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Where to stay in Ottawa

Canada's capital is compact, and its main areas sit around Parliament Hill and the Rideau Canal. Stay in the ByWard Market for restaurants, bars and the grand Château Laurier; in Centretown for Parliament, the canal and good-value hotels; or across the river in Gatineau, Quebec, for the Canadian Museum of History and lower prices. The O-Train Line 1 crosses downtown, and the airport is about 20 minutes away by taxi.

Find your area, then your hotel

Tap one of our picks, or any area, to see its hotels on the map, what it costs, where we'd book and how long it takes to get around.

In short: our pick for each kind of trip. Tap one to see why.

Should you stay in

ByWard Market & Rideau?

Restaurants, bars & the Château Laurier

What a night costs

Budget
$350
Mid-range
$400
Luxury
$500

The dearest of the 3 areas, about $185 a night more than Gatineau (Hull).

Where we'd book

The verdict

Ottawa's old market district east of the Rideau Canal, with restaurants, pubs and market stalls, the National Gallery of Canada, Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Rideau Centre.

  • Stay here if
  • First-time visitors
  • Food lovers
  • Couples
  • Look elsewhere if
  • You want quiet nights
  • You're on a tight budget
  • You want a residential feel

Minutes to the sights

  • ByWard Market3 minwalk
  • Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica8 minwalk
  • Fairmont Château Laurier9 minwalk
  • National Gallery of Canada11 minwalk
  • National Arts Centre13 minwalk
  • Parliament Hill16 minwalk

Stations and airports

5 min to Parliament Hill. Rideau station on O-Train Line 1 is at the edge of the market, with trains across downtown. Parliament Hill and the canal are a short walk west.

  • From Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW)bus 105, tram 142 min
Read the full ByWard Market & Rideau guide →

Typical rates for a double outside peak events, not live prices. Updated Oct 2026 · How we rate areas · Minutes planned with the Transitous (MOTIS on published GTFS timetables and OpenStreetMap) for a weekday, including walking and waiting · Booking through our links costs you nothing extra and may earn us a commission. Learn more

Ottawa questions

What is the best area to stay in Ottawa for first-timers?

ByWard Market & Rideau puts the big sights within easy reach and is 5 minutes from Parliament Hill. Centretown & Parliament are good alternatives.

Which area of Ottawa has the cheapest hotels?

Gatineau (Hull) and Centretown & Parliament, with budget hotels from around $125 and mid-range around $215–$290 a night.

Where should families stay in Ottawa?

Centretown & Parliament has the best mix of parks, calm streets and sights for kids. Gatineau (Hull) are good alternatives.