Surprisely, I got this for $55 on priceline. Typical Courtyard style property but was on the 1st floor next to the lobby (and it was not noisy at night). They had a microwave so I used that to heat up some leftovers. You truly can't beat the location. I loved going to the Byward Market for lunch and people watching. Plus, Parliament Hill is a quick walk.

We just spent 2 nights at the Courtyard and overall were extremely happy with our stay. It is not a luxurious Marriott property and could use a freshening up in spots, but the standards seemed quite high for a hotel in this category.

Location:
Easy walking distance to Parliament Hill, National Gallery of Canada and Rideau Centre in the heart of the Byward Market
Great choice of restaurants nearby as well.

Staff:
Efficient and attentive. We were kindly helped finding a wonderful little Italian restaurant nearby----Mama Grazzie's----complete with a map of the Byward Market area. We actually had a noise problem due to our room being next door to a wedding hospitality suite, and the problem was dealt with quickly and professionally. Thank you!

Room:
Fairly spacious, very clean. Beds were comfortable
Free wi-fi was easy to use, and the signal was strong enough to use Skype (to Dublin) with no problem. We were on the 4th floor overlooking the courtyard and pool. Bathroom was a good size with the shower/bath and toilet separate from the sink/mirror area. Worked out well for us. No problem with shower pressure or hot water.

Breakfast:
Buffet was fairly good with pastries, muffins, fresh fruit, yogurt and cereal. The hot oatmeal with raisins was a nice touch for a continental breakfast. The a la carte breakfast I had was tasty and very good value for $13 with a starter fresh fruit dish, an omelette, hash browns, toast and grilled tomato, juice and coffee. The wait staff work very hard, always with a friendly manner.

The very best part of the stay was getting all this for $119.25/night on the hotel website!

You generally know what you are getting with a Courtyard and this one delivers. Its an older property, right in the heart of Ottawa conveniently located for the Congress center (about a 5 min walk away).

Stayed two nights in late Oct '07. Standard Marriott Courtyard stuff (I always try and stay with Marriott if possible due to the consistently high standard I have experienced with them - and no do not work for Marriott!).

The couple of negatives which knock a 'star' off my rating are:

1. very small pokey gym with one stepper, one jogger and one weights machine in a space not large enough. I didn't use it as it didn't appeal.

2. Found the Wifi broadband to be very slow. It was better in the early mornings (less people on it I guess) but in the early evenings (6pm - 8pm) I found I was unable to use Skype voice calls properly - a first in a Marriott.

My room was on the inner courtyard overlooking the pool area so no comment on noise as I didn't experience any.

I'd certainly stay here again if ever in Ottawa.

Hallways smell like dirty socks is the best description. No safe in room, lighting is poor. Breakfast not included but is at their sister property The Residences. For a Marriott, this is an embarrassment unfortunately. Staff tries hard and is friendly but the place needs an overhaul