Next August, Ottawa’s Andaz hotel in ByWard Market will celebrate its tenth anniversary. The first Hyatt Group hotel in Ottawa and the only Andaz property in Canada, this luxury 200-room boutique hotel is well known for having Ottawa’s highest rooftop lounge on the 16th floor — Copper Spirits & Sights, offering panoramic views of Parliament Hill and other iconic downtown landmarks.
This fall, there’s something new and exciting brewing at Andaz. Feast + Revel, the hotel’s signature restaurant, has just undergone a complete makeover.
ABOVE: The Andaz Ottawa ByWard Market entrance sets the tone with clean lines, natural light, and a welcoming modern style. (RIGHT) The Andaz Ottawa lobby welcomes you with contemporary design, local art, and a relaxed sense of arrival. (Photos: Courtesy Andaz Hotel Ottawa)
Open daily for breakfast and dinner, Feast + Revel is known for its Canadian-inspired cuisine celebrating the bounty of Canada’s land and sea, with locally and sustainably sourced produce and seasonal ingredients. Building on this with a refreshed dining concept and brand new menu, newly appointed Executive Chef, Matthew McRae has plenty in the works.
ABOVE: Executive Chef Matthew McRae carefully fillets a fresh salmon at Feast + Revel’s open kitchen. (Photo: Courtesy Andaz Hotel Ottawa)
“We’ve changed the concept of the restaurant to reflect the community spirit of the ByWard Market and the broader Ottawa region. While we will continue to use seasonal and locally sourced produce, primarily from Ontario, Feast + Revel will focus more on shareable plates and farm-to-table dining, as opposed to the standard three-course hotel restaurant menu with its generic offerings,” remarks Chef Matthew McRae, Executive Chef, Andaz Ottawa.
This is reflected in the new menu launched on October 2, which is more visually appealing “so guests can eat with their eyes first,” says McRae, who recommends the grilled tiger prawns and his personal favourite – the pork belly, from the menu.
Originally from Australia, McRae joined Andaz on July 1st from Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, taking over from his predecessor, executive chef Chanaka Amarakoon. With 15 years of global culinary experience across acclaimed properties such as Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Vancouver, Palazzo Versace Gold Coast, the erstwhile One&Only Resorts Hayman Island and the Star Entertainment Group, Australia, McRae brings extensive knowledge and skillsets from restaurant kitchens to banquet operations that he will be putting to good use in leading Andaz’s kitchen team.
“We are shaking things up a bit in the kitchen in terms of a mix of Canadian and global inspired cooking techniques with a contemporary twist. The focus will be on dishes that are creative, honest, unpretentious and made with the highest quality ingredients. Patrons can also watch their food being prepared from the Chef’s Counter in the restaurant,” adds McRae.
Apart from the new menu, Feast + Revel is also now open five days a week from Tuesday-Saturday for breakfast and dinner. Weekday jazz nights are also set to be introduced soon, to bring some buzz to the restaurant.
ABOVE: Feast+Revel contemporary dining room with soft green seating, floral ceiling accents, and clean architectural lines (Photo: Courtesy Andaz Hotel Ottawa)
“We want to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere where diners can feast on the great food and revel in the ambience and hospitable service. We will keep expanding the menu and changing it seasonally. We have also changed the menu rates to reflect comparable pricing with other independent restaurants in ByWard Market. We are confident that all these changes will bring in more patrons to Feast + Revel,” says McRae.
Pivoting post-pandemic to a more collaborative and agile style of working has helped Andaz adapt to the changing needs and preferences of its guests and remain successful for nearly a decade, when so many other hotels around are shuttering. “While we looked at different ways of working and adopted some good practices after the pandemic that have continued to keep the hotel financially successful, the one thing that never changed is delivering an exceptional experience to every guest that walks through the door,” avers Cindy McLong, General Manager, Andaz Ottawa.
ABOVE: Bright queen room with modern furnishings, clean lines, and floor-to-ceiling views. (RIGHT) Andaz Hotel Ottawa General Manager, Cindy McLong. (Photos: Courtesy Andaz Hotel Ottawa)
McLong, who joined the hotel as Director of Sales & Events a year after it opened, became the general manager during the pandemic. Having steered the hotel through its toughest patch, she says that her aim is to make Andaz the number one hotel in Ottawa for both customer loyalty as well as room rates. Her priorities to achieve this are firstly, employee engagement – ensuring accountability, better communication and employee satisfaction, secondly, creating guest experiences that help Andaz stand out, and thirdly financial – spending where necessary, but also driving rate and occupancy to ensure pricing matches the product offering.
“The key to our success in all these years, apart from the great product, has been the people working here who make all the difference whether it is front of house, food and beverage or staff engaging with hotel guests on the floor. We have about 10 employees here who have been working at the hotel since its inception. We have an extensive onboarding process and we communicate all information shared by Hyatt and our local owner Claridge Homes. We also do extensive market intelligence research, as well as employee and guest surveys and make changes accordingly to continue exceeding guests’ expectations,” explains McLong.
All this has led to Andaz being recognized with a ‘Great Place to Work Certification’ and ‘Great Place to Work Best Workplaces for Inclusion’ from The Great Place to Work Institute Canada for three years in a row. “Diversity and inclusion has always been a key aspect of the recruitment process for Andaz. Additionally, I always encourage employees to excel and strive for the next level,” explains McLong.
ABOVE: The presidential suite features contemporary furnishings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and space to unwind or entertain. (Photos: Courtesy Andaz Hotel Ottawa)
A few things have always set Andaz apart from neighbouring hotels in the downtown. Aesthetically pleasing Canadian-designed rooms by award-winning Canadian interior design firm Mason Studio, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows with sweeping views of ByWard Market and historical landmarks. An added security feature on all floors with each room having its own separate entryway. A complimentary mini bar in every room stocked with local snacks, non-alcoholic beverages and bottled water that is replenished daily. Andaz Studios – four dedicated spaces for events and functions, spanning 4,500 square feet. A Pet Program that offers a pet bed, food, water and snacks. “We also offer each guest a voucher for a complimentary glass of wine, beer, or non-alcoholic beverage at check-in, which can be redeemed either at Copper Spirits & Sights or Feast + Revel, so that they can experience these onsite restaurants as well,” adds Mclong.
ABOVE: Copper’s sophisticated rooftop lounge with sleek seating, marble accents, and sweeping city views. (RIGHT) Copper’s lounge cabanas offer cozy fire-lit seating surrounded by greenery and panoramic city views. (Photos: Courtesy Andaz Ottawa)
Starting with live music during the week at Feast + Revel this month and a DJ at Copper Spirits & Sights on Friday and Saturday, Andaz will also be bringing back its immensely popular cultural program, Andaz Salon in 2026, featuring collaborations with local artists, designers, musicians and other local entrepreneurs.
Renovations to the hotel are also set to take place in 2027 and will include an expansion of the hotel and the revitalisation of the main lobby.
“I am very passionate about the hotel, about the team, about what we offer and what makes us unique in this market,” says McLong. Backed by a dynamic team that shares this mindset, Andaz is set to maintain its iconic stature as one of Ottawa’s leading luxury hotels for the foreseeable future.
To learn more about Andaz, visit https://www.hyatt.com/andaz/yowaz-andaz-ottawa-byward-market
Header image: The Feast + Revel Chef’s Counter invites you to dine steps from the action, watching the kitchen come to life. Executive Chef Matthew McRae brings global experience and local inspiration to every dish. (Photos: Courtesy Andaz Hotel Ottawa)
