Rimap Hospitality opens second Marriott hotel in ByWard Market with 224 rooms and historic warehouse integration

Montreal-based Rimap Hospitality opened its second hotel in Ottawa on Wednesday: the Moxy Ottawa Downtown, a 22-storey tower at 126 York St. in the ByWard Market that blends a historic 1913 warehouse into its design.

The 224-room property is part of a larger mixed-use development that includes 350 rental apartments, reflecting what regional general manager Stéphane Pelletier called a dual business model that taps both tourism and housing demand in Ottawa.

"We're very excited to be bringing the Moxy brand into Ottawa," Pelletier told Ottawa Business Journal. "It's an energy brand. It's an upbeat brand, an extension of what you're going to experience in the ByWard Market."

Moxy is one of 30 brands operated by Maryland-based Marriott International, the world's largest hotel chain by room count. The brand offers a non-traditional experience, including the option to check in at the hotel bar. It operates more than 100 properties across North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific.

The Moxy is the second of three Marriott-branded projects Rimap is developing in Ottawa. In April 2025, the company opened the AC Hotel by Marriott Ottawa Downtown, a 159-room property also in the ByWard Market at 201 Rideau St. Pelletier said the AC has been performing well, achieving high occupancies. "Ella Langley was here during Bluesfest recently," he noted. "The city had a lot of tourists from everywhere across Canada and the United States and our location gave us that edge."

The third property, the Renaissance Hotel Ottawa Downtown, is under construction and scheduled to open in 2027 at the corner of Bay and Slater streets. The 35-storey tower will have 230 hotel rooms.

Pelletier said Rimap is bullish on Ottawa's tourism market. "The tourism industry in Ottawa is growing every year," he said. "Ottawa is becoming a world-renowned destination. It has a very strong corporate presence, it has a national association presence. You see a lot of investment in entertainment, in attractions around us."