Axel's take on Centretown & Elgin Street: #3 of 6 in Ottawa, 7.6/10
The best balance of central convenience and everyday neighbourhood life. Centretown pairs strong character, central access and the best value here, but its smaller hotel selection and fewer immediate attractions hold it third.
Elgin Street gives you restaurants, pubs, independent shops and access to the canal without making every outing feel like sightseeing. The Golden Triangle’s residential streets sit behind the action; farther west, Bank Street brings everyday shopping and Ottawa’s Village. The Museum of Nature and National Arts Centre bookend a particularly useful visitor district.
This is our pick for a longer central stay, restaurant-led evenings or an LGBTQ-focused visit. Choose a side street if sleep matters: Elgin’s bars can be lively, while quieter residential blocks feel different. Skip it if you need a station directly outside or want the Market’s concentration of late-night venues.
- Best for: couples, food lovers, nightlife, LGBTQ+ travelers
- Skip it if: You want a train station immediately outside; You need silence while staying directly above the bar strip
- Getting around: Walk to the canal and central sights; Line 1’s Parliament station is north of the main dining strip. Buses 5, 14 and 18 serve nearby streets—check Elgin detours. From YOW, use bus 105→Hurdman→Line 1.
- After dark: Elgin’s pubs and restaurants sustain evening activity; nearby Golden Triangle streets are quieter, depending on distance from the bars.
- Rates: Typical Axel rate $160 a night
Where to stay in Ottawa: every neighborhood ranked
Where to look in Centretown & Elgin Street
- Elgin Street at MacLaren. Start here for restaurant-led evenings and pubs on your doorstep; choose elsewhere if late-night activity bothers you. Hotels here: The Business Inn.
- Cooper Street at Cartier. Stay just off Elgin for nearby dining and walks toward the canal, without being directly on the main strip. Hotels here: Cartier Place Suite Hotel.
How to choose
- Choose The Business Inn if you want cheaper kitchen-equipped suites, included breakfast and free self-service laundry, and don't mind dated decor.
- Choose Cartier Place Suite Hotel if your family will use the indoor pool, hot tub and children's play areas.
What paying more buys
Cartier Place Suite Hotel costs more than The Business Inn, chiefly buying an indoor pool, hot tub, sauna and children's play areas. Both offer kitchens and space rather than contemporary interiors. The upgrade is hard to justify if you won't use the leisure facilities, especially with breakfast and self-service laundry included at The Business Inn. Typical rates with Axel here run from $136 a night at The Business Inn to $184 at Cartier Place Suite Hotel (last 30 days).
The best hotels in Centretown & Elgin Street, ranked by Axel's take
Each hotel scored for what it is by Axel's own review; the rate is one stay Axel priced this week, beside the public rate for the same dates.
- The Business Inn 8.9/10, budget all-suite apartment hotel in downtown Ottawa. Big suites and generous extras make this a strong downtown budget pick. Why it's here: big kitchen suites with breakfast and self-service laundry included for less. Accept: dated interiors, crowded breakfast seating and occasional nightlife noise. $119 a night with Axel; no public rate was seen for these dates. Sign up free to book this rate
- Cartier Place Suite Hotel 8.0/10, practical 3-star apartment-style hotel in downtown Ottawa. Choose it for downtown space and kitchens, not contemporary style. Why it's here: kitchen suites with a pool and children's play areas for family stays. Accept: some interiors are dated; parking costs extra. $148 a night with Axel against $231 a night on Expedia for the same dates and party: $83 a night less (36%). Sign up free to book this rate
