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Casino Getaways Canada

Ottawa, Ontario · minimum age 19+

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa: our review

Updated · facts checked

The youngest property in our guide (doors opened July 3, 2025) is also the first Hard Rock in Canada to combine hotel, casino and venue as one fully integrated resort. There are 150 rooms including 22 suites, more than 1,500 slots in a casino that never shuts, Hard Rock LIVE with room for 2,200 and a Council Oak steakhouse. Nobody under 19 is admitted anywhere, the hotel included.

  • Rooms & views8.0
  • Casino floor8.0
  • Dining8.5
  • Shows & events8.5
  • Pool, spa & fitness7.0
  • Getting there8.5

Ideal for: Friends' and couples' weekends mixing a 24-hour casino, steak and live bands.
Think twice if: Your group includes anyone under 19 — the age rule applies even in the hotel.

The short version

Before anything else, know the rule: you can't enter any part of this property under 19 — not the hotel, not the restaurants. Everything else is new. A $350 million expansion turned the former Rideau Carleton casino site into what Hard Rock calls Canada's first fully integrated Hard Rock resort; it opened on July 3, 2025, run by Hard Rock International under OLG.

Which room to book

Of 150 rooms, 22 are suites. The standard Deluxe King or Deluxe Queen measures 389 sq ft (up to four people fit in the Queen). Both the Silver Suite and the Gold Suite give you a living area, and the Gold adds a bar space and a freestanding tub. Music fans can use "Sound of Your Stay" to have a guitar delivered and pick records from a curated vinyl list.

At the tables

The casino never closes, any day of the year. Expect 1,500-plus slots; round-the-clock tables for craps, roulette, blackjack, mini baccarat and more; a new baccarat room; and VIP high-limit play. Unity by Hard Rock is the loyalty card — Star, Legend and Icon tiers, plus X by invitation — and it lowers what you pay for valet and the shuttle.

Showtime

Headliners play Hard Rock LIVE, a 23,000 sq ft room with up to 1,900 seats and a 2,200 maximum. Smaller gigs go to The Joint (25 to 400 people). And you don't need a ticket for everything: the Council Oak Lounge stage has free live music on Friday and Saturday nights, and the Hard Rock Cafe books cover and tribute acts with free entry.

Eating in

Dinner of note means Council Oak Steaks & Seafood, modelled on the first Council Oak at Florida's Seminole Hard Rock; on Sundays it also does brunch, 10 am–3 pm. Casual meals are covered by the Hard Rock Cafe, YOUYU Noodle Bar and Brick'd Italian Kitchen, and coffee is available 24/7 at Constant Grind in the Marketplace.

Downtime and parking

Body Rock, the gym, is fitted with Technogym equipment and opens to your room key around the clock. No pool appears among the amenities the hotel publishes, so don't plan on a swim. Valet never closes; Icon and X members pay nothing, Legend $10, Star $15 and everyone else $20. Two EV chargers are on site.

Getting in

Ottawa's airport is only about two miles off. If you're on transit, ride the O-Train to Leitrim or Uplands and take the resort shuttle: $5 each way, or $3.50 with Unity, card or tap only. Harness racing at the neighbouring raceway wrapped up in March 2026.

The getaway verdict

The newest rooms around Ottawa and the best live-music calendar of any casino hotel its size: perfect for couples or a group of friends, and simply off-limits to families.

Good to know before you book

When did Hard Rock Ottawa open?

On July 3, 2025.

Is Hard Rock Ottawa's hotel open to under-19s?

No. Every part of the property, hotel and restaurants included, requires guests to be 19 or older.

Does Hard Rock Ottawa have a pool?

None is listed on the hotel's published amenity pages, which mention a 24-hour gym instead. Ask the hotel directly if you need one.

Where our facts come from

Fact check: October 23, 2026, against the sources above. Hotels change rates, fees and opening hours without warning, so double-check with the property before you book. Spotted an error? Email us. Next stop: more hotels in Casino Hotels in Ontario, or the top 10 ranking.