Forty-eight hours, lake side and city side

Day one: water and a show

1. Noon
   Arrive and park in the free outdoor lot. Leave bags with the bell staff.
2. 12:30
   Lunch at Arôme, or at Banco Bistro from 11:30 a.m. on Friday to Sunday.
3. 2 p.m.
   Amerispa: a two-hour package includes the whirlpools, steam bath and sauna. The hotel's winter plan uses exactly this slot.
4. 4 p.m.
   Check in and rest — the hotel's own itinerary says the same.
5. 5 p.m.
   Dinner at Arôme, overlooking Lac de la Carrière. With a Dinner & Show booking, arrive between 5 and 5:30 p.m.
6. Evening
   The Théâtre du Casino. Original photo ID; the hall is 18+ unless a show says otherwise.
7. Late
   A digestif at Bacchus by the fireplace, open until midnight, or 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Day two: across the river, or around the lake

1. 8 a.m.
   Breakfast at Arôme — on the patio in summer — or L'Instant's breakfast on a Friday to Sunday.
2. 10 a.m.
   Winter: the Parliament Buildings, 6.4 km away. Summer: a walk in Leamy Lake Park, or the bike path towards Gatineau Park.
3. 11 a.m.
   Winter: the Rideau Canal Skateway, 7.3 km from the hotel. Summer: the Canadian Museum of History, open from 9 a.m.
4. 11 a.m., hotel
   Check-out time. Ask for a later check-out, or leave bags with the bell staff.
5. 1 p.m.
   Lunch in the ByWard Market, 4.1 km away, as the hotel's plan suggests.
6. Evening
   If you stay a second night: Bouquet for shared plates from 5 p.m. (Wednesday to Saturday from 18 November), then the pool before bed.

Winter changes

The outdoor pool and hot tubs stay open and heated. The patio at Arôme and the TGV snack bar do not. Daylight is short, so put the outdoor sights in the morning and the spa in the afternoon, as the hotel does. The canal opens only when the ice allows.

Summer changes

Leamy Lake Park has lifeguards on the beach (in 2026, 12 June to 7 September), and paddleboards for hire. Golf at Le Sorcier is on. Bar 7's patio takes the place of the fireside. If you are here in early August, the fireworks of Les Grands Feux are launched from the river below the Museum of History on Wednesday and Saturday evenings.

What not to try

• Fitting the spa, a full Ottawa morning and an early dinner into day one. Pick two.
• Counting on Banco Bistro for a pre-show table on a Friday or Saturday between 5 and 8:15 p.m. — no reservations then.
• Bringing teenagers to the evening venues: almost everything after dark is 18+.