Stayed 2 nights in a private cell. A very unique experience indeed! Good for students and backpackers that visits the capital as other reviews mentioned.
The staffs were welcoming and helpful at answering questions you have around the area. The location is great, right across from the mall and within walking distance to the Parliament building, byward market, and also uOttawa.
This is a hostel... more

Perfect lodging for students, backpackers, and other fearless travelers who seek experiences out of the ordinary. Clean, centrally located and incredibly budget-friendly (around $30 a night), this particular lHI Hostel location is set in an old jail! So yes, for one night, you get your own "cell" in a historic building just steps away (walking distance) from downtown and the University of... more

I've been staying in hostels quite a bit the last couple years while doing some budget travelling and I've had amazing experiences. I knew the lucky streak wouldn't last forever. So here's my first negative hostel experience. The actual cell I booked was great. The bed was comfy enough, the price was right ($30 for a private cell), and it was just enough space for me and my bags. The staff on... more

It was cozier than I expected it to be. The front desk staffs were extremely helpful and friendly. I stayed in a double jail cell, and it was very basic, as I had imagined. The bed was surprisingly comfortable! The girls' showers were spacious and decently clean, I did not have any problems with getting a shower stall whenever I needed one. The location was fantastic! Walking distance to just... more

We booked a 4 bed male dorm and stayed in a beautiful room with two bunk beds, one of them with a queen size bed on the lower level. We even had a sink and two armchairs in our room. The shared bathroom was old but very clean. Breakfast was very good; good bagels and fresh fruits were provided. Parking was 11$ per night. I would definitely recommend this hostel to everyone who is looking for a... more

cool opinion!!! A real jail looked a little bit scary but the concept was awesome!!!!

Pros
- Historical building with some cool history.
- Supposedly haunted - there's free daily ghost tours for anyone staying in the hostel. It's nothing fancy, but it's fun to check out.
- Safe. I was traveling alone (stayed in a 4 bed dorm) and felt completely safe (ghosts or otherworldly spirits notwithstanding).
- Free breakfast included.
- Free wifi, although it did cut out a bit.
- Good... more

We should have known that staying in a jail would be a bad idea.

We were both assigned top bunks (no choice), and in our room there were 3 bunks to sleep 6 people. They do provide a pillow and sheets, but I would definitely advise bringing your own. The bunks are the squeakiest, noisiest, most uncomfortable beds you will likely ever sleep in. When I climbed into my top bunk, I honestly thought... more

The staff was very friendly. We stayed in a private room at the top floor and had a very nice shared bathroom. I looked in on the dorm floor and it did not look very nice and that bathroom was disgusting. I would recommened this hostel for it's private room. It has a great location and they change their security code everyday - very safe.

Unique Quality: They had a spooky very interesting jail... more

You mostly stay here for the atmosphere but it doesn't hurt that it's right in the centre of town. For $22 Cdn you can stay in a cell within the old Ottawa jail. Formerly a prison and the site of Canada's last public hanging, this historical landmark retains much of its original character. You can visit death row and the gallows during a Jail Tour. As for security...it was a jail man!
... more

approx $16 (Canadian) per night for hostelling international members.

Unique Quality: This hostel used to be a jail. The dorms are actually cells. If you get creeped out easily don't take the jail tour of the hostel. Book early, especially around Canada Day.

Yup, you sleep in a cell! Thhe good news is even though it's hot outside, it's not that hot in because of the thick walls and the concrete. I had a good time over there, and all the amenities were great. Friendly staff too!

Directions: www.hihostels.ca/OntarioEast/en/index...

Unique Quality: The hostel is located in the old county jail and the rooms are the old cells. ArtsCourt, located next door is the former court house. Both are reputedly haunted....

The last public execution in Canada occured here in 1869.

Directions: Downtown right across the street from the Rideau Centre and around the corner from the Market

this is an unused jail that has been converted to a hostel (in 1972 it shut down and in 1973 converted and opened).

it still retains many of its original features from the gates outside, the stocks near the entrance and death row on the top floor.

you enter from the streets on the thrid level, are given a key to the main door and go through a massive 2ft thick original wooden door to the... more

Nice and cheap! And talk about LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION! Just a hop, skip, and a jump and you're in Rideau Centre (biggest shopping complex in Ottawa)...and a few more steps Northbound is Byward Market.

Unique Quality: This used to be a jailhouse until the 70s. The 4th floor is closed off for the Ottawa Haunted Tour (aka it's still retain its "shape" as a jail...).

Directions: Underneath... more

I didn't stay here but I took the jail house tour and I would definitely come stay here. It seemed clean, safe and friendly with lots of value added service and activities. It's at a very good location, directly behind the Rideau Centre (huge shopping complex) and not too far from the other sightseeing areas.

Directions: Right behind the Sears in Rideau Centre

The Ottawa Jail Hostel or officially called Ottawa International Hostel. This building is located in Ottawa downtown, not oo far from the Ridea Canal and a walking distance from the Rideau Center shopping Mall. The prices are cheaper than those in a hotel environment. The most interesting part of this place is it's historical purpose. This building was a prison long time ago.

Prices start at... more

Unique Quality: This place used to be a former jail and it's interior is much as it was before the jail closed in the 1970's. The hostel dorms are what used to be the prison cells, complete with cell doors,a nd you can even go on a tour of the hostel and see the hanging quarter and solitary confinement cells. It's a bit scarey but at least you know you can leave when you want to!

Unique Quality: was the jail back in the day... the site of the last Canadian public hanging from the back door. They used to let one stay for free if they stayed in the spookiest cell. A while back, someone got freaked out while staying in there and couldn't get out of the cell. I am not sure what happened but they don't let people stay in that room anymore. Tours are also available of the... more

Definitely 100 points for the experience of sleeping in a single cell on 'death row', but not quite so many points for comfort.

One night interrupted by the clatter of chains, snoring and other nightly noises was an experience - two would have been an inconvenience. The cells are built with vaulted ceilings to amplify sound. While this certainly made life easier for the past guards, present... more

I hear all other comments of this place. Yes, stay one night for the novelty of the place. Be prepare that the jail room is small, bed squeaky, shower further away. I thought that I went there at bad timing, because I thought that the management was very careless. There were garbage everywhere, uncollected, kitchen left dirty either by visitors or management team (I couldn't tell), late night... more

The staff at this hostel truly went above and beyond for me. They helped me on more than one occassion and were so very kind. I will definitely be staying here again if I return to Ottawa. This stated, if you're looking for luxury, this is not a luxurious place - it's a former prison. Location is brilliant but the prison bars and lack of color do not create an overly inspiring environment. I... more

While there was an error with our booking that lead to them being overbooked, the VERY helpful staff found us alternative accommodation and refunded us the following day. Free wifi, location great, shower great, cell room sufficient but kitchen very tired and grubby. Noise from neighbouring night club terrible on the Friday and Saturday night - ear plugs required. Would I stay again? Only if... more

I stayed during the fall season for five nights and one ot two beds were always unoccupied so booking was not heavy. In regard to some of the prior reviews, the beds are metal framed and the mattress suited my comfort demands; I was not bothered by the history of the building or the fact that convicts died in the bldg, hell the stairways are protected by an anti-suicide grating. My only comment... more

Price quality ratio: awful! The only good thing is the location... So you might as well stay at the mission: cheaper and the same quality!

This place is unprofessional at best....

Rented out the bar and court-yard for an event 3 months in advance, two weeks before the event the owner cancelled our reservation withour reason. Leavingmy company with advertisements all over the city that dispayed an invalid event address.

The showers were freezing cold, the bathroom stinks, the bed had an insect crawling in it and the noise from the city and art gallery next door was echoing through the halls all night. Impossible to get any sleep with the sound of the massive compressor next door turning on every 30 seconds. It's like trying to sleep in a factory. Torture.

I stayed in the Jail Hostel for 1 night during a Roadtrip through eastern Canada. The location is really beautiful, just check the other descriptions. Its really worth visiting the place. I felt that the sanitary arrangements were in good condition and that there was enough place for everybody - but I have to mention we slept there on a monday night.

Nevertheless, there were many downsides in... more

Staying here is all about the novelty of the place. It is really fun to stay in the original cells complete with bars. However, the hard beds and super creepy haunted feeling kind of sucks. Let's just say I didn't exactly sleep well. I would not recommend this as a place for multiple nights just for the creep out factor, but I highly recommend it as a cool experience for a night if you are in... more

If you find yourself in our fine nation's capital on a modest budget and value clean rooms, a convenient location, friendly and knowledgeable staff and aren't weary of spending a night or two with the agreeable spirits of condemned murderers, arsonists ET AL. then the old Nicholas Street Gaol, or what is now known as HI Ottawa Hostel is for you.

When the jail closed in 1972, Hostelling... more

The beds aren't awesome but they're much better than camping, and big-free to boot.

The novelty of staying in a somewhat-renovated jail would wear off over multiple nights, but it really is an interesting alternative to the many overpriced hotels in the area. I had a fun time exploring the levels and cells, though I missed the nightly tour. The basement houses the common area with a bar open... more

How does this place only have two reviews? This place was slightly creepy, but super cool. My bf and I did a Canada road trip and decided to stay one night in the Jail Hostel. I totally agree that one night is more then enough. I also highly advise to read the wikipedia history of the Jail Hostel or take the tour after you stay the night. I wish they had a morning jail tour instead of only once... more

This place is worth staying at for ONE night just because of the novelty of it. It's tiny and not very comfortable, but it's definitely interesting. The rooms and bathrooms are really clean too.

A unique and memorable trip to the best Ottawa Hostel that'll not only include its sights, attractions, and activities but your overnight sentence in jail as well! The HI-Ottawa Jail Hostel is the only hostel in North America located in a former prison that operated for over 100 years. During your stay in this Victorian-era architectural relic, you'll sleep in former jail cells, the prison... more