Updated review of the TownePlace Suites Hotel Petawawa (2021)

EDIT: As of  September 2021, the hotel is now offering a hot breakfast buffet. Also, guests are required to provide proof of COVID vaccination to access the pool and fitness centre.

This is an updated review of my March 2021 stay at the TownePlace Suites Hotel in Petawawa. Click here, to see my original hotel review from July 2020.

This all suite hotel, which opened in 2020, is excellent for short or long-term stays while visiting Petawawa and the Ottawa Valley.

The TownePlace Suites Petawawa is part of the Marriott group of hotels and so, you can redeem Marriott Bonvoy points for a stay. The number of points required for a stay depends on the hotel category. This hotel is a category 1 hotel which requires between 5,000 and 10,000 Bonvoy points per night depending if it’s off-peak or peak season.

For my stay, I choose to redeem Bonvoy points since Marriott had a promotion where most of their hotels would have off-peak pricing for the month of March 2021. Thus, the price was only 5,000 points per night!

Plus, Marriott has a special benefit that your fifth night is free when you redeem points for a stay. So, my 5 night stay only cost 20,000 Bonvoy points instead of having to pay the regular price of $845.

For Canadians interested in earning Bonvoy points, consider applying for the Amex Mariott Bonvoy card. This credit card offers the possibility of earning 50,000 Bonvoy points after spending $1,500 in the first three months.

Location and front desk

The TownePlace Suites Hotel is located on Town Centre Boulevard in Petawawa. It’s conveniently located close to various restaurants, fast foods and a grocery store all within walking distance. Plus, almost everywhere in the city is about a 5-10 minute drive (including CFB Petawawa) from the hotel. Also, there is free parking for guests.

As I was visiting during the Covid-19 (corona virus) pandemic, there were certain health and safety measures in place at the hotel. For example, it was necessary to wear a face mask inside the public areas of the hotel. Most guests and staff I saw during my stay were being compliant and wearing a mask indoors.

Also, hand sanitizer was available at the front desk and there was social distancing markers on the floor to keep guests 2m or 6 ft apart while waiting at the reception.

I arrived at the hotel around 4 pm and made my way to the front desk. I checked in for my stay with the friendly receptionist. She offered me, as a Marriott Platinum Elite member, the choice between 500 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points or a food item from their small marketplace. I was then handed my keycard and took the elevator to my room on the fourth floor.

Hotel Room

The TownePlace Suites Petawawa offers studio or 1 bedroom suites with either 2 Queen beds or 1 King bed with a sofa bed.

I was assigned a large studio suite on the 4th floor with a king sized bed. Beside the bed, there was two lamps each with an electrical plug and a USB port to charge your electronics.

There was also in the room a large TV, sofa bed and red lounge chair. Plus, there was a roll-away table and office chair to serve as a desk if you wanted.

Near the front door was a large closet with shelves, coat hangars and iron & ironing board.

Kitchenette

As you entered the room, there was a kitchenette furnished with a refrigerator, micro-wave, 2 burner induction cook-top and even a small dishwasher! 

Also, the kitchenette was well equipped for 2 to 4 people with bowls, plates, mugs and glasses found on the top shelves.

Plus, there were some utensils, measuring spoons, a peeler and a can opener located in the top drawer. The middle drawer had a toaster and the bottom drawer had some pots and a frying pan. 

In another drawer, there was a cutting board and some round glass containers with lids. The addition of these containers was new and it was appreciated to store leftover meals.

Finally, one pack of dishwasher detergent was provided as well as dish soap and towels if you rather wash your dishes by hand.

Also, you now can borrow on a first-come, first-served basis certain cooking items (like a blender, rice cooker, mixing bowl etc.) from the hotel. Plus, you could also borrow some other miscellaneous items like board games, playing cards or an umbrella.

Bathroom

The bathroom was modern and decently sized with a large shower. It was supplied with soaps and toiletries from the Paul Mitchell brand.

Smart TV & WiFi

As for entertainment, the smart TV in the room had regular cable channels in addition to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube. I simply had to press the Netflix button on the remote and log in with my account info to enjoy my favorite streaming shows.

You also had the opportunity to connect you own device to watch your own videos or programs. Simply connect your device to the Wi-Fi, open a browser with  tv.marriott.com URL and enter the code to connect.

If you didn’t want to keep your login info and password on the TV, there was also an option to clear your credentials from all streaming applications. This was also done automatically upon checkout.

In addition, free WiFi is provided to all guests and it’s fairly easy to connect your device(s) to the WiFi. During my stay, Internet speeds were incredibly fast at 102.30 Mbps download and 132.57 Mbps upload. So, I could easily watch YouTube and stream shows on my laptop without any buffering issues.

But when I did connect to the hotel Internet, I made sure to use NordVPN to protect my online data and privacy. Read more about the benefits of using a VPN service with my NordVPN review.

Personalized Grab and Go Breakfast

The TownePlace Suites Petawawa offers complimentary breakfast to their guests from 6:30 am to 9 am Monday to Friday and 7 am to 9:30 am Saturday & Sunday.

Ordinarily, the hotel breakfast is served buffet style with seating in the lobby. But due to the Covid-19 pandemic, you need to pick up your food items and eat in your room.

Breakfast buffet items include juice, cereals, yogurt, bagels, carrot muffins, and croissants. But they also now provide hot items like eggs and flat sausages. Plus, there’s 2 waffle makers so you can make your own waffles in the morning!

Early in 2021, breakfast was served differently in a “Grab and Go” format. You would need to select which items you wanted on a  breakfast form and return it to the front desk by 11 pm. The next morning, you would pick up in the lobby your breakfast items in a brown bag with your name on it 

Breakfast items included muffins, apples, oranges, yogurts, fruit cups, cereals and bottled juices. Plus, there was also some new items on the menu like the egg, cheese, sausage on English Muffin or Western Omelette in a tortilla. These items had to be re-heated in the microwave.

Hotel Facilities

Many of the hotel’s facilities compliment a long-term stay. For example, there were two outdoor BBQs available for guests to enjoy grilling their favorite meats.

Nearby to the BBQs were some Muskoka chairs and what looked to be a fire-pit.

Also, there’s a large rectangular indoor swimming pool with some lounge chairs. Hotel staff informed that they were limiting a maximum of 8 people at a time in the pool area because of Covid-19 regulations.

EDIT: Since September 2021, all guests aged 13 years and older need to provide proof of Covid vaccination to access the pool, fitness centre and conference room. Guests can book time slots of a maximum of 1 hour for each of the facilities. 

Plus, there was a pool lift so guests with a physical disability could also enjoy the water.

Plus, there was a small heated pool nearby but unfortunately, it was empty and sealed off from guests. It was most likely closed to help with social distancing procedures during the corona virus pandemic.

Finally, there is a Fitness Centre present at the hotel but it was only allowing a maximum of 3 guests at a time.

Summary

Overall, I had another very pleasant stay at the TownePlace Suites Petawawa. My room was quite spacious and I enjoyed that there was a kitchenette available to cook my own meals. Plus, I enjoyed the added touch of the glass containers to store my leftovers. Also, I slept well in the king size bed and was able to get some work done with the fast Internet speeds.

Since I stayed during the Covid-19 pandemic,  I found the hotel had in place adequate safety and health measures. This included wearing masks in the public areas of the hotel, placing social distancing markers and providing hand sanitizer at the front desk. 

Plus, I found the daily personalized “Grab and Go” breakfast satisfactory considering the circumstances of my stay.

I wouldn’t hesitate to return and I can definitely recommend it to others visiting Petawawa and the Ottawa Valley.

A reminder that if you also want to stay at this hotel for FREE, consider getting the Amex Mariott Bonvoy card.

This card  provides automatic Marriott Silver Elite status and a free night certificate worth up to 35,000 Bonvoy points every year for an annual fee of $120. Also, it allows you to earn 5 points per dollar spent at Marriott properties. Plus, by clicking through this Great Canadian Rebates application link, you’ll earn bonus cash back and earn a generous 50,000 Bonvoy points after spending $1,500 in the first three months.

Thank you for your support

• Facebook
• Twitter

Affiliate disclaimer: This review is based on my own personal experience with the TownePlace Suites Petawawa Hotel and is not sponsored by them. My blog contains referral or affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your continued support.