dnhubet

I'm a skater from the mid-Atlantic US. I've heard of the Rideau Canal Skateway for many years. I'm looking for recommendations for a trip to Ottawa mid-winter -- to skate the canal. Need suggestions for moderately priced hotel within walking distance, and any other useful advice.

toedtoes

There will be others with more definite hotel advice, but the following hotels are within walking distance to the canal and should be under $130:

Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Downtown
Business Inn
Extended Stay Downtown
Cartier Place

Winterlude takes place Feb 2-18, 2007, if you can take your trip then, you'll find all sorts of special activities on the ice. Although I can't skate if my life depended on it, I have dreams of skating the canal.

How long do you plan on staying and are there any other sights/activities that you're interested in seeing?

laverendrye

The closest hotels to the Canal are the Chateau Laurier and the Westin, but they are not in your price range.

However, the Holiday Inn is quite handy as is the Lord Elgin. Others within a short walking distance besides the ones mentioned by toedtoes which you might want to consider are the Novotel, the Marriott Residence Inn, the Capital Inn and the Arosa.

Winterlude is certainly a good time to come, but it would be best to try the first week of February, as sometimes there is a thaw later on which can close the canal for skating. Of course, hotel rooms are harder to find during Winterlude so you should plan accordingly.

Here's some further information:

http://www.capcan.ca/bins/ncc_web_co...297&lang=1

http://ottawa.ca/visitors/index_en.html

SallyCanuck

I've stayed several times at the Embassy Suites on Cartier Street just off Elgin - the canal is at the end of the street and almost everything else you might want to see is walking distance. Here's their website: http://www.embassyhotelottawa.com/

zootsi

We biked along the canal in summer and it is wonderful. For inexpensive lodgings, there are several b&b's in the Sandy Hill area for well under $100 a night. We stayed at Home Sweetland Home and it was clean and comfortable. Sandy Hill is a quiet residential area within walking distance of the canal and the downtown.

snoopy12

If you like boutique-style hotels, the Arc Hotel is great and close to the canal. It has been an unseasonable warm December so be sure the canal is skate-able before you go!

BikerScott

I used to live in Ottawa when I was much younger and have great memories of skating on the canal in the winter.
I agree with toedtoes - during Winterlude is the best time to go if you can as the entire city (not just the canal) is full of things to do.
When you're on the canal, I can't recommend having a beavertail and a hot chocolate enough (a beavertail is like a flattened donut covered in sugar...nothing better than eating one on the canal).

croquethed

My wife and I took our 3 year-old up for Winterlude and skating last year. I heartily recommend the Best Western Victoria Park suites on Rue O'Connor, about 10 min walk from the canal and the restaurants along Elgin Street. Prices moderate for a city, 130-170 CDN with breakfast included.

pointofnoreturn

I live in Ottawa and I should tell you this... there aren't really too many hotels directly on the Canal but the transportation system can get you anywhere. You could stay at any of the hotels mentioned... maybe Embassy West? I don't know.

Check out octranspo.com for bus schedules and fares. They have a trip planner that can help you to get you from Point A to B and tells you which bus to take, etc.

laverendrye

pointofnoreturn must be confusing the Embassy West with the Embassy Hotel and Suites on Cartier St. as the Embassy West is nowhere near the canal, but as the name implies is in the west end of the city.

As SallyCanuck has mentioned, the Embassy Hotel and Suites (not part of the Embassy Suites chain) is only a block or so from the canal and is a good choice. Here is their website:

http://www.embassyhotelottawa.com/

On the subject of Ottawa in winter, the New York Times had a good piece a couple of years ago. The information in it is still up to date.

http://tinyurl.com/yn5dfb

Enjoy your stay.

laverendrye

This will not be a good winter to come to Ottawa to skate on the Canal. It's currently 47F here and there is still open water. With continued mild temperature in the forecast, it seems unlikely that it will freeze to the thickness needed to support skating. If so, this will be the first winter since the skateway was opened that there may be no skating.

You can, however, keep tabs on conditions on the NCC website at http://tinyurl.com/to46l

dnhubet

I thank everybody for their helpful replies. I'm getting my skating legs in shape but it looks like I'll have to wait till next year to skate on the canal.

SusanD

You may want to take into consideration that there is currently no ice on the canal and may not be this winter - it's been very mild.
If there is - Minto Place Hotel is reasonable as well as the Delta.

saharabee

"Very mild" is an overstatement this year.

Unless we get a sudden cold snap, I don't see skating or anything like it in the near future here in Ottawa.

As I understand it, it takes about 14 days (continuous) of -20C temps for the canal to be able to be used as it should. We've barele hit any - temps at all this winter so far and I don't see any big stretches in the near future.

The canal is a wonderful place to skate and play. I don't see it happening this year.

laverendrye

The Canal opened for skating today!

toedtoes

That's great news Laverendrye!! I'd hate to see it not happen one year.