The free breakfast and the cleanliness.

I have ordered a late checkout for 2 PM as I had an appointment on the day of and didn’t want to drag all my stuff with me to my appointment. I verified with the receptionist the night before whether my order went through and he confirmed that both the late checkout order and payment were already processed. However, the staff the next day was apparently not informed of this, thus they knocked on my door at 11:30 AM asking why I had not checked out yet when checkout was supposed to be done at 11 AM. Not a big deal really but given that I paid extra for the service, I expected not to be rushed the next day.

It's in perfect location, just near the shopping center and 5 mins walk to Senate, 10 mins to parliament, 5 mins to byward market. The yogurt cream and bagels at breakfast are sooo good that I miss them already. Room's clean. Staffs are very helpful. Building itself is adapted from a jail and has reserved some stairs, some rooms and interior designs, which is super cool. Fantastic at the price. Also attended the Monday movie night. It was Alien on show by the projector. The staff was so nice to offer me a glass of wine.

I was in a 4-girl dorm and sleep in the lower bunk bed. The bed's height is limited and can't even sit up or I'll bump me head haha :) But still feels good and interesting to live here.

The staff was great. The history of the place was amazing. I loved that each cell room had an informational placard about an inmate who had been there. The cells are so small that I was impressed with what they were able to do with them. Bags fit easily under the bed and can be pulled out like a drawer to get to your stuff. They have very useful hooks and a mirror in the standing space. The parking lot is spacious and easy to see when first arriving.

The floors are U shaped and I had to walk the entire length of the U to get to the bathroom on my floor. There was a slight smell due to the lack of air flow in the cells. This is not something they can help, and they had increased air flow as much as they could. The breakfast was basically just bagels and hard boiled eggs, so it was preferable to go out for breakfast. I forgot to buy a T-shirt!

Simple but surprisingly good breakfast. Thankfully no gruel on the buffet. An interesting tour by Simon. A thanks to Jackson for making our early arrival manageable. Very convenient location, central and steps away from the Rideau Centre, handy departure point for buses and light rail.

The shortcomings (occasional sounds and light) and slightly reduced privacy from mostly covered cell bars could also be considered a feature, given it IS a prison. Love the irony in the fee for late checkout, where the formerly accommodated would have opted for earliest possible checkout, if they made it out at all! For some, the stairs and heavy doors might be an issue.

There is a great vibe here and the cleanliness is very good. I was also impressed with the breakfast. The Ottawa Jail Hostel offers a unique experience. The location is superb, close to everything. I met some great people, which added so much to my short stay.

They still have a problem with the air conditioning but the small fan at the head of the bed is a super improvement. The staff weren't well briefed on alternative transportation due to a closure of the main light rail line to the train/bus station. They could have warned arriving guests and had better information at reception. I think $50 per night for a bed in a tightly configured shared room is quite pricey.

The place was rather chilled out and easy going. Just the right environment for a holiday or time off from day to day. Room was soooo comfortable, I slept so well for so long; woke up refreshed each day. The place is clean though the kitchen needs a tad bit of TLC (still above average compared to many other places I have been to). Breakfast is good and wholesome, a well thought out meal to start the day, Location is the biggest USP.

I cannot think of much that I did not like... hmmm... maybe a quick clean up of the kitchen every couple of hours ? This also depends on the guests !

Loved my stay here! Very unique and quirky. Great location, super close to Rideau train station and shopping centre (Approx 8-10 min walk). Beds were very cosy with privacy curtains. The air con was a blessing during the heat wave. Communal bathrooms were nice and clean; I loved that the showers had complimentary shampoo and bodywash. The complimentary breakfast was also not too bad; mostly bagels, cereal, bananas, boiled eggs, and coffee.

There was only one single USB power outlet in my top bunk bed, which made charging my devices tricky. The breakfast could have also done with more options, such as yoghurt or porridge. More shelves in the showers would have been useful too!

The experience of staying in an old jail cell was for sure the highlight. They put info of who was the prisoner there and for what reason. Mine was Julian from the late 18 hundreds who was imprisoned for insanity. The cell of course is a cell, with noise coming from the corridor and other cells but it was clean. Roaming around other floors was also cool to see the rest of the jail, they also give a tour everyday if you are there and interested in.

They seem to have some sort of generous breakfast down there, but perhaps it was not the most appealing one in terms of cleanliness for my taste.

The breakfast staff were great. They were friendly and helpful. The food was well prepared and presented. The bedroom was clean. The price for the room was right for the accommodation.

The registration person was unpleasant...abrupt. Being this was my first time staying in a hostel she was not very helpful. The first night was great in the bedroom. There were six people all respectful. The second night not so much...different people. The room smelled sooo bad when i entered it around 930pm. It was tough to stay in it. I guess thats the hazard of staying in a hostel. You just never know. The one bathroom was pretty dirty.

The hostel is in a very good location, close to the subway, restaurants and a shopping center, as well as some of the city's tourist attractions. The breakfast was also very good and varied. Staying at the hostel itself has a historic charm, as it was once a prison in the city, so it's worth checking out and staying there for that reason alone. Overall, the experience of staying at the hostel is good if you overlook a few things and considering its price.

The room I stayed in was a bit cramped considering to the amount of people in it, so it was difficult to grab and organize your things. The shower space was also quite cramped, with few hooks to hang your things and no support for toiletries. The height of the bottom bunk bed is a bit low, which could be a problem for taller people.