Secrets of the Château Laurier Hotel Tour
Description
Discover the hidden stories and fascinating history of Ottawa’s most famous castle, the iconic Fairmont Château Laurier. Join us for a 75-minute guided tour as we go behind the scenes and explore the secrets of this majestic landmark. Learn about concealed passageways, hear about political rendezvous, and stand in the ballrooms where countless grand galas have taken place. See the luxurious swimming pool and the exclusive areas typically reserved for guests. Immerse yourself in captivating tales of the Château Laurier’s notable guests and its storied past. While the focus isn’t on ghost stories…we might just share one. Book your adventure today and let our captivating guides unlock the magic of this majestic castle. Presented in English only. Not a ghost tour.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We explore Ottawa's historic and charming castle along the Rideau Canal.
The Rideau Canal, a historic UNESCO World Heritage Site, winds through the heart of Ottawa, offering picturesque views and a vibrant cultural experience. Take in unique views of this Ottawa landmark from the windows of the hotel.
Parliament Hill, a symbol of Canadian democracy, stands majestically in Ottawa, overlooking the historic Rideau Canal and serving as the vibrant heart of the nation's capital. Take in one-of-a-kind views of 'the Hill' from the windows of the hotel.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(60)
This was an excellent tour. The guide was very knowledgeable and presented the material in a interesting format. I highly recommend it.
This was a great tour! The guide was extremely knowledgeable. The tour size was small, so there was opportunity to ask our own questions. We are relatively local to the area, but learned things about the Chateau Laurier that we did not know. There was a nice mix of history and other fun stories shared. We apppreciated seeing rooms that some others staying at the hotel wouldn’t see. A nice way to spend an hour and a half in downtown Ottawa!
Very interesting information about the history of the hotel. Our guide Emily was excellent and you could tell she was very knowledgeable about the history.
The guide was inexperienced. She knew her core stories but had trouble answering any questions outside her memorized lines and anecdotes. This would have still been OK but she failed to manage our group of ten. One man's phone kept ringing, and one woman asked so many inane questions the tour ran over. She kept interrupting the flow of the guide's story telling. We left the tour early. I feel a more experienced guide would have handled these poor behaviors so the rest of us could enjoy the tour we paid for.
Excellent tour that allows you to go behind the scenes at the hotel, learn its history, hear stories of the people who built and ran the hotel. Very informative and our guide, Jack was amazing. He was very engaging, and answered all questions. There are stairs to negotiate as you move from floor to floor.
Great look at the Chateau Laurier. Zak was a great and animated host. So pleased to see how much is original.
The history and stories shared on this tour were absolute baseline info, with barely any interesting or "hidden" stories, and the guide knew nothing beyond her memorized speech. The only areas you see not available to the public are a conference room (zero interest) and two event/ballrooms (lovely, but not worth paying for the tour); and you only get to see those if they happen to be free at the time of the visit. We learned more about the hotel and its history by looking at the photos on the walls around the ground floor and reading the captions. In fact, there's material in those captions that would have enhanced the tour, if the company had made the effort. Example 1: Sir Wilfred Laurier didn't want the hotel named after him. Why? Uhhhh I don't know. Example 2: One of the photos on the walls is a copy of the letter to Laurier basically politely saying "tough, we're naming it after you anyway." We thought this was a fun and funny bit of the story, but the tour missed it. Example 3: "This is the ballroom." Are there other ballrooms in the hotel? "Uhhhhh I don't have that information." (Answer: There are 4 ballrooms in the hotel, according to the caption of one photo.) I could give many more examples....
Excellent tour of the hotel with some very interesting unknown facts that include the Titanic! I enjoyed learning the history of the hotel and Hannah was very informative!
Jack was so knowledgable and funny. It was definitely interesting to go inside and hear the history of this landmark.
Meet up was easy. Tour was full of information and plenty of time to take photos. Zak was great as our guide
