Visit the Modern Arc the Hotel in Ottawa Canada

  by Barbara Ramsay Orr

Once you've stayed at the Arc, all the other hotels in Canada's capital city of Ottawa seem like old men, some with facelifts and makeovers, but passé when compared to the new young personality in the capital.

Arc the hotel in Ottawa reshapes the idea of a hotel to fit modern sensibilities. Although there are other boutique style hotels in Canada, this, according to Guy Luzy, the general manager, is the first design hotel in Canada, and its appeal is clearly aimed at a traveler who values efficiency but likes it with ‘luxe’. The well heeled, sophisticated high-tech traveler, specifically.

None of these adjectives fits me, although I consider myself pretty tech-savvy, but I fell in love with this hotel. I knew it for sure when I was snuggling into the down duvet, the 320 count pure cotton sheets and the oversized pillows. My last thought before sleep came was "I could live here", and I've never felt that way about a hotel room before.

It's a sleek hotel, it's beautiful, and it's ultra cool. I swear I became better looking and more sophisticated while I stayed there, like I absorbed it through my skin. A kind of Zen-by-osmosis thing.

The entrance on Slater Street, for example, is subtle. You could easily walk by this hotel without noticing it. So your arrival is private and personal, not a trek through a cavernous anonymous lobby. It's more like checking in to your own club. The woman at the desk, where they serve you a complimentary glass of bubbly if you arrive after five, had a geometric haircut that matched the décor.

The hotel has a contemporary, urban feel to it, the result of the inspired design of Yabu Pushelburg, the Canadian team who did the makeover of Tiffany's flagship store on Fifth Avenue.

The Arc's spaces are spare but attractive, utilitarian yet luxurious. The lobby, for example, has limestone floors, but they are covered with a warm hued calligraphy-adorned carpet. (The words say " Rest your mind, Awaken your spirit" in several different languages) There's lots of black and glass and chrome, but it's softened with dove gray suede on tables and ottomans, and punches of warm color.

The main floor library is sharp angles and oriental in feel, but orange and burgundy conservatory boxes and book covers add stylish life to the room. On a side table are the National Post, the Globe and Mail, the New York Times and the Ottawa Citizen. Current editions of upscale magazines are also there, as well as a good selection of CD's that guests can take up to their rooms. Complimentary cappuccino and latte is available in the lobby 24-7.

The lounge area on the main floor is newly opened. It presents a comfortable and seamless joining between the bar, the lounge, the tasting bar and the dining room. A woman traveling on her own would feel very comfortable here, could have a drink in the lounge and order from the tasting bar, or dine with easy privacy in the dining room. Try the signature drink, the "Arctini", an apple based martini with a float of sliced green apple. The servers are dressed primarily in black. All are beautiful.

The litmus test for any establishment is the hotel room, however. The Arc has only 112 rooms, which keeps it in the boutique, or small hotel category. The rooms echo the lobby colors with riffs on gray teamed with cream and dark wood. There is a heather colored mohair throw on the sofa, and fresh green apples, one on either side of the bed. There are two phones, one cordless, a good quality stereo and CD player, and a coffee maker. The in-room safe is large enough for a laptop. The desk is spacious and the high-speed Internet connection is a snap. I was checking email within ten minutes of getting to my room.

But it is the attention to detail that makes this space seem like a bedroom instead of a hotel room. The coffee is Starbucks, and, in the bar fridge, is complimentary cream and 2% milk. The robes are Frette and the toiletries are Bulgari. There is an elegant magnifying mirror, in a black lacquer swivel frame. Turndown involves cold spring water and Godiva chocolates. In the morning, the shoes you left outside the door are polished, and the day's National Post is waiting.

Located in the heart of Ottawa, The Arc is central to all of the charms of the capital city. Parliament Hill is short blocks away, The Rideau Canal and Byward Market are close, and the National Gallery is nearby as well.

No wonder the refrain Luzy gets most often on his comment cards is "I'm going home to redecorate my bedroom". It's also easy to understand why over thirty percent of the Arc's business is from repeat customers.

This hotel may be targeting the young Turks of techno, but its reach is wider than that. I can see, for example, Leonard Cohen, the captain of cool, staying here and liking it very much. He would like the elegant sparseness of its design, and he would love its beauty. He could write a song about it.

It’s an exciting hotel, with a hip vibe that is a welcoming space for any woman traveler.

Information on the hotel:
ARC THE HOTEL
140 Slater Street
Ottawa, ON, K1P 5H6
PH: 613-238-2888
Fax: 613-235-8421
Toll Free: 1-800-699-2516
www.arcthehotel.com
Rates: From $110 – 330 USD