Staying in Ottawa
If you were in Ottawa for the Doors Open event next year, where would you stay? Being the national capital, there are a lot of options. The Prime Minister’s official residence is available at 24 Sussex drive but it needs some renovations. (see the link at the end of this post.)
Our current Prime Minister grew up there when his father was Prime Minister. He has chosen to raise his family in Rideau Cottage. It is on the same property as the Queen’s representative, the Governor General, lives. That is Rideau Hall and is referred to as the Queen’s home in Canada. (The cottage is actually a six bedroom two-storey Georgian Revival brick home built in 1866-67 to serve as a home for the secretary to the governor general.)
Or maybe if you are backpacking across the country this might be your choice.
You will have to obey the rules here, because just around the corner of this building is the old jail. It is one of the historic places you can visit on the Doors Open tour.
Here is another interesting piece of real estate that is looking for a new owner to give it some loving care. It is the original City Registry Office and has an interesting history of its own. (see link below)
The building behind and to the right is one of the downtown shopping centers. Would you believe it is called Rideau Center? I would expect the Cadillac Fairview Corporation to have more imagination in choosing a name for a major retail space when there is already a “Rideau this” and a “Rideau that”.
Maybe your choice would be along the lines of this other historic building that marks the Ottawa skyline. Called the Chateau Laurier Hotel, it is operated by the Fairmont hotel chain and it is ranked by Trip Advisor as #20 of the best 72 hotels in Ottawa. It is billed as luxurious and elegant but only rates 4.5 stars.
The Lord Elgin is not as much like a Disney Castle but has a better rating with Trip advisor at #12 and rates 4 stars. Also at 4 stars is a more modern building belongs to the Weston Group and ranking as number 10.
They are all near the best downtown shopping, museums, Parliament Buildings and the Rideau Canal. (There is that name again.)
Links to start your research:
https://heritageottawa.org/50years/city-registry-office
I love how green it is in the city. That makes it so much more inviting downtown. I have never been to Ottawa, I should put that on my bucketlist.
Thanks Trine. It has four different seasons and special events for each season.
I remember seeing these (not the shopping center) on my many trips to Ottawa. (I had a business in Toronto, that operated throughout Canada; needed HPB contact, Patent Office, business registrations, etc.)
Great photos!
Some street views coming next.
That Hotel is divine! Your photos are lovely and your story enjoyable and informative!
I love and miss Ottawa. I grew up in a small French community called Embrun. I never appreciated Ottawa as much as when I moved to Virginia 22 years ago. I saw the city with new eyes.
Rideau Canal used to be THE place to go ice skating and eating “des queues de castors.”
Thanks for sharing those beautiful photos. Now, I’m homesick. 😉