Stay downtown for a first visit. Below are the top-rated hotels in each area on our Google Maps formula, and the chain hotels our list leaves out.
Where to stay in Ottawa: the short answer
For a first visit, stay downtown, close to Parliament Hill, the ByWard Market and the Rideau Canal. Ottawa Tourism groups this core as the ByWard Market and Rideau Street, Elgin Street and the Golden Triangle, Centretown, and Sparks Street with Parliament Hill. Visitors who want more space for the money can look at Gatineau, Kanata, Orléans or the airport area.
As of 2026-10-29, the top-rated hotel on the fromOttawa Score is Adam's Airport Inn (4.7 stars, 992 reviews, 2721 Bank St). It is on Bank Street in the south end, toward the airport, not downtown. The best-ranked downtown option is #2, ByWard Blue Inn (4.5 stars, 1,324 reviews, 157 Clarence St).
How the hotel list works, and what it leaves out
Our hotel list ranks 43 places out of 205 records. It uses public Google Maps ratings and review counts pulled on 2026-10-29, with a minimum of 10 reviews, and weighs each rating against the Ottawa-area average of 3.786. The list is due for a refresh on 2027-01-27. The full formula is on our methodology page.
The list leaves out hotels from chains with 10 or more locations in Canada, and holds back brand hotels while their chain count is checked. That is why you will not find Fairmont Château Laurier, the Westin, Andaz, Delta, or the Hilton and Marriott hotels near the airport in our ranks, even where they rate well. Château Laurier, for example, shows 4.4 stars on 7,299 reviews. Brookstreet in Kanata is not ranked because Google Maps lists its main category as Restaurant, not Hotel. We also leave out casino and alcohol-led properties. Most hotels in Kanata and near the airport are chain hotels, so those areas have almost no ranked rows.
Downtown, Centretown, the ByWard Market and Sandy Hill
Fourteen of our 43 ranked hotels are downtown, in Centretown, the ByWard Market or Sandy Hill. The top picks there by score are ByWard Blue Inn (#2), The Business Inn & Suites at 180 MacLaren St (#3, 4.4 stars, 3,005 reviews), reStays Luxury Boutique Hotel at 101 Queen St (#4, 4.5 stars, 503 reviews), Metcalfe Hotel at 123 Metcalfe St (#5, 4.4 stars, 974 reviews) and Lord Elgin Hotel at 100 Elgin St (#6, 4.3 stars, 3,612 reviews).
For a smaller stay in Sandy Hill, Swiss Hotel at 89 Daly Ave is #7 (4.4 stars, 375 reviews) and The Ambassador Inn at 450 Laurier Ave E is #10 (4.5 stars, 147 reviews). Ottawa Tourism lists bed and breakfasts in Sandy Hill and Centretown, and calls Sparks Street pedestrian-only.
Gatineau, Kanata, the airport and other areas
Gatineau, across the river in Quebec, holds 13 of our 43 ranked hotels. The highest are Adam Motel at 100 boul. Gréber (#8, 4.2 stars, 1,585 reviews), Auberge de la Gare at 205 boul. Saint-Joseph (#13, 4.0 stars, 549 reviews) and Hotel Chateauneuf Plaza at 2 rue Montcalm (#24, 3.8 stars, 1,232 reviews). Gatineau has its own bus system, STO. Uber and Lyft can drop off in Quebec but cannot pick up there.
In Kanata, our only ranked row is Brooktrout Properties Suites (#21, 4.4 stars, 16 reviews). Toward the airport, Adam's Airport Inn leads the whole list. Ottawa Tourism also lists stays in Orléans and near Dows Lake and Little Italy, plus hostels, motels and university residences, one of which is open from May to August.
Where to stay for Winterlude, Canada Day and Gatineau Park
Winterlude 2027 runs January 29 to February 15, 2027. It is the 49th edition, and the official page does not list sites yet. The Rideau Canal Skateway, 7.8 km long, usually opens between January and early March, weather permitting. It is free and open 24/7 when open.
Canada Day 2027 plans are not announced yet. In 2022, events were held mainly at LeBreton Flats Park because of the Parliament renovations, so check the official page before you book.
Gatineau Park covers more than 361 square kilometres. The NCC runs summer camping at Philippe Lake, which has ten mini-chalets, and canoe-camping at La Pêche Lake. The 2026 season ran June 12 to October 12, and 2027 reservations open at a later date. Winter cabins, yurts and four-season tents are in the Philippe Lake sector and are reached on skis or snowshoes. Booking for 2026-27 winter stays is not open yet. The Visitor Centre is in Old Chelsea, 819-827-2020.
Staying without a car
The airport is about a 20-minute drive from downtown, and OC Transpo bus route 105 and the O-Train serve it. VIA's Central Station is minutes east of downtown, with a second station at Fallowfield in Barrhaven. Montreal is about 2 hours away by car, and Toronto about 4.5 hours.
Ottawa runs OC Transpo and Gatineau runs STO. You can transfer between them at several O-Train Line 1 stops and at Place d'Accueil on Maisonneuve Boulevard in Gatineau. E-scooters run April to November, and in warm months a water taxi runs between sites on the Ontario and Quebec sides of the river. Ottawa Tourism does not list fares, so check OC Transpo and STO before you travel.
Questions and answers
Where should I stay in Ottawa for the first time?
Downtown, near Parliament Hill, the ByWard Market and the Rideau Canal. Fourteen of our 43 ranked hotels are downtown, in Centretown, the ByWard Market or Sandy Hill, led by ByWard Blue Inn (#2) and The Business Inn & Suites (#3).
Is the top-rated hotel in Ottawa downtown?
No. As of 2026-10-29, #1 on the fromOttawa Score is Adam's Airport Inn at 2721 Bank St, in the south end toward the airport.
Why is the Château Laurier not on your list?
Our hotel list leaves out hotels from chains with 10 or more locations in Canada and holds back brand hotels, including Fairmont Château Laurier, the Westin, Andaz, Delta, Hilton and Marriott, while their chain count is checked. The rules are on our methodology page.
Which areas in Ottawa are considered sketchy?
We have not found an official source that ranks areas this way, so we do not label any. Take normal city care at night, and read a hotel's recent reviews for comments about its street.
Sources
- fromOttawa place data: best-hotels list (Google Maps ratings and review counts). Checked .
- Ottawa Tourism: Where to stay. Checked .
- Ottawa Tourism: Neighbourhoods. Checked .
- Ottawa Tourism: Getting here. Checked .
- Ottawa Tourism: Getting around. Checked .
- Canada.ca: Winterlude. Checked .
- Canada.ca: About Canada Day. Checked .
- NCC: Rideau Canal Skateway. Checked .
- NCC: Gatineau Park. Checked .
- NCC: Summer camping in Gatineau Park. Checked .
- NCC: Winter camping in Gatineau Park. Checked .
- NCC: Gatineau Park Visitor Centre. Checked .