Nearly two dozen Ottawa hotels set to host exclusive in-room concert series

Ottawa Tourism and RBC Bluefest are bringing an exclusive hotel room concert series to participating hotels in the capital as a way to help boost the local tourism industry and scratch residents' itch for live in-person events in some form.

The Room Service Concert Series will be presented exclusively to 20 participating hotels across Ottawa and will run for eight nights, between April 9 and 30.

Each shows will begin at 7 p.m. and last about three hours. They will only be able to be seen on a participating hotel room television. Each show will be hosted and moderated by Lola Plaku, a Canadian music industry entrepreneur.

Anyone staying in one of the participating hotels on any of the following nights will have access to the concerts through the TV in their room, with no logins or special codes required. 

The line-up boasts big named comedians and musicians including:

•     Friday, April 9: Alan Doyle; Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy; Fortunate Ones
•     Saturday, April 10: Myles Goodwyn; Tim Hicks, Lindsay Ell
•     Friday, April 16: Lennon Stella; Sofia Franklyn; Larkin Poe
•     Saturday, April 17: Gerry Dee; Jeremy Hotz; Kyle Brownrigg
•     Thursday, April 22: A Virtual Conversation with Pete Davidson and Alex Moffat from SNL; Orville Peck
•     Friday, April 23: Third Eye Blind; Moon vs Sun; Nefe
•     Saturday, April 24: Walk Off The Earth; Foushee; Lido Pimienta
•     Friday, April 30: Colin James; Booker T. Jones; Christone “Kingfish” Ingram

RBC Bluesfest Executive Director Mark Monahan feels this will help many who have been yearning for a shared musical experience.

“We've pulled out all the stops to provide memorable weekend experiences,” Monahan explains.

Ottawa Tourism is also offering suggestions for things to do during the stay, such as places to eat out, outdoor activities to take part in, along with other attractions to visit in the capital.

Guests are urged to follow guidelines in place by Ottawa Public Health (OPH), including wearing a mask in common areas and ensuring the only guests in the hotel room come from the same household.

The series aims to increase visitation to Ottawa-area hotels, while helping boost the hard-hit tourism sector. The industry suffered a drop in visitor spending of $1.4-billion last year, with a further loss of $1-billion anticipated for 2021.

More information on the promotion can be found on Ottawa Tourism's website.