 45 minutes too late for this today, as we were looking for a coffee date together. Meanwhile, I've got to say that this is a great big facility; bright and clean, except I can't speak for the cafe coz I missed it again! The garden centre is open till 5:00 but the cafe closes at 2:30. They do cater weddings, and as a result this facility is more upscale; expect to pay over $30 per person. They will provide the staff, linens, and food of your choice. I will keep trying to get to the cafe for breakfast or lunch, and re-evaluate the experience once I am able to do that.

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.

Brand new renovated rink. City View CC is now bright, spacious, and modern. Bar on-site.read more

Excellent brunch today. As always the food prepared is fresh and the servers from the local cadet…read morecorps led by Lara did a fantastic job at ensuring that all the guests were well taken care of. This legion welcomes all. The meals served here are always good and well priced.