The HI-Ottawa Jail Hostel is located on Nicholas Street in Ottawa, Ontario and operates largely as a popular youth hostel for visitors to Ottawa. The Hostel, is, as its name suggests, an old jail house that has been redesigned to accommodate paying guests who may be looking for somewhere different to stay. It is recommended as a place to stay for young singles but will also accommodate other visitors and travelers on a budget.
The rooms at the hostel are mostly offered on a shared basis and guests give the hostel the thumbs up for comfor and cleanliness and for the helpful and friendly attitude of the staff. However, be prepared for the smallness of the rooms this was originally a jail and the rooms are converted cells behind bars.There is a large and fully stocked kitchen which is for the use of people staying at the hostel; the hostel also has a large television lounge where guests can relax. The hostel operates a crime and punishment tour and it is a popular attraction with many of the guests. The hostel offers breakfasts for a charge of five dollars a person which is not really excessive.
A major draw back for some reviewers was the fact that the hostel has few interior walls which means that the only things that seperate you from the people in the next room are iron bars. Although if you go with the family there are a couple of private family rooms on offer. If you are of a nervous disposition then the HI-Ottawa Jail Hostel might not be the best place for you as it is reputed to be haunted by the ghost of an ex prisoner
