Park it and forget it
Every official page agrees on one thing: parking at the complex is free. Once the car is in, there is a case for leaving it there until Sunday. The pools, the spa, four restaurants, the bars and the theatre are all under one roof or linked to it, and the hotel's bell staff work around the clock at the main entrance for anything that needs carrying.
Saturday morning: the canal
The Rideau Canal skating is the reason many people come in winter. Loto-Québec puts it 7.3 km from the hotel and describes close to eight kilometres of ice through the middle of Ottawa. The STO's Rapibus, which has a stop at Lac-Leamy, crosses into downtown Ottawa; from there the canal and Parliament Hill, 6.4 km from the hotel, are close together. Plan the exact bus on the STO trip planner, since routes and connections change by season.
Saturday afternoon: warm water
The order that works is cold first, warm after. Amerispa's packages, or two hours of treatment, include the hotel's pools, whirlpools, steam bath and sauna. The outdoor pool is heated all year, the operator says, and there are few better ways to end a day on the ice than in hot water with snow on the deck.
Saturday night: no coats needed
Dinner at Arôme, the hotel's restaurant over Lac de la Carrière, opens until 10 p.m. The theatre is in the complex; so is Bacchus, the bar with the fireplace. On a January night, not putting a coat back on is a luxury in itself.
Sunday: the museum
The Canadian Museum of History, on the Gatineau side at 100 Laurier Street, is reachable by STO buses; it faces Parliament across the river. Check-out is at 11 a.m., so the bell staff can hold the bags while you go.
What can go wrong
- Weather. Canal skating depends on the ice; the operator's pages do not promise conditions and neither do we.
- Monday and Tuesday dining. Banco Bistro is closed both days, and Bouquet opens only Wednesday to Saturday.
- The weekday casino closure from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m., if you are an early riser looking for a coffee there; L'Instant opens at 11 a.m. on weekdays.
Rooms for a winter weekend: ask the desk and mention the canal in your notes, and we will ask for a room on the lake side.