Holiday Inn Ottawa East

First time staying here on a business trip. Fast check in, with parking onsite and close by. Room was cleaned every day well. Nice open lobby area with lots of seating. I rated 4 out of 5 stars for the following reasons…room was clean although the ceiling in the bathroom had paint peeling in a couple areas and the carpet in the outside hallway had duct tape holding sections together. Peep hole in the door did not have a cover as most do now and an old style latch. I generally stay at Holiday Inns during my trips and it felt quite dated in this regard due to the above mentioned. Staff were friendly at the front desk and the location was close to many amenities. A very large hotel with many floors but elevators were quick. There was a restaurant on site that I did not use. Many of the Holiday Inns I frequent offer a breakfast which this one did not. Overall room was okay and very quiet. Not sure I would stay at this location again based on the above comments.

I am extremely disappointed and frankly shocked by how this situation was handled. A family travelling with a 5 year old child arrived at your hotel to check in for a reservation that had been made by a relative over the phone. The circumstances were explained at the time of booking, and the individual making the reservation specifically confirmed that there would be no issues with the family checking in. When the family arrived, however, the desk attendant refused to allow them to check in and made no meaningful effort to find a reasonable solution. No manager or supervisor was available or willing to assist. I travel regularly for work and am familiar with hotel procedures involving third party reservations. There are often options available, such as completing a credit card authorization form so that the card used to make the reservation can cover the required damage deposit. At the very least, I would have expected the staff to explore available options or escalate the situation to management. Instead, the family was left stranded at the hotel with a 5 year old child. Ultimately, a relative had to drive two hours to pick them up and bring them home. What makes this even more unacceptable is that, despite the family arriving at the hotel and being unable to check in through no fault of their own, a refund is now being refused because of your “policy.” A policy should not replace common sense, reasonable discretion, or basic customer service. The reservation was made in good faith, the circumstances were explained in advance, and the family arrived as expected. They should not have been refused accommodation without any reasonable effort to resolve the issue and then denied a refund for a room they were prevented from using. I would expect that this matter be escalated to management and that the full amount of the reservation be refunded. I also believe this is the type of situation a journalist should know about. Families travelling with young children deserve to know how they may be treated when an issue arises with a reservation. If this is how Holiday Inn chooses to handle situations like this, consumers should seriously consider their options before booking. As someone who travels frequently for work, this experience has made me reconsider using Holiday Inn and its affiliated properties in the future. Customer service, flexibility, and compassion should be fundamental to the hospitality industry, particularly when a young child is involved. This family deserved better. I sincerely hope someone in management takes this complaint seriously, reviews how the situation was handled, and makes this right.

I stayed at this hotel last week for 4 nights and was incredibly impressed. General quality and cleanliness were on par with what I expect from Holiday Inn (my usual default when travelling). But what totally floored me is how kind all the staff were: Samir in the dining area was one of the friendliest, most accommodating, and most earnestly helpful servers I have ever had. He greeted us every morning and made our day instantly start on a good vibe. The dude just radiates positivity and his service was 10/10. Carlos the restaurant manager was just as helpful and came by our table every morning to ensure our every little request was met and every detail was perfect. I have never felt so looked after and fussed over in my life. You’d think I stayed at the Ritz - that’s how good these gentlemen represented their hotel. Whitney the Operations Manager came by because I had heard a preferred rate may be available for my business-related booking. She took care of it for me and came back again to close the loop and ensure I got the best rate. We also made some small talk and she was just a 10/10 human being. So professional but so friendly and relatable too. Tyra at the front desk helped us with checkout and she was also marvelous. Super friendly, fast, and professional. I cannot say enough good things about this hotel. It will 100% be my default choice when visiting Ottawa again.