Quality Inn Orleans

For $180 a night, the room was spacious and there was plenty of parking. The hotel is in Ottawa's east end, just before the Montreal highway, so it can work as an overnight stop if you're traveling from the west toward Montreal or Quebec City. Breakfast fell short, though the price seemed okay, and CAA members get a 20% discount. It's a 2- or 3-star hotel, so set your expectations accordingly.

There was garbage left by the elevator all day, and ants had gotten into our room. The mini refrigerator is tiny, and the room smelled awful, like smoke mixed with cleaning product. The front desk never answers, assuming the room phone even works. We plugged the toilet and needed a plunger, but after 5:00 there was just one employee for the whole hotel, so housekeeping wasn't any help and we were basically left to deal with it ourselves. Shame on you, Quality inn. I'm never staying here again.

The staff are the main problem, apart from the check-in clerk I had this time. Some were terrible, including the morning desk employee, and when I reported that the hot water had stopped in the early afternoon, the front desk sent the housekeeper to check whether I was telling the truth. She only confirmed to a colleague that there was no hot water. This was my second and last stay, and the hotel falls below even the chain's standard. Choice members have very few parking spots. Breakfast is acceptable at first, but items run out often, and most of the food isn't worth eating. As a Diamond member, I would have liked an upgrade, especially with so few guests around. There's a laundry room, but the desk has no cash float, no change machine is available, and nobody can help, so bring $8 in change. The hot water is unreliable, not just at busy times. The woman who checked me in on my previous visit wasn't around this time, and perhaps she was terminated, which would be good.

I went to the Quality Inn in person to pay for a room for relatives visiting from out of town, and specifically asked about a cot. The front desk clerk said the request was on the reservation and shouldn't be a problem. But when my family arrived, they were told the hotel doesn't have cots at all. That should have been explained upfront. I asked the manager to call and followed up by email, but got no response. The poor communication and lack of follow-through were deeply disappointing. I won't book here again, and I'd advise people to check details directly before reserving.