Ottawa Airport Hotels

Airport hotel guide for overnight stays, early departures, and business trips at Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport.

Day Rooms and Layover Stays at Ottawa Airport

Ottawa Airport’s terminal has no showers, no rest zones, and fewer shops and seating areas than a larger hub. This guide covers hotel rooms for a daytime layover and when a lounge is enough.

The walkway option

ALT Hotel Ottawa Airport is the closest hotel for a layover: the transfer is an indoor walk. No standing day-use rate is published, so ask about guaranteed early check-in or late check-out when booking, with your flight times to hand. The hotel has a 24-hour gym and Sosta! Pizzeria, and the restaurant is a few steps from the terminal for travellers who are not taking a room.

Shuttle hotels for longer stops

For a stop of most of a day, the shuttle hotels are also an option. Hilton Garden Inn Ottawa Airport is one kilometre away, with a free shuttle from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm, a pool open from 6:00 am to 11:00 pm and a restaurant. Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Ottawa Airport has the same published shuttle hours, a hot tub and a 24-hour gym.

Allow for the shuttle both ways and for security screening again: on a six-hour layover at a shuttle hotel, expect around four hours in the room.

When a lounge is enough

For stops under about four hours, the Aspire Lounge airside near gate 18 costs less than a room. It sells entry at the door and accepts membership programmes. It has no showers, and the lounges are not open overnight. See showers and lounges at YOW.

Overnight instead of daytime? See sleeping in Ottawa Airport. Watching the budget? See the cheapest YOW hotels. Getting into the city between flights: Ottawa Airport to downtown.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I book a day room at Ottawa Airport?

No hotel at YOW publishes a standing day-use rate. Instead, ask for guaranteed early check-in or late check-out when you book; several of the hotels will arrange it when occupancy allows. Contact the hotel directly with your flight times rather than relying on a booking site.

Is a day room worth it for a YOW layover?

A day room is most useful for YOW stops of five hours or more, because Ottawa's terminal has no showers and no rest zones. For shorter stops the Aspire Lounge costs less than a room, though it has no showers either.

Which hotel is quickest to reach on a layover?

ALT Hotel Ottawa Airport is the quickest to reach: it is connected to the terminal by an indoor walkway, so there is no shuttle wait in either direction. Of the shuttle hotels, the Hilton Garden Inn is a kilometre away with a free shuttle from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm.

Information last verified: September 30, 2026