Ottawa Backpackers Inn

Came up to Ottawa for an event with my daughter, needed a place to rest our heads that was decent price. Bed wasn’t really comfortable but it was ok for the price. I was on budget and felt safe and secure. The price was right for two nights. I would def stay there again

Très bonne auberge, bien placé à 5min à pied du grand marché et à 15min du parlement.
J'ai apprécié le côté "maison" de cette auberge. Un salon confortable avec une bibliothèque, tv etc; une cuisine familiale avec du café/thé à dispo, les chambres à l'étage, environnement plutôt calme, 3 sdb à se partager, moquette partout, chaussures à l'entrée Petits casiers à disposition pour les objets de valeur.
L'ensemble est propre et le personnel est accueillant et souriant. Prix corrects.
Bref je recommande:)

J'aurais aimé mettre 3.5, car il est assez bien placé et un service/accueil vraiment agréable, mais la propreté générale reste à disirer. Entre chaussettes sales et poussière qui traîne partout. Vraiment le plus est l'emplacement et la gentillesse du staff. Je recommande quand même:)

*À noter* Le linge de lit est fournis (gros plus) mais les serviettes non, elles sont néanmoins louable à l'accueil

Nice and cozy place, home like feeling, the staff is very friendly and helpful, especially Mr. Vishal Reddy.

Really nice place to stay for a solo travelle, great dorm style beds. The only problem i had that individual bunks didn't have curtains for that your personal space feeling

You won't be allowed to see the room and beds or even enter the premise before 1 pm. Very inconvenient. I went with bags to check out the place and hopefully check in but the lady didn't even invite inside to exchange a conversation during a terribly cold weather

Cleanliness mediocre. Unpleasant Manager (owner?). Missing hostel vibe, I am an avid traveller. Beds are squeeky. Stay only if you have no alternative and are looking for a transactional time

DO NOT USE BOUNCE AND SHIP PACKAGES HERE
no security, package will be left outside unattended

The worst and the most expensive hostel I have been to. One of the recptionist was very rude and disrespectful. Minimal staff and limited access to the luggage room. Some of the staff interact in a wierd way.

It's the best price for the location right by the main streets, also get a shared kitchen, bathrooms, and choice of sleeping accommodations.

Dirty washroom with mold. Rooms not soundproof. No heating in the room lol - there was a plug-in radiator, but I was afraid it might cause fire at night. Not much daylight in the room - view covered by the terrace above.

It’s a small room actually very small one and they have clean shared washroom. But the pathetic thing is that this single room cost around 88$ which was mentioned 75$ during online checkout. They didn’t mention the tax and other charges clearly. This is a horrible thing. This room isn’t worthy of 88$. And one more problem is that if someone uses the washroom at night you will feel maritime torpedo is passing by. That was hilarious. I could not sleep properly. Otherwise the bed was clean. No bed bugs. The room is approximately 7ft*8ft. The receiption lady was very helpful. You can have weed in the balcony if you want

Loved it stayed on Jupiter's moon calisto room loved it here very good staff n has a good energy too the place

Très bien pour le prix! Si vous êtes une princesse vous n'aimerez pas, mais pour avoir été dans des tas d'auberges, c'est très bien situé, très correcte!

The hostel is located in an old house but overall the rooms, washrooms and kitchen are ok. The staff is extremely nice and welcoming. However, the beds make a lot of noise when you move which can be uncomfortable when you are trying to sleep. Also, they have bed bugs.

The price is a bit on the higher side as per the backpacking hostel norms but then you get a real good location by the heart of the Byward market. In terms of service pls don't expect much. Just a place to crash your bags and head out.

Great location, right across downtown!
Good staff behavior, well maintained kitchen and living space.
Rooms are fairly good too! I found the washroom neat and clean!
Highly recommend this place!

Two old, rundown houses
The location is in one of the worst drug/homeless areas in Ottawa, even though in walking distance to Byward Market, museums, and the Parliament.

One good thing was that the staff was polite, the young lady from Frankfurt, Germany was very friendly.
The bathroom and the toilet were well cleaned. But there was not a single hook where you can hang your belongings.

AND:
This bathroom had to be shared by about twenty people.women and men
- Rooms are extremely small and musty, and barely any space to place clothes and suitcases
- I got a wrong WiFi password from the receptionist, tried for hours to get an Internet connection
- Fridge did not work, was totally warm, and only the freezer worked
- Microwave was "out of order" in one kitchen
- No window screens anywhere - which means windows had to be locked during warm weather in order to avoid mosquitos
- Furniture looks like resourced from a garbage dump and so was the sleeping pillow
- Bedding was made out of cheap plastic, and the mattress was very thin
- Scared of bed bugs.

Never again in this one-star place! But: you get what you pay for

Rooms small/musty, hostel mattress thin, couldn't sleep with a metal bar digging into my back. Staff were nice to refund the second night.

C'est pas de grand confort (les matelas sont mauvais), ni très moderne mais bon accueil, très bien placé proche du Marché By. Parking et cuisines disponibles. Je recommande seulement pour quelques nuits. ;)

It's a nice house and the staff is really kind but they have BED BUGS, be careful! They bit me really bad and I spend only one night: (

Volunteering in Ottawa made easy by a very professional staff and exceptional owner. My time in Ottawa was made fun and exciting through there very good hearts.
Thanks so much
Ray Boucher

It was great location great stuff. I wish the beds was so noisy.for the price it was good.would stay here again

A guy working here told me he's channelling princess Diana and he's the king of the world. The next day he came into the living room and sprayed strong bleach all over the furniture with 2 people inside and all windows closed. And something about "pure blood" I don't know like, other than that guy, people are pretty friendly.

Très belle expérience que vous allez vivre ici.
33$/nuit pour le dortoir de 8 personnes!
Staff vraiment cool.
Clientèle jeune.

À 2 pas de la colline parlementaire.
Cuisine commune bien équipée.
Salles de bain communes.
Salon commun pour discuter.

Wifi
Buanderie 5$

Je recommande.

Amazing staff, good service and very neat environment. If you’re looking for a decent home away from home then this is this place!

I paid to up grade into a room with air conditioning and the bloody thing wouldn't even work well for our tiny 4 person room. It was the worst sleep! I checked out a day early and they didn't offer to refund the following night, even though I left at 7am. It was so dirty there too and everything is outdated. Terrible bunk beds.
I'm extremely disappointed

The hostel is disgusting. It is not safe I booked a room with 4beds. Two people slept above me. A total 5 people was in the room during the night. I did not pay for this and for the first time I experienced that there were more people in the room than there should have been. I sent a written complaint because in the morning no one was at reception and I did not receive a response. The bathroom is shared with several rooms and it was terribly dirty.this is mine first bad review.

Great hostel! Fantastic vibes, the staff are so helpful for settling into the hostel and navigating Ottawa. All the other guests were also friendly and the common spaces are set up well for mingling while also allowing privacy in bedrooms. There's a bunch of brochures and maps for things to do in the city. I would return to here in a heartbeat! Adore the old buildings, rich in history and the bones of the buildings will last forever - the house fits in so well with the surrounding architecture of the area. The hostel has done an excellent job of maintaining the character of the houses but also fitting in hostel rooms.

The neighbourhood is a bit dicey due to a homeless population but as a single female traveller, I never felt in danger. A strong no was needed for one person asking for money but otherwise my time went by problem free. The hostel is in a great location which makes avoiding problems easy and also easy to reach the big sites of the nation's capital.

The main staff member was horrible.

He was rude, and brash and swore at me behind my back as soon as it was turned. I had paid in advance and they came and woke me up and accused me of not paying and harassed me like I was some kind of deadbeat. There is absolutely zero that was professional about the main staff member. Swearing at clientele and talking badly about them behind their back is unacceptable. I do not know what this gentleman's problem is but I get the impression he does not have much respect for others.

The card reader did not work the first night and they almost refused to let me stay. When I went for my check in before closing time nobody was there and nobody would answer the phone.

They also do not accept Canadian passports as valid ID. What kind of backpacker hostel does not accept passports?

The place was almost empty and they were treating me like somehow I was taking up valuable space.

They refused to allow me to put my bag in storage while I went to buy a buss pass.

They tried to kick me out while I was booking my transportation to my next destination.

They want you out the second your booking ends, even if they are almost empty. Totally unfriendly towards travelers, digital nomads, and backpackers.

I have stayed at hostels all over Canada and this was the only negative experience. This place is run like an episode of the Looney Tunes.

I do not know if they have a headquarters, but I intend to report them.

I stayed a few weeks ago. This has whatever you like a dorm bed, private rooms and private apartments. Like a home. Clean. The best location in the city.
I just liked the owner of the place. He looked very genuine and fun.
During the Covid, there is a policy in place here.
Ottawa is fun. Go check it out.

Booked through hostel world and specified check in time off 11pm but there is no one to do check in and no one answers the phone.

The comfort and all around great vibes of the people and staff was amazing. I do work on the road and have alot of experience staying at hostels and hotels all over the world. This place made me feel at home. Thanks to the heart staff and people at the OBI.

One of the most comfortable hostels I’ve ever stayed at for less than thirty bucks per night. Very homelike environment with a super friendly staff. The all-female dorm was surprisingly nicer than I expected.

The living room has so many sofas! It was fun picking a different one each day. It was my go-to comfy spot to chill in the mornings with my coffee.

My only issue was how cramped the kitchen space. It’s very small and often crowded with people. Trying to find counter space to prepare a meal was challenging sometimes.

Also, the room doors close with a very loud thud. So, at night, some people weren’t considerate with their room door slamming while others (like me!) was trying to sleep.

Horrible Ventilation, Uncleaned carpet, Over-reliance on certain staff that has less than needed English proficiency, heavy weed smoking individuals around. Those coming to stay often have hygine issues (not taking shower / brushing teeth / no deodorant etc) Not recommended.

Accueil génial, on n'y dort pas super bien si on a pour but de bien se reposer mais c'est idéal pour faire des rencontres et faire la fête. Idéal d'y loger en cherchant un appart pour les expatriés, les étudiants internationaux, ça dépanne et c'est parfait pour rencontrer du monde. N'y comptez pas y rester super longtemps en revanche si vous souhaitez du calme, ce n'est pas l'esprit du lieu!

Please do not consider this 1* review, I have exposed the situation on Backpackers HQ located on 250 Lisgar St, Ottawa, ON. Thank you.

The 5 star is mostly because the sense of community in the place is amazing. Very non judgemental welcoming staff to people of all ages and ethnicities. I met very open giving people from all around the world. And surprisingly slept very well for the 4 nights I stayed. But you need to be fine with not enough bathrooms, a very old building, and a cramped feel. Also the areas nearby are a bit dicey so make sure you ask around which directions not to walk.

The mice were so cute and the cockroach was snuggly great view and i love the aesthetic of the bed bugs really hope i can come back to the mouse.his name is gerald

I have stayed at four hostels in Ottawa and this is the ONLY one I would recommend! The staff are welcoming, friendly and helpful. They truly go above and beyond to ensure all of their guests feel right at home. The building is older as are many in Ottawa but that said the staff do an excellent job of cleaning and maintenance. They truly have captured the essence of hostelling here! I came for two days and stayed for three weeks! Great place!

Stayed here for 1 night. Nice homely atmosphere and friendly staff.

Little bit more explanation about city or asking if first time in Ottawa would have been nice (I used to work in a hostel myself).

Didn't like the old squeaky bunk beds which made noise at every movement, they were also totally enclosed so difficult to climb in/out of. But comfy to sleep in.

Room initially had a weird smell but seemed to be gone by night.

The in room terrace is a nice idea, but at night people go there to chat and is a bit noisy.

Do not come here, after two nights we found out we had bed bugs and the owner kept on putting off meeting us when we asked to talked to him the next day. Horrible experience.

Ottawa Backpackers Inn is getting this one-star review because they "lost" our booking and because of how they handled the issue (or, rather, didn't handle it) after it came to light.

My partner and I booked a private room at the hostel over a summer long weekend (from Friday to Monday) directly on their website. We received an e-mail confirmation for the booking. However, when we arrived on the Friday, we were informed that our booking was only for the one night. Initially, the staff member on the desk blamed us for the issue, saying that we had changed the booking after we had initially made it (we had not) or had booked the wrong nights (we did not). At our insistence, he checked their online reservation system and confirmed that we were correct - we had booked for all three nights with no changes. He had no explanation for why our correct three-night booking was not showing up in their bed scheduling system. However, because of this, we had only been scheduled to be in the room for one night, and someone else had been able to book the room for the rest of the weekend. All of the other private rooms were fully booked. He reluctantly offered us beds in one of their large dorms - however, this was not a practical alternative for us (we were travelling with multiple bags/suitcases, including laptops, because we had planned for the private room we had booked). At no point did he offer any sort of discount or even an apology, saying only that he “felt bad”.

In the end, after we spent a portion of the Friday calling around, we were fortunate enough to get a hold of a friend before they left town for the weekend and were able to stay at their place for the remaining two nights of our trip. If we had not had that as a resource, we would have been put in a bind - because it was a summer long weekend, a lot of the other options were fully booked or quite expensive.

The hostel itself was fine - a bit run down and pricey for what it was, but consistent with other hostels in Canada. However, because of our experience, we will not be staying with them again and will be cautioning others not to do so either.

Okay.i'm not the kind to complain, but I really can't hold back this time around. This is not a great place. It's not even "good". I checked in and the moment I walked into my room, I could get a very strong smell of urine. The sink was rotting away, the door lock wasn't even working. Bedsheets were dirty. The wifi wasn't even working on my laptop. You walk in and you definitely don't get a "safe" vibe. I've been to hostels and motels before - this is by far the absolute worst one I've ever been to. Dear owners, please.do something.

Si vous avez de la chance vous tomberez sur un staff très sympa et humain, ce qui fut mon cas. Les dortoirs sont correctes, les salles de bains sont bien mais la propreté laisse à désirer.

Excellent séjour! Personnel sympathique et professionnel!
On a de la place, le quartier est dynamique!

The staff and people staying at the hostel were very friendly and was a good environment to socialise. A lot of things were in walking distance as well.

Sehr sympathisch! Nette Leute und gute Lage. Gut durchdacht. Allerdings nicht super sauber, dafür sehr gemütlich.

Its cheap, hippy style place where you share a bunkbed with snoring strangers, they do hand you bed and pillow sheets and ear plugs though, one wash room for the entire floors

Personnel disponible et serviable
Sanitaires propres
Bien placé
Maison un peu vieillotte, un style qu'on aime ou pas
Style backpacking

Friendly and numerous Staff, spacious rooms, all commom spaces are clean and organized, the localization is perfect (close to everywhere - groceries stores, pubs, turistics atractions), and also there is space for barbecue, watching Tv, playing videogame, playing guitar, smoking area, etc. I totally recommend it!