Review: Andaz Ottawa ByWard Market

Last Updated: February 9, 2026

This review was updated to include new photos and a YouTube video room tour.

Overview:

As avid Hyatt loyalists who travel to Ottawa frequently, the Andaz Ottawa is our go-to hotel when we visit the city. As Canada’s first and only Andaz, the hotel is located in Ottawa’s ByWard Market neighborhood and offers a rooftop lounge with views of Canada’s parliament. Since the hotel has opened, we’ve had the opportunity to stay 5 times and share some information, a room tour video, and photos of the hotel to help you decide if you want to stay here.

Property Overview:

The Andaz Ottawa ByWard is a category 3 hotel under the Hyatt program and has 200 rooms in a high-rise style tower hotel. Guests can choose from 3 types of suites and 9 types of rooms:

1 King Bed (302 sq feet)
2 Queen Beds (302 sq feet)
1 King Bed Deluxe (355 to 398 sq feet)
1 King Bed with View (302 to 355 sq feet)
2 Queen Beds with View (302 to 355 sq feet)
1 King Bed with View Deluxe (355 to 398 sq feet)
1 King Bed with ADA Shower (302 sq feet)
1 King Bed View with ADA Shower (302 sq feet)
ADA Suite King Shower (549 sq feet)
2 Queen Beds with ADA Shower (302 sq feet)

The Andaz is pet-friendly; one dog to a maximum of 50 pounds or two dogs 75 pounds combined are permitted and a non-refundable fee of $100 is required.

There is a fitness centre with views of downtown Ottawa open 24 hours per day on the top floor with cardio machines and strength training equipment.

As for on site dining, Feast + Revel serves as the main restaurant, coffee bar, and lobby bar. The rooftop bar, Copper Spirits and Sights opens at 16:00 daily and offers snacks and beverages.

General Room Amenities:

As part of the Andaz brand, the mini bar is re-stocked with snacks (bag of chips and a square of dark chocolate from Hummingbird Chocolates) and non-alcoholic beverages (water, club soda, Coke and Coke Zero) daily. **There have been some variations with offerings during our stays. We would also say that quantity and variety of offerings has diminished based on our last stay in 2024.

The complimentary drink on check-in has either been a glass of wine or a cocktail. During our most recent stay, Maxine had a spiced cider with rum and Jason had a vodka and orange juice concoction. We do miss the beer or wine option offered at other Andaz hotels as the cocktails vary in taste and quality.

The bathroom is equipped with a shower and there is a large rain shower head with good water pressure. The Andaz’s toiletries used to be local brand Purple Urchin’s Turkish Fig products but the contract was not renewed after COVID, most likely due to cost. We did miss those toiletries during our last stay.

What really makes the difference here is the bed, bedding, and the quiet HVAC system, which enhance sleep quality.

The Room: 2 Queen Beds:

When I had someone traveling with me, I switched to a room with 2 queen beds for my last night. The amenities are the same but in 302 square feet, the room does feel a little small. Because the corner room is farther away from the elevator and foot traffic in general, it was much quieter.

The Fitness Centre:

The fitness centre is small for the size of the hotel, but adequate for a decent workout. There are a couple of elliptical machines, treadmills and bikes and enough space to do functional training. My only critique of the fitness centre (and hotel overall) would be the small water bottles they provide; perhaps a filtered water cooler would be more appropriate and more environmentally friendly (similar to other Andaz hotels).

Dining at the Hotel:

The common areas are very nice and showcase Canadian art, so it was fun to wander the hotel and have a look at the various paintings. Breakfasts, brunch, and happy hour have always been enjoyable at Feast + Revel. The lobby bar also has great local craft beers and friendly service.

If the rooftop bar is nice during the winter, it must be even better in the summer. It is worth treating yourself to a cocktail at Copper Sights and Spirits to enjoy the view!

Deluxe King Room seating area and welcome drink of spiced cider with rum

View of Parliament from Copper Spirits & Sights

The Location:

The Andaz is located in the shopping and dining neighborhood/area known as the ByWard Market and is about 3 blocks away from the main mall, the Rideau Centre. Those wanting to visit the Parliament buildings can do so within a 15 minute walk from the hotel.

The hotel is near a shelter and so some reviews note “unsavoury people” around. The shelter is around the corner and one block away. It is easy to avoid this area if you are worried or concerned.

The National War Memorial is a 10 minute walk away

Overall:

We used to dread having to choose a hotel to stay at in Ottawa until the Andaz opened up as the other options were either overpriced or the usual sad chain hotel that hasn’t been renovated in many years with loud HVAC systems. Overall, our experiences have been very consistent and representative of the Andaz brand. Despite having Hyatt Globalist status, we have not been able to stay here with that status.

Review based on stays in January 2017, February 2018, December 2018, September 2019, December 2019, and June 2024.

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