HI- Ottawa Jail Hostel

HI- Ottawa Jail Hostel descritpion

Set in a restored jailhouse, this Ottawa hostel is adjacent to the Ottawa Convention Centre and Rideau Centre Mall. It features rooms with free Wi-Fi and serves a daily continental breakfast.
With unique styles and hardwood floors, all rooms at the Jail Hostel Ottawa have access to shared bathrooms.
Each morning guests can enjoy a breakfast consisting of fruits, cereal, bagels, milk, coffee, tea and juice.
Lockers and linens/towels are provided at the HI Hostel. Guests can relax in the common lounge and watch cable TV or read a book from the on-site library.
The University of Ottawa and Chateau Des Charmes Wines are both 1.2 miles from the hostel. Casino du Lac Leamy is 10 minutes’ drive away.

Recommand

Low rates——No booking fees • Save money!Best price guarantee — enter dates to see these prices!
82 properties in Ottawa——Including hotels, apartments, villas and more.
Manage your bookings online——Sign up for a FREE account·View a single booking.
975 independent reviews——We verify all reviews from guests who've stayed at HI- Ottawa Jail Hostel. Find out more about Booking.com Reviews.
The staff speaks English——HI- Ottawa Jail Hostel's staff speaks:French,English
Booking is safe——When you book with us your details are protected by a secure connection.

Facilities of HI- Ottawa Jail Hostel

Pets ：Pets are not allowed.

Activities ：Bicycle Rental

Internet ：Free!WiFi is available in all areas and is free of charge.

Parking ：Public parking is available on site (reservation is not needed) and costs CAD 7 per day.

General ：Non-smoking Rooms | Heating | All Spaces Non-Smoking (public and private) | Air Conditioning

Languages Spoken ：French | English

Reviews for HI- Ottawa Jail Hostel

Review 1：During the night, peuple talking at the phone loud as they are at their home, close and open their door without respect for the others, so m'y sleeping was on off, I'm ont rested

Review 2：Downtown, parking, Fresh fruits for thé breakfast

Review 3：- There was a selfish inmate on my floor who was always on his cell phone talking very loud and disturbing the whole floor at all time of day and night + his phone was dinging each time he sent and received text messages. Inmates should not be allowed to bring their cell phones to the cell area. - Rather expensive for what you get. - Learned I had to pay extra $5 + tax on top of fee shown on Booking.com due to not being a member of HI. - Cell has no shelf or hook for your clothes and the floor is not very clean to leave your stuff there. Had to make some room on my bed for my belongings during the night.

Review 4：Conveniently located.

Review 5：too noisy at night(movie, chatting,people check in at 1am), and some guy kept turning on the light in the hallway.

Review 6：location is great,and it is cheap for a solo traveller.

Review 7：Failed to realize that the jail cells weren't sound efficient due to the iron bar doors. It would often be noisy in the early morning from the doors being shut or people making noise from either their rooms or out in the hallways. The wifi isn't great. Poor signal throughout the hostel. Often disconnected or would be slow.

Review 8：The hostel itself is very cool and historic. Showers are spacious and have good water pressure. The free breakfast also had a decent selection of food items. The location of this hostel is amazing. The mall is across the street and minutes from Byward Market and not too long a walk from Parliament and other sights.

Review 9：The rooms could have provided a little more privacy. The male and female washrooms were on opposite ends of the floor. Also, sound carried easily in the room from the outside.

Review 10：The place was clean, and it is evident there is continual upkeep of it. The staff was helpful and nice. Parking is readily available. Besides all this, the stay is worth it given the overall historic value and style of the place.

Review 11：Re: other complaints of noise.... it all depends on who your other cell mates are on the floor. We had a double room on the 4th floor and everyone was respectful and quiet. No problems. Our travel partner was kept awake in the single cell by the guy next door skyping in his cell, very late at night.

Review 12：Great staff and fun, clean rooms! Super downtown location and walking distance to Parliament. We found it quiet for most part...brought ear-plugs just in case. Worth it for the experience!

Review 13：The price, its too expensive for the facilites that you get, the rooms are pretty tiny and there were no washrooms in the rooms, there was nothing but the bed in the room.

Review 14：The experience and the morning tour

Review 15：The cost is really expensive. We shared the bathroom, washroom with many people and the price should be a little bit cheaper.

Review 16：The design of the hostel and the asmasphere. Beautiful ! The most beautiful thing I got in Ottawa.

Review 17：In the single cell need more electric plug , I only got one to connect the lamp , if I need charge my cellphone or camera, I need unplug the light. It's a little bit inconvenient .

Review 18：I like the ghost story the lady told us during the jail tour.

Review 19：The wifi does not get past the first few floors. For what they are charging, I think they can afford to install a few more routers instead of have a lot of people gather at the lounge or lobby because of the wifi. There's no elevator and they have seriously heavy doors so if you've got huge bags and you got to get to the top floor...it's going to be a workout. I felt cold in the room nearly always. Something or someone is always going at the pipes and it can get a bit loud. I didn't have my personal lamp/nightlight. I think they shouldn't display membership prices. Clearly not everyone here is a HI member. You don't get a view on the 9th floor bedroom because it used to be a prison, duh.

Review 20：I liked the free jail tour, the friendliness of some of the staff. The lounge is a nice place to relax and socialize. The bathroom on the 9th floor is nice, proper running hot water. It's perfectly situated across/beside the Rideau Centre.

Review 21：It is exactly as the description- don't come here thinking that you're getting a 5 star hotel when it is an old jail- and that is part of the experience. It was wonderful to be in that atmosphere.

Review 22：The overall atmosphere of the hostel since it's supposedly haunted. I wouldn't have stayed there if I knew when I booked it. Also the breakfast could be better.

Review 23：The staff is very friendly and helpful.

Review 24：Changing the main door code every day is confusing. As the doors have holes, the corridor are noisy when people go in it. One guy wakes up, everybody wakes up. Same situation if he goes back at 3am. The shower should be mixed

Review 25：The experience of living in a jail The breakfast was correct for the price Friendly staff Nice Wi-fi and Location

Review 26：It's probably not very comfortable to stay for more then one night (at least in the 1-person cell). But as for a hostel-type of traveling there is really not much to complain about. Earplugs can be useful.

Review 27：Awasome idea to turn old jail into a hostel! Unique experience to spend a night in a real cell. Everything very well organized and decent. Great location. Good value for money. I very much recommend that place!

Review 28：Friendly, helpful staff, excellent location in the Rideau district. Walking distance from most attractions and some great restaurants. Will definitely be coming back!

Review 29：....they could use new mattresses !!!

Review 30：It's CLEAN !!!! Very clean !!!! Batheroom, linen...cells....Everything ! Breakfast was good, but I suspect you have to go early if you want more choice ! It's my 2nd stay at this place and I would go again ! It's an amazing experience to sleep in a pison cell. If you're not a sound sleeper, I suggest you bring ear plugs, because the top and bottom of the cell's door is only bars, so you hear everything !!! But it's part of the experience !!!

Review 31：Just a heads up GPS gets a little confused as to where the hostil is. Remember it's a hostel you're not staying at a hotel so you can't really complain about not having the normal amenities.

Review 32：It was a great hostel probably the best I ever stayed at. Upon arrival we got upgraded to a private room which was nice. The hostel has many of it original features which makes it amazing. The tour is daily at 11am. Their were some obnoxious people in our group that felt like they had to interrupt the tour guide which was extremely annoying other then that it was amazing. I highly recommend the tour. Your stay would not be complete without the tour. Also parking is only $12.50 but it's first come first serve so once you get a spot don't leave!

Review 33：A room outside the shower to change in would be nice.

Review 34：Location is awesome. Friday night pub crawl is one of the best I've ever been on. Breakfast is alright for being a hostel. It's a really cool hostel that you have to experience

Review 35：Male showers were not on the same floor as our room and the bottom of our cell door was not boarded up so anyone could peek in (we covered this with our large luggage)

Review 36：The jail tour

Review 37：Only thing I didn't like was how little there was for breakfast. But it fed me and did a job so who cares?!

Review 38：Everything was great. My little cell on the 8th floor was a great experience and everyone was super friendly. Aria is a legend and ran a world class pub crawl leaving me well and truly spangled. The location is cracking with everything within walking distance and you can rest assured the constant whirring of sirens are going somewhere else in the city! Meanwhile you can ignore those people who cry about this place. Clearly they have no notion of what a hostel should be like as they cry about the sleeping arrangements and the fact that their room in an old jail was a cell. Of course it's a cell you absolute melon! The bars do make bringing a girl home a tad inconvenient though as the whole row can hear you chat about your future together in a stable and everlasting marital arrangement. The heating in this place is great and I was only cold when I went to the bog downstairs and that's only because the kids were reluctant to go into the pool. Anyway go here and bring your friends as everyone is super friendly and the city is a great place to go to with lots to do!

Review 39：Too expensive for money/experience, somewhat uncomfortable shared toilet.

Review 40：Great location, interesting building/experience, friendly and helpful staffs, good breakfast

Review 41：I would like to have the tour at the begining versus the end of my stay, but either way its no big deal

Review 42：The Jail experiance is what i came for and found it very cool. I am also very facinated in the hostory and i enjoyed the tour alot

Review 43：I would have liked to sleep a little bit more in the morning but, since the cell is not in soundprofed at all, I woke up early (6am) due to the ground noise. Next time I will bring ear plugs with me!

Review 44：Great experience! A night in jail has been for me something never done before. My single room was a real cell, with enough space for a single bed an a person. Maybe a little bit claustrophobic, but I did not have any problem at all :)

Review 45：Someone sucking on the butter knife then putting it back in butter..maybe use packages instead..looked like there was a group of special needs unsupervised which was difficult to eat and enjoy breakfast..the tour was neat but took almost 2 hours due to english and french translation..maybe tours can be different time slots in one specific language..

Review 46：The history of the building..the unique experience..

Review 47：Well, it was a jail, we couldn't expect comfortable rooms...lol When I made a reservation, we asked for a double bed, but when we checked in, there were no double beds avaliable, so we got a bunk, but it was ok for 1 night only.

Review 48：The tour through the jail! Do it! Every day at 11 AM! It's bizarre, but it's interesting to know about the history of that place.

Review 49：The WiFi connection was poor due to the thick walls of the jail. You could hear the voice of other guests, since the doors of the cells are partially barred doors and open to a hallway. But of course, it was all part of this experience and considering the prisoners who had to stay in these cells years ago, it may be better than an absolute silence in the darkness :) The parking fee was higher than stated on Booking.com. But they charged us 7 CAD per day as stated here on the website.

Review 50：It was a really interesting experience to stay in a jail and even to pay for that :) The building was well-preserved, the bed was comfortable, the breakfast was fresh, the hostel is within walking distance to all attractions, the staff was very friendly. Also, we recommend the guided jail tour held every day.

Review 51：The single room cell is practically a sauna with all the winter heating - be prepared to sweat it out. The male showers need an overhaul.

Review 52：A very unique and interesting place to stay. The jail tour they do every morning is well worth the time.

Review 53：The building is old and in need of some tlc. I stayed in a room at the very top, and so it got pretty hot and stuffy, but thankfully there was an air conditioner. Even though it looked like it has seen better days, it did create done air flow. If you are expecting a hotel room, this might not be the place for you.

Review 54：The building is beautiful. The sheets were clean and the breakfast was tasty. The staff were very friendly and helpful. I just love the charm of old buildings!

Review 55：We didnt like the lack of parking and had to park on street. Friends that came with us had a hard time finding parking at all. Also the sheets as you will see in the photo

Review 56：The experience and the tour. We also found the staff very helpful and pleasant. The breakfast was very good also.

Review 57：Being woken up at 7am one morning because of building work going on. Constant drilling one day until 8pm.

Review 58：Location, facilities, breakfast, friendly staff.

Review 59：Ninth floor without an elevator concentrates your mind on not forgetting anything

Review 60：It's a quirky place to stay no doubt about it. So basic room but it's an ex jail. We had a double on the 9th floor. Shared bathroom. Decent unlimited breakfast. Laundry useful. The hostel has a daily activity which you can join in on, city walk, pub crawl, museum visit etc. If I was a young person I'd have no hesitation staying here again, I think it would be a great place to make new friends. Do do the free prison tour 11am every day.

Review 61：The sheets were dirty, then when they were replaced, the new lot were dirty too. The kitchen and dining area could do with a freshen up. Staff could provide more information/brochures about Ottawa and public transport etc.

Review 62：The history of the property was fantastic. I enjoyed staying in a cell. The guided tour they ran was excellent. Location was good too.

Review 63：The building is very noisy. The cells are not completely closed but open to the hallway so you could hear anything that happens in the next cell. Apart from that there is a construction site just next to the building which added additional noise at 7 AM. Had they warned me of the construction site I would have went somewhere else. Moreover the staff just shrugged at my complaint the next day.

Review 64：Extraordinary place to stay.

Review 65：The bar wasn't opened the first night (when it was supposed to). They didn't have any maps of the city. Breakfast was identical every morning. We stayed 3 nights, and unfortunately i got bitten by bedbugs (at least 30 bites). Because of the architecture, the room being opened onto the corridor, it is loud (as in any other HI you always have direspectful people being loud early morning or late at night). It is interesting to sleep in an old cell. But overall, i found a little bit overpriced for what you get, and next time i wil, probably just go to a regular hotel.

Review 66：Staff is nice. Place is clean. Nice kitchen available for everyone to use. Well located. Breakfast was ok and served up to 10.30.

Review 67：A very good position. Walking distance to University of Ottawa and Parliament Hill. Clean and neat. Very kind staff. And a free jail tour at 11am every morning to know more about the city and the jail hostel.

Review 68：The building next door is under construction. Had to wake up to a jack-hammering sound every day,

Review 69：The staff gets an A+ for friendliness, responsiveness and awareness about the local area.

Review 70：Staff are extremely friendly and helpful. Facilities are clean and comfortable;homey. The building itself has a very colorful history...overall a great experience!

Review 71：On booking.com it gives you the price for members only. The double room was actually $92 when we got there and told them we were not members so this should be a little better highlighted on booking.com website. Parking is also $12 (good compared to other cities however)

Review 72：Very pleasant and welcoming staff, interesting experience staying in a cell and hearing of its history on the free jail tour. Excellent

Review 73：Shared bathroom/showers weren't the best on our floor.

Review 74：Good location and somewhere that little bit different to stay. Free tour of the jail was very informative. Free breakfast.

Review 75：A very fun and novel experience. Being cells there was no "noise privacy" so evenings were a bit loud as voices and sounds carried through the bars and the beds were quite creaky. However it was all part of the experience! Good showers, great staff and location

Review 76：... quite frankly, my room could have been a bit more prison-y (after all, that is why I booked it).

Review 77：The location was amazing. And the breakfast pretty decent as well.

Review 78：It being a hostel, my room was a little unclean and the air, even with the working AC, was a bit stuffy. I did stay for over a week, which personally seemed to reach a limit.

Review 79：Super position, being a short walk away from Ottawa's downtown locations and university campus. For a hostel the security was good, and you require a door code to enter further than the reception. Private room had a nice enough double bed.

Review 80：very close to downtown attractions; just a 30-minute walk from the bus station; good value for money; interesting jail experience (I slept in a single cell and there are free tours of the place)

Review 81：Jail as it is - no living space. Loudly - a big construction site aside. Very slow internet makes enraged.

Review 82：Best in location. Good breakfast. Affably stuff.

Review 83：Cell is not sound and light proof. It doesn't have real door. Do not take individual cell more than for one night if you have never try it before. Very hard to sleep if you have a jet-lag.

Review 84：Central location. Cheap.

Review 85：the receptionist at check-in didn't offer us car parking in the hotel property... We had to remove our car before 7a.m. from street parking.

Review 86：The social lounge n continental breakfast n the unique jail room

Review 87：Construction workers woke us about 6 am. Parking was not as promessed. To little spots. You can see what a person is doing at the toilet, because the door doesn't cover everything.

Review 88：Staff was friendly. Breakfast was ok. Building is historical. Nice experience.

Review 89：The condition of the communal shower facilities could be improved in terms of cleanliness.

Review 90：The concept of the hostel is excellent and the rooms are very unique.

Review 91：There is no elevation. No room to put luggage in a single cell room. The mattress was warped because the dimension does not fit in the jail cell- it was very uncomfortable. Also very loud because the door is not solid. No window in the room. Very hot, no air-con or fan in the room.

Review 92：Nice location. Interesting building. Definitely a lot of excitement in exploring all the cells.

Review 93：- Informations about parking and breakfast were not correct on reservation, we paid a breakfast and a parking outside while breakfast was in fact included and free at the hotel and parking was available at cheap cost

Review 94：- really close to dowtown - breakfast - it's a prison with free tour included :)

Review 95：It's and special hostel because they have kept the appearance of the ancient jail it was. You have even the possibility for the same price to sleep on a jail and feel like the former inmates (although Booking.com didn't offer this kind of room). Nice staff

Review 96：The rooms (they call them cells) are very tiny. It often gets too loud - no sound isolation whatsoever. No Wi-Fi connection other than on 2nd and 3rd floor. The linen had some smudges, and the blanket was a bit stinky (luckily I didn't need it, since it was very hot at the time). The washroom on the 6th floor had a light timer. So, if you set it to 5 minutes and it wasn't enough, you'll be in the full dark (no sensors). Staff wasn't very friendly either, but I can't blame them. It was always just 1 person at the reception, and it could get really busy, I understand.

Review 97：The best thing about this hotel is location! With only about 10 minutes walk to the Parliament Hill, nothing could beat this hostel for such a price.

Review 98：As it previously was a real prison, the walls are so thick that there is no wi-fi in some rooms.

Review 99：The place itself is a must-see. Very interesting, exquisite and historical.

Review 100：I am glad I had a double private room .... The single rooms are unbelievably claustrophobic and I could not have imagined four days in there! My room was great ,... Small but perfectly adequate.

Review 101：The location is outstanding .... I just parked the car and did not use it for four days? The hostel rates really highly for the "different experience" factor!

Review 102：Paying extra for parking. Washing machine was terrible - clothes came out soaking wet - there was only one dryer to use.

Review 103：This was a really cool thing to experience, staying overnight in a jail built in the 1860's. The staff were very helpful, the other hostel visitors were kind and courteous. A friendly ghost put my clothes in the dryer and put some money in to dry them.

Review 104：Can't really complain, but the room next to us had air conditioning and we had a desk fan for the four of us.

Review 105：What a cool place to add to your memories of the holiday !

Review 106：They advertise for things they don't offer, and some of the staff use the excuse "we're a hostel" as an excuse about why.

Review 107：Very good location. The bus stop too and from the airport is less than a 5 minute walk away.

Review 108：No AC! Was humid hot weekend. AC was much needed. Had a fan in the room though!

Review 109：Was for us at walking distance to everything (30 mins towards museums)! Had parked our car in a near underground free parking all weekend and walked everywhere! Provides towels!

Review 110：At my first night the "prisoner" in the next cell had a rough night, made some ucomfortable noises,but othervise my stay was awesome and next time I will go back there for sure!

Review 111：Amazing building, good location, the most friendly and helpful staff you can imagine! These walls were not designed for wifi, in the cells it kept logging off but in the common areas worked well. I have nothing to complain about! Just for the future travellers: if you're uncomfotable with small places.. Don't choose single cell room. It is really a small cell! For me it was good but my friend who stayed in a 6 bed cell freaked out when saw mine :D

Review 112：- They charge you an extra 5$, however it's mentioned in your booking that they shouldn't. - Forget about using WiFi. After 10 minutes you can barely open your mailbox. - No shower in our floor. - There is no elevator, and it has nine half-floors. - My key doesn't open the door, So I needed to go back to change it. They offered me to try two other keys!! But I took only one, because I didn't to come back to the lobby to give back the other key.and then again climb so many stairs.

Review 113：Great place to stay and very close to everything! Staff were wonderful and the place was very clean. Loved the novelty of staying in an old prison. No sink or mirror in the room, showers and toilets were very basic but clean. Wifi was a little sketchy because of the concrete walls but not really an issue. great breakfast.

Review 114：Wifi wasnt perfect. Could do with a couple of boosters.

Review 115：This was a mind-bending experience. Although you are staying in a 4x10 jail cell with no window... the staff and facilities are so awesome it feels like a 5* hotel. Loved it loved it loved it. Would live there if I could.

Review 116：I can't say there was anything I didn't like.

Review 117：The place was just straight up cool!! All the staff was extremely nice and the location was excellent.

Review 118：I did not sleep for more than an hour that night, my partner slept through all of the light from the corridor, noise, screaming teenagers,... It only got quiet around 5am. Breakfast is very poor, tables were completely sticky, the food was not being refilled. Toilets dirty. I knew not to expect a lot from the other reviews, but even though they mention that after a certain hour it needs to be quiet, it is not, and your "room" is completely lighted through the cell door. Some kind of curtains would be a big improvement, some people attached carton pieces to the door to try cover the light. Overpriced for what you get, despite the special location

Review 119：It is a special location to sleep in. Showers and room were clean. Location is good, Parking (12 dollar) was convenient.

Review 120：The cell I got was not as I saw it on the picture. Also they don´t have an elevator (don´t bring any heavy luggage). Breakfast was poor for what I had in other hostels. But still it was plenty for everyone.

Review 121：The location of this hostel is really good. Just few minutes to the Parliament Hill. Also this place has character and history. Staff were really helpful.

Review 122：Four rooms on the top floor share only one bathroom- it was 13 people in those four rooms at the same time. It was very noise from outside but also from people who stay there and do not respect any rules. I paid 204 dollars for two nights and I will never go back!

Review 123：The stuff was friendly and helpful, the size of the room was not bad. Location is perfect!

Review 124：it was a novelty to stay in an old prison, sleep in a cell on the bunks! :D everywhere was clean, the shared showers weren't an issue, and breakfast was fantasic...although sadly no porridge! :D

Review 125：It was hard to find, so make sure you walk from slater or Albert on the side where you see Nordstrom. Take the stairs down on the bridge and turn right. It's the first building. Once you know it, you can't miss it.

Review 126：I really enjoyed the concept of this old property being used as a hostel. I especially appreciated the tour of the jail. The bed was very soft, yet very comfortable. The breakfest is very filling. But mostly, I enjoyed the staff. Everyone was top notch in answering my questions and making my journey a plaisant one (the saturday morning girl in the kitchen could smile, it seems like she hated being there).

Review 127：Personell lack lustre students with no eye for service. Meagre breakfast. Shabby garden. Super narrow cells. Too expensive. The guests.

Review 128：Quiet nicht close to City centre

Review 129：Our room was unfinished. We were given 2 single beds instead of the double we paid for. They simply cleaned up their work in the room and tossed in a fan, light, and spartan bedside table. The bare walls were a thrill to look at. The whole floor was under renovations and shouldn't have been used at all. Deeply disappointing. Won't stay there again.

Review 130：Staff were friendly and helpful.

Review 131：wifi would periodically drop for no reason. in lobby, or my room... didn't matter where you were.

Review 132：historic former prison give a unique experience. great price. excellent location. 15 min walk to parliament, 5 min walk to byward market, 5 min walk to rideau canal. good simple breakfast.

Review 133：Even though we booked 2 months in advance they didn't honor our reservation, said they were overbooked and sent us to two individual cells which were really tiny compared to the one we had originally booked.

Review 134：Excellent location just a couple of blocks away from all the major tourist attractions in Ottawa.

Review 135：The rooms/cells were noisy, the showers and toilets were dated.

Review 136：The ambiance of the hostel is very good. Breakfast with fruit, cereals, juice, coffee/tea and bagels. In just less than 10 mimutes walk you're at the parliamant hill.

Review 137：Earplugs helped with the city noises while trying to sleep.

Review 138：I could walk to everywhere I needed to go; and the buses, shopping , and restaurants where right there too. Breakfast was great and the staff were both friendly and helpful.

Review 139：Could use better blankets - beds not meant for tall people! Showers could use an upgrade - poor water pressure.

Review 140：Fantastic location - Steps to Parliament, stores, restaurants. Good breakfast. It was an experience spending a night in jail!

The Fine Print

You must show a valid photo ID and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all special requests cannot be guaranteed and are subject to availability upon check-in. Additional charges may apply.Please note that if you are not a Hostelling International (HI) member, you will be required to pay an additional fee on top of the room rate or buy a membership card upon arrival. Non-member rates are 5 CAD extra per bed and 10 CAD extra per private room. Membership is $28.25 including tax for all travellers.