This is my first time visiting this hotel. My friend and I didn't stay here but we came to check…read moreout their patio & lovely river view. We enjoyed our visit and will return again for sure . Thank you for having us.

Had a 3 day stay here on business. Decided to watch some of Game 7 of the World Series at the bar…read more Greeted enthusiastically by Megan the bartender and had a few pints with a co-worker. Friendly regulars and awesome service from Megan made it an enjoyable evening. If they had HD television it would have been even better.

The Observatory is run by the Algonquin Students' Association. I've been here once before for an…read moreevent where they had Perez Hilton come in, talk on stage, and sign autographs. A bunch of wooden chairs were set up facing the stage, and Perez gossiped about celebrities for an hour or so, told us how he got to be a famous blogger, answered some questions, signed t-shirts, and dropped as many F-bombs as he possibly could. The bouncers were a little too serious for the nature of the event and the guest of honour. You'd think that they'd lighten up a little considering it was Perez Hilton talking and not a concert or anything, but at least they made sure to keep everything safe and fight-free. Food and alcohol are offered at the Observatory. They are fully licensed and offer Starbucks coffee and a decent selection of sandwiches, salads, pizza, pub-fare, and breakfast, all for affordable prices. For those of you that are Algonquin College students, you can use your meal plan here. They also have couches, TVs, and pool tables if you want to hang out and/or study. It's also available for private rentals when it's not being used for other events. To contact the Observatory directly, here is their information via the website: Paul Norman, The Observatory Manager (613) 727-4723 ext. 5327 or by e-mail at normanp1@algonquincollege.com

I've eaten here three times now, and maybe it's the oil they use to cook their food or something…read moreelse but every time I've stopped by the observatory for food I've been sick right after. I usually get their chicken strips with fries, and it NEVER sits well with me. Sure, they taste good, but after twenty minutes I'm running to the washroom to toss it back up. A friend of mine has had their wrap and quesadillas and even she agrees that there's just something about the food that doesn't sit right in one's stomach. Overall, it's a really nice restaurant space - the fireplace is a nice, cozy touch. The food, however, leaves a bit to be desired. Prices are decent though, and they accept student meal plan, which is why I'm not giving them 1 star out of five.

The first time I was at the Centurion Centre was close to 15 years ago, for a work conference…read more Since then, I heard that there was a big fire, which forced some renovations. I was there most recently for a gala, and the place did seem more modern and nicer than I remembered it. We were a smaller group of about 80 people. We were in the Agora Room and the adjacent room to the right (I forget the name of that room). Service was ok, and the food was good, but really on the salty side. Before dinner, when we were having cocktails, hors d'oeuvres were passed around and overall they were very good. The hors d'oeuvres weren't too salty (it was the actual meal that was sodium-laden). The fried wontons were my favourite - the wrapper was crispy and all blistered, and the filling was hot and flavourful. The crustless quiches were also good. They were fluffy and silky. The perogies were cheesy and spicy (I think they had jalapenos in them). The hummus cups and smoked salmon bites were good too. For dinner we started with a tomato-based soup. I think there was roasted red peppers in it too. The soup was really hot (temperature-wise), which I appreciated, but it was so salty. I couldn't finish it. Then we had a salad which was mixed greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, and carrots. I liked that the dressing was on the side and we had our choice of a ranch or balsamic dressing. I used the tiniest amount of balsamic dressing because I like my salads dry, and it was perfect. Vegetables were fresh. The main was prime rib with gravy and accompanying vegetables were green beans, carrots and potatoes. The prime rib was tender. There were fatty sections, but that is usually how prime rib is. The gravy was too salty and too fatty for my tastes. The vegetables were too buttery for my liking, but at least the carrots and beans were a nice al dente. The roasted potatoes were good. Not too starchy. Dessert was a chocolate cake that was much too sweet, too rich and too dense for me. Service was polite, but not too polished. They forgot to give my husband and another man at our table dessert. They were clearing dessert off of other tables before they finally realized their error and only because my husband mentioned it when a server walked by. We were at the Head Table, so I do feel that this was a major slip up on their part. I also sat for a very long time with an empty water glass before it was re-filled. So I feel that servers could have been a bit more attentive. The venue itself is nice, but I feel that it's more on the side of function than aesthetics. It's on Colonnade, so basically in an industrial park. There's free parking in the back. Overall, I still had a good time because the event was for a good cause, but in my opinion a lot of the food was too salty (and dessert was too sweet) and service could have been more attentive.

Nice space for special events, lots of free parking in the back. The food is average for a…read moreconvention center. I've worked events here numerous times and their staff is one of the most friendly I've encountered- very accomodating and checks on my well being (most others don't even bother saying hi). The way to win my yelp I mean heart is to randomly offer to feed me and they always do so 4 stars

friendly accommodating and creative staff in a beautiful modern venue. ability to bring food for…read morethe occasion and make some themes according to your needs. great experience here, affordable and highly recommended, Sandra K

We had my daughter's 10th birthday party here in September and she loved it. The wow factor was…read moregreat, everyone loved it. It felt like renting out a club, the girls were very excited. Karaoke is the main draw of course, but the room is also set up great for parties with lots of couches and areas to set up for doing presents and games and stuff. The staff was super accommodating and let the girls use the microphones to do play mafia and call bingo as well. Great spot, hidden gem, highly recommend if you're out of ideas for a birthday party!

Ottawa is so lucky to have this facility. Located in the Riverside area near Billings Bridge it's…read moregot an unreal amount of stuff happening at all times of the year. Under their umbrella, there's a ton of fitness centres and wellness programs (like the Nepean Tennis Club!) under their "lifefit" heading. I had my first experience here in a summer camp when I was young, and then at a volleyball camp as a teen. As an adult, I appreciate all the clubs and sport leagues available. They also do training courses like CPR and First Aid, and have specialty classes like Fine Art which is cool. Their facility is a big one, and there's a ton to learn and see, so take your time and soak it all in. I'm a big advocate of checking out their website to see what might be of interest to your fine self. You can get an individual or family membership, and there's a lot of options, so if you get confused, maybe go in for a chat. The FieldHouse Bar and Grill is also a part of the centre and serves up breakfast, lunch dinner and snacks and drinks. There's also a sports shop that sells fitness gear like clothing, tennis rackets and they offer restringing which is helpful. They also have banquet and special event services as well as a massage and physiotherapy clinic! If you're looking to get active or make some new friends, this is an awesome place to check out. Also great for kids - they have a massive summer program!

I've never used the sports facilities here, but I really enjoy this location for conferences and…read moremeetings. They have multiple rooms that can be used for a number of different events. The lobby is nice and welcoming and the signage is very helpful to get the guests to where they need to be in the building. The food the catering staff creates is top quality and their event staff must be on point as I've never attended an event where anything went wrong from the venue's perspective. They recently added a temporary extension off the front. I'm not sure what this building houses. It includes an enclosed walkway from the main building to the new temporary building. That walkway is a bit awkwardly placed and makes cab drop-offs and pick-ups somewhat difficult. It's not possible to see the full driveway and getting passed the temporary walkway is a bit of a squeeze in order to get to the cab drop-off/pick-up. But with all new things come a few bumps, so I'm sure they'll figure this out quickly.

Dow's Lake is a man-made lake on the Rideau Canal. It's the site of many fun activities and there…read moreare several restaurants there with beautiful views of the water. You can rent canoes, kayaks, and pedal boats/paddle boats in the summer. In May there's the Tulip Festival which is technically in Commissioner's Park, but this park surrounds Dow's Lake. In the winter when the lake freezes over, you can skate on it, and it's connected to the Rideau Canal, so you can skate for a pretty good distance. There are 3 restaurants at Dow's Lake. Over the years they have changed, but currently the restaurants are Lago, Umbrella Bar, and Mexi's (aka Mexicali Rosa's). There's a paid parking lot nearby ($3.50 per 30 minutes up to a maximum of $14), or street parking ($0.25 per 6 minutes) a bit further away, or free parking on residential streets in neighbouring Little Italy (3 hour limit as per by-laws).

Dow's Lake Pavilion is a short distance away from the airport and Ottawa's downtown core. I like…read morethat you can escape from your daily routine to this picturesque area without doing a road trip. There are canoes and pedal boats that you can rent. You are required to sign a waiver, wear a life jacket, and put down a $20 deposit. You can use cash, and debit and credit cards, except for American Express. Sadly, Amex doesn't seem to be as widely accepted as it used to be. There are lockers where you can store your belongings when you are on the water. I recommend coming with what you truly need. I parked in the lot across from the Pavilion. Parking is $3.50 for 30 minutes, to a maximum of $14. I paid by credit card, which was great. I didn't risk parking on the street, but I know that I can now. It's cheaper that way, but you do have to be cognizant of the time. You can also dine here after a fun time out on the water. We ate at Mexi's. You have the option of dining in the restaurant or sitting out on the patio. I missed the tulip festival. Perhaps I'll plan my vacation and take them in next time. (254)

I really like the idea behind Collab Space. Networking is such a huge part of business,…read moreparticularly in Ottawa since we like to be very personable about our business here. Collab Space provides those opportunities for small business owners, entrepreneurs, and other such business minded individuals to get together and share ideas, promote their business and...collaborate! There are lost of options for networking here: you are participate with a membership to promote your business or you can attend networking nights (for free) to meet other business people and exchange information. There is also usually food and drinks at these events (which is always a draw for me)!

The building at 70 Bongard is contaminated with toxic and carcinogenic mould spores;…read moreAspergillus/Penicillium. Do not trust Emile Sallem. He will lie right to your face with a charming smile to deceive you. We rented 1200 square feet of his warehouse and when we started renovations, we found a lot of black mould behind the wall. We immediately cancelled our lease because my fiancé has a severe allergy to Aspergillus/Penicillium. He let us cancel our lease and promised us that he would get the mould removed by certified professionals to try to entice us to come back as tenants. He ripped out the mould-filled wall himself or by other non-professionals and the toxic and carcinogenic mould spores contaminated the air in his building. He invited us to check out the space again telling us that the mould had been professionally removed. I asked if he had it removed by professionals he said yes and he even embellished his lie with details, telling us that the company came in white protective suites and they set up a tent and that it was a real spectacle. His statement seemed legitimate so we went inside but immediately felt reactions and left within 10 minutes. We asked Emile what company he hired to remove the mould and he named Asbex Environmental Contractors and Paul Battle - The House Doctor for the air quality test. We called Asbex and they denied having done the job at 70 Bongard because it was not in their records. They said to ask him for the invoice and letter of completion detailing the work that was done knowing that he would not be able to produce these records. Then, we called the House Doctor and he affirmed that he did the air test but this expert informed us that the building failed the air test and that it was contaminated with Aspergillus/Penicillium among other types of air born spores. I asked if he was under the impression that the mould got removed by professionals and he said no there was no evidence left behind from a professional mould remediation company because usually they leave hepa filters in place for a few days and that he did not see any filters. He also said that if a professional company actually did the job the building would have easily passed the air test but the air test failed. When we called Emile at Collab Space to ask him if he had the invoice from Asbex, he said yes somewhere and then brushed off the subject saying it doesn't matter because he knew we weren't going to want to rent there. We caught him in his lies and he is not to be trusted! He will expose you to health risks for his own personal gain at your expense. DO NOT TRUST HIS LIES!!! Now my fiancé has been having a severe migraine since she went back inside of there and she is experiencing full body rashes which is linked to her severe allergies to black mould. If you have allergies, sensitivities or if you cherish your health do not go in that building! Do not do business with that dishonest liar!