Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
Spacious Rooms, comfortable beds and the extras ! |
| Disadvantages: |
Small bathrooms, views from room and other little things in review |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
Well im back onto the hotel reviews again after a recent visit to Ottawa in Canada. After freezing my buttocks off and nestling into my scarf grabbing my bags and rushing into the hotel I had little chance to look at the exterior of the hotel!
Walking into a large reception area located on three levels we made our way up a number of steps from the main entrance to the reception desk on the middle floor. My hands were numb with the onset of frostbite and here I was wrenching my bags up to the reception desk and lifts!
Seating areas are located around the reception desk and a bell boy (and his desk) were located just at the top of the steps. Despite struggling with bags the bell boy was no help, I never asked for help but his job description would state the obvious.
Four lifts and a set of stairs are just at the top of the steps, which are really handy and reliable. You press the button and a lift is with you in seconds. The hotel has 411 rooms over 25 floors approx and a penthouse which caters for conferences and meetings! Shame, I could have done with a penthouse after the fiasco!
I checked in and made my way to my room on the 8th floor. I was absolutley shattered and keeling over with the urgent need for the call of nature with two heavy bags beside me. Slipping the key into the door it flashed green, I grabbed a bag a wheeled the first one in and breathed a sigh of relief and made a bee-line for the toilet (I was pretty desperate) and left my other bag outside!
As I walked in It was still dark and I couldn't find the light but what struck me as weird was some shoes on the floor...I carried on walking and peered round the corner and saw a young couple fast asleep IN MY BED! A laptop on the table, IPOD on the side and the rest! I was gobsmacked, I had been given a room with a valid key and somebody was in it and everything was ready for the taking!
I quietly slipped out and closed the door and the unknown couple carried on sleeping unknown I had just walked in the room! Furious, I needed a pee the most! So I swung my bags back into the lift and went back to reception and the rest of my party were there!!! They also had people in the rooms!!
I was given no apology but was issued with a second key for the 16th floor and off I went. Ran in, left my bags outside, I couldnt care less if anyone was in the room but to my relif it was empty, warm and cosy! Very well presented at that! I walked in, closed the door and remembered a mental note to put the chain on!
The wall had a large full length mirror by the door and a small closet nearby with hangers, ironing board and iron at my disposle!
If you have a family the hotel has rooms with adjoining doors. The room was large and spacious with a king size luxury bed with loads of pillows and a small purple pack on it...
A desk sat by the window with a lamp (with sockets for electric items such as laptops, or phone chargers etc), hotel guide, room service menu and a phone with a socket for high speed internet connection.
The bathroom was tiny compared to the room. The door opened into the bathroom and took valuble space and it had to be closed to reach the bath or move around. It had a hairdryer, large mirror and a shaving mirror (mine was wobbling about - broken). It also had the little extras such as shampoo/conditioner, soaps, shoe polish, cotton wool buds, towels, hand towels, flannels, moisturiser and tissues. Although small and cramped it had a marble sink surround with a clean presentation.
The room service menu was pretty extensive with plenty to choose from unlike most hotels I have visited and a detailed guide to the hotel and all its facilties!
I literally jumped onto the bed (It looked very welcoming) rolled over and saw a funny device on the bedside table. A what....Dream Machine (see photo)??? It was a CD player, radio and alarm clock. Right next to it was a cd case with a cd in it The Crowne Plaza Sleep Advantage CD. I popped it in and pressed play expecting to hear the sounds of dolphins and whales or something. But I was listening to some guy telling me to get myself comfortable to get the best nights sleep by placing my head on the pillows etc.
Wow....never had I seen a hotel that offered that. Not that I was interested for myself but the thought counts! After inspecting a little more Crowne Plaza offers it Sleep Advantage programme to Hotels in Mexico, USA and Canada and involves the following
- Certain Bedding and Linen (and pillows)
- Bathroom accessories, shower heads, curved shower rails
- Lavender Sray, eye mask, nightlight and ear plugs (on the bed)
- Sleep Advantage CD
I could not find my nightlight but the lavender spray was nice and fresh. A leaflet by the bed directed my to a website which told me I could purchase these items for my own home. The website didnt work but I found it eventually at a different address which is here:
http://crowneplaza.hotelsathome.com
You can buy any of the items from which you experienced in your room as part of this sleep advantage programme! Bit pricey though
A large unit contained a huge TV with drawers underneath for clothing. Their was quite a few channels to choose from, and none seemed to be fuzzy or untuned. It also contained a coffee perculator for Tea and Coffee making facilities. An ice bucket was also available with a wine list and small clear bag which I could only assume was to collect ice in from somewhere, but I didnt see any ice machines. The wines were from $27 for a Chardonnay to $49 for a red. ($-Canadian)
Another phone was beside the bed, and because of the long journey I had put a do not disturb sign outside the door. It was flashing when I woke up so I retrieved a message which I had been left. A gentleman told me that they had visited this morning to make-up my room but they saw the sign and let me sleep, if I wanted to get my room made up they gave me the duty managers name and how to contact reception if I wanted them to come back. Unlike the most places where they still walk in anyway!!!
They seem to be very interested in recycling and protecting the environment with a "conserve for tomorrow" programme. They contained information on towels and to re-use them and also that bed linen was changed every 3 days but if you wanted it changing earlier then to hang a plastic hook on the door to let the maid know.
The room was comforatble depsite the minus temperatures outside. A control unit was on the wall which when used made a hissing sound, which scared me a little, but was reliable and kept me and my room nice and cosy.
Breakfast was available in 101 café and bar on recpetion level. You could pre-order breakfast to your room, and they were the same choices as the restaurant. (and same prices).
The various breakfasts start from $11.50 to $13.75. You choose a 15 min timefrmae between 6am-8.15am and hang your hook on the door! Breakfast in the restaurant is available from 6am to 11am but remember that prices don't include taxes or gratuities, which stumps you!
Breakfast choices include, yoghurts, cereal, juices, tea/coffee, pancakes and bakery items.
Dinners available all day from 11am to 11.30pm, some prices for your viewing here:
Atlantic Salmon $22.95
10oz Alberta Beef Steak $30.95
Soups and salads from $6.95
Pizzas from $12.95
Desserts from $7.25
All these and the rest of the menu are available as room service also. Movie snacks such as nachoes, chicken wings and calamari rings can also be ordered!
The main bar was friendly, not to busy and had a pool table which gave us free goes everytime despite requesting for $1.25 or something. We had a meal in the bar one night which was not too pricey but standard hotel prices. We were served by Nicole who was fantastic, attentive and delivered the highest standards of customer service I had seen yet! She should come and work with some of the people I work with!! haha
The hotel seems to be a major venue for events with meeting rooms, ballrooms, conference rooms and the rest! It was crawling with teenagers on some sort of weekend conferences.
A large and uncrowded pool was availble on the floor just above reception. Two rooms just before it were available for sports with one room with a basketball net. The other had a class of teenagers doing yoga. The gym was small with a few weights and treadmills.
Telephone facilities and internal phones and a business suite were availble in reception.
The hotel was pretty big with so many rooms and areas that I didnt get to see the whole lot. The hotel failed to make any first impression other than a bad one, but some of the staff were beyong excellent and others were useless. But you find that at most places don't you. Behaviour breeds behaviour so who knows maybe it will get worse or better!
I did fancy a dip in the pool but had too much to fit into my short stay I didnt manage it im afraid but if I had longer in the hotel I think I would have used more of its facilities it had to offer, and that was quite a few. Overall despite my first impression I had a fantastic nights sleep, no noise, and the extras in the room and what was available to me for my stay impressed me more!
Would I recommend it, yes maybe I would, the Marriott and another hotel were very close by. Who knows if they were any better but the hotel did surprise me in many ways, not only to find people in my bed but to find a Sleep Advantage Programme in operation!
I didnt get any pictures because im pretty lazy! But I searched the web and found a website with some really good pictures:
http://www.virtualvisit.ca/webvisit/crowne/ottawa/no_java_hotel_tour_3. html
The hotels website is: http://www.cpottawa.com/index.asp, dont foget your priority club points or air miles if you visit, and check who maybe sleeping in your bed....
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