Canada is slowly starting to emerge from a long hibernation. The land border with the United States re-opened to fully vaccinated Americans on August 9th and as of September 6th the Canadian government plans on relaxing rules for fully vaxxed travelers from many other countries as well. As such, the country’s hospitality industry is gearing back up.
To see how ready The Andaz in the nation’s capital is, we recently visited. The results were mixed.
Our team stayed for two nights about a month ago so some elements of the property’s service offering could have changed. But when we were on property the hotel still didn’t have its rooftop lounge Copper Spirits and Sights open, although they were offering limited indoor service on select nights As well, Feast + Revel, their Canadian-inspired restaurant wasn’t yet operational and they were not offering any housekeeping service.
On the plus side, The Andaz Ottawa ByWard Market is located in a trendy market area filled with the city’s best restaurants and steps to most attractions. It is among the best located hotels in Canada’s capital city. And it’s got nice bones.
As Hyatt Globalists we were upgraded to a corner King room with sweeping views of the market and Parliament Hill. This is called a King with a View Deluxe. It was nice although a look at the Hyatt app showed Andaz suites were available during the stay, so this property may not be offering all Globalist benefits. We’re hearing that Hyatt isn’t enforcing full compliance on properties and as such many Globalists are feeling left out of earned benefits.
The property has 200 nicely laid out and thoughtfully decorated rooms designed by the Canadian firm Mason Studio. Our room felt spacious, Canadian-inspired and yet like an Andaz should.
This hotel is not alone in curtailing housekeeping but at this point it feels much more like cost-cutting than safety measures.
Ottawa is a lovely city and our room had excellent views over the ByWard Market and some of Ottawa’s more iconic destinations. The key to this property is less about on property experiences, at least when we were there, and more about the location.
Ottawa is a destination for business, conferences, governmental affairs and leisure. It teems with parks, shopping, great restaurants, history, museums and galleries. It’s very easy to get around and a lot of fun for a few days getaway.
Ultimately on this trip, the Andaz Ottawa didn’t have an opportunity to showcase all they have to offer. We see the potential and will return to see how they treat Globalists, sample their F&B offerings, and enjoy the highest rooftop lounge in Ottawa.
