The Walper Hotel - JDV by Hyatt

My clients were supposed to have their ceremony outside, but the rain had other plans—and The Walper Hotel was an absolute lifesaver. They kindly let us use their beautiful indoor space for the first look, and honestly, it was stunning. The natural light pouring in gave everything such a warm, soft glow, which made for some seriously gorgeous photos. The staircase and the piano added so much character and charm to the portraits, giving us cool spots to mix it up despite the weather. The team at The Walper was super accommodating and professional, making what could’ve been a stressful day flow smoothly. I’m so grateful for venues like this that can turn a rain day into something special. Would love to shoot here again under any weather!

Most other hoteliers would do well to mirror the fine work of the staff at the Walper Hotel. The friendly and welcoming staff sets this place apart from most others. Our suite was simple, but pleasant enough. Dinner at the TWH dining room was very nice, and a special shout out to MIRO , our server, who with his enthusiasm and knowledge of the menu made the experience feel like magic! Highly recommend. Not the best area of town, but still easy to navigate.

Adorable boutique style, 130 year old hotel that was a perfect mix of original and newly renovated decor/flooring, etc. Front desk staff are beyond kind and accommodating and location was great for walkable breakfast and dinner options. Felt safe overall in the area given I wasn’t ever alone (there were a few homeless individuals that habitually asked for money like most major city vicinities have) but would definitely recommend this hotel to friends and family provided they were not going to be walking the streets after dark alone.

Stayed here for two nights a couple of weeks ago, and honestly, it’s one of the nicest hotels I’ve ever stayed at. I arrived in the middle of the night due to an emergency with my dog, and the staff (wish I caught their names!) were incredibly kind and accommodating. They asked if I was okay and offered help — I really appreciated their care during a stressful time. They got me into a room right away, and it was spotless, smelled great, and the bed was so comfy. I was also pleasantly surprised by the shower products — they smelled amazing and didn’t feel cheap at all. One of my favourite things is that this hotel is super pet-friendly. The staff genuinely love animals and were so sweet to my barky pup. Dogs are welcome almost everywhere, even in the cute little breakfast café, which I thought was such a nice touch. Speaking of breakfast — it’s not free, but the food was actually really good. Not sure why others are complaining about it! The only downside is that because it’s downtown, it can get noisy. I was woken up around 6 a.m. by dogs barking and people yelling outside. If your room doesn’t face the street, you might not notice it — just something to keep in mind. Overall, my experience was a solid 10/10. I’ll definitely be back.

We had such a wonderful stay at the Walper Hotel! From the moment we arrived, the staff made us feel incredibly welcome and well taken care of. Daniela, in particular, was absolutely amazing—so kind, attentive, and always ready to help. She truly went above and beyond, offering fantastic recommendations for local places to visit and always being just a phone call away whenever we needed anything. I also want to recognize Jelina and a gentleman I believe was named Marcelo—both were just as thoughtful and helpful throughout our stay. I wish I could remember all the staff members’ names, including the lovely lady who did housekeeping (Kayla) on our arrival and the two other gentlemen who assisted us—they were all wonderful. The hotel itself is spotless, stylish, and has a warm, welcoming atmosphere. The team even provided umbrellas when it rained and gave great suggestions for food and entertainment nearby. It’s clear that everyone here genuinely cares about their guests’ comfort and experience. The hotel is also very kid-friendly, which made a huge difference for us. Our baby loved it and felt so comfortable during the stay—which made our time even more enjoyable as parents. The staff here truly deserve all the recognition and a well-deserved raise for the incredible work they do. We’re already hoping to return and see Daniela and the rest of the amazing team again. Highly recommended!

The staff were so friendly and helpful. The rooms were very clean and designed to make you feel like you were in a “bedroom” instead of a hotel room… they didn’t miss a single detail and I am very picky with hotels.. A+

Great hotel to stay at if you are in Kitchener. The rooms are “different” smaller than regular hotel room but very clean. They have nice toiletries in the bathroom and fantastic wardrobe chest for your clothes. The hotel has a very industrial feel to it and the staff is very thoughtful and well mannered. They pay attention to little things, which is important. This was our second stay and we enjoyed it. The area around is a bit rough, lots of people who are facing homelessness and mental health issues, but safe for travellers. Thank you for a great stay!

A constant and exceptional stay. This is our 4th time staying at The Walper and this time we hosted an event in the hotel. Everything was excellent. The rooms are comfortable and clean. All the staff were top notch and excellent with customer service. The adjoining restaurant is also great with many fun drink options !

Spent three night here and it was wonderful. Punkaran Singh checked me in and was there most of my stay. He could not be more friendly or helpful! I was from out of the country and he went out of his way to assist with anything I needed. The hotel is freshly remodeled and from the rooms to the reception area it was done very nice. The only challenge is parking until you "learn" the secrete. They use a parking structure right across the quiet street only steps from the front door. Pulling up in a heavy rainstorm to check in you will not find covered parking or parking at all. That would really be the only negative to this property. Due to its age and history some details must simply be tolerated. Nice touch is they have a full Restraunt/bar attached as well as a ver reasonably priced and comfortable coffee shop! Next time I find myself out this way I'd be back!

The Good: :: it's a boutique hotel :: because it's part of the Hyatt chain, you can book it using points, which is fantastic :: very friendly service :: uniquely decorated rooms--very fun vibe. loved the room i was given, with its wood floors, standing mirror, spacious bathroom, spacious desk, big windows, etc. :: bed was very comfortable :: windows open up, allowing for you to get fresh cool air :: they collaborate with you via text if you want for any of your needs. i found this incredibly helpful as it made it easy to manage requests, etc with the hotel and check on status :: they provide handicap parking in the adjacent lot if you have accessibility needs like i did. i was in a knee brace and crutches and needed a handicap spot so they set one aside for me, which i greatly appreciated :: good restaurant onsite The Bad: :: it MIGHT be haunted but i personally did not experience anything ghosty (which i consider a GOOD thing). the place does not feel creepy at all, though, so in case you are worried about potential ghosts, don't be :: very limited parking that is immediately adjacent to the hotel. however, there is overflow parking available at a close-by parking lot The Ugly: :: none Would I go back? Next time I'm in the Kitchener area, or if someone needs a recommendation for a hotel in the Kitchener area, this place ranks first on the list! This place is IN.

This is a great hotel in the heart of Kitchener. The room accommodations are excellent, the on site food very good and the staff are charming and kind. If you leave the hotel you are in the heart of the city and can make enjoyable walks to historic neighborhoods, local eateries and other amenities like the local parks and museums.

Great hotel perfect location. The rooms were awesome and the staff look great. Very modern and up-to-date rooms. Easy access to parking right from the alley in front of the hotel.

Loved my stay at the Walper. Okay, the reviews about climate control are fairly accurate, but it's an historic building, and the staff did a great job of helping me cool my room down, so it was worth sticking out one steamy night. Hella worth it, in fact, because the room was drenched in style and super comfy. The staff, led by very thoughtful manager Remai, was attentive and responsive. I got the included breakfast at BARRISTER'S and it was excellent. Parking was convenient, the building is beautiful, and it's in a great location. Can't wait to stay again.

I spent last night at the Walper Hotel, a boutique hotel downtown at Queen Street S and King Street W. It was constructed in 1893 for $75,000 after a previous hotel had burned down in 1892. In September 2013, the hotel was bought by a group for $4.6 million and renovated in 2016 . My room was small but cute with some funky touches. There was a safe, coffee maker, iron, etc. My bed was comfy. The hotel is walkable to restaurants and shopping. WIFI was complimentary and was fairly speedy. Two bottles of water in the fridge were also complimentary. There were two options for parking. $25/night for valet parking in the lot to the side of the building or $14.50/night for self-parking in a parking arcade across the street (this is what I did). The hotel staff were friendly. One thing the bothered me was that though there was a thermostat in the room, I couldn't control the heat/air ... you have to contact the front desk. Plus you can't open the window. When I first came into my room, it was 78F. Way too warm and stuffy! I sent a text (they encourage you to text) to the front desk asking that it be turned down to 72F. Someone acknowledged the text and said they were on it. And then I saw the heat go up to 79F! So I sent another text and they acknowledged they were still working on it. I left for supper and when I got back a couple hours later, the heat was at 74F. A couple hours later, it was a chilly 69F. So I sent another text. When I got up this morning, it was 70F ... a bit chilly after climbing out from under the blankets but I didn't bother texting because I wasn't going to be there long. I know it's an old hotel and it would probably cost a fortune to change but not being to control the heat/air was annoying.

Came here two nights starting 8/9/19 despite conflicted online reviews, mostly bad on Yelp, and being willing to give this place a chance. Even my son's boss ripped on this place, but that visit was before the redo. There are many things to love about this place: *location and walking distance to area bars and restaurants *old building exterior *remodeled interior, very nice *pet friendly. I saw my first cat on a leash in the hotel lobby. *friendly staff *our room was fabulous. Super nice double beds, fancy bathroom, even robes. Huge room. *cozy hotel bar with great booze So about the thermostat complaints in the reviews. Our room had a digital thermostat. No problems. Really cool coffee maker I have seen before. Like a French press device. Very good. We love this hotel and will be back. Great deal. Enthusiastic five stars.

If you want to stay somewhere that doesn't care about simple decency or recognizes the fact as a hospitality company they're in the business of taking care of guests... this is your place. Michael at reception was the rudest, least-helpful service industry employee I've ever met. He and his Manager literally turned my wife away at 10:30pm on a reservation that had already been pre-paid for by a company who invited her to stay here as their guest and paid to fly her into town for the night, because she did not have $250 cash on hand for a security deposit on a reservation that had been covered already and was not her responsibility to be paying for... then after spending an hour trying to find a bank open at this time of night, he withdrew the option to pay for the deposit in cash and cancelled the already paid for reservation... just because. 10:30pm on a random Tuesday night, in some unfamiliar town, the night before a business meeting with a local company that they do business with... just, have fun on the street, the door's over there... good luck to you. Well, good luck to the hotel that fails to have any empathy for the people who choose to stay there. Enjoy keeping all of your vacant rooms cleans with that short-sighted view of hospitality.

Front desk people were fantastic. Very helpful. Room was very nice, but beam in room blocked TV when laying on the bed and controlling the heat in the room was impossible. Thermostat was not very reactive. Either too cold or way too hot! I asked for a cab at front desk to go to the concert venue. They said they wound gladly drive us, I told them the time that we wanted to leave and they took us with no charge and offered to pick us up after the concert but we declined. I did tip him well!

Wow! What a beautiful and comfortable boutique hotel. It has everything you want in a small hotel- beautiful room, excellent bed, great bathroom with pleasant amenities. Excellent staff. The check in and check out service was outstanding. Weirdly they seemed like they really cared. I travel all the time so it was very good to be here at this hotel my first time in Kitchener.

Not enough good things to say about The Walper Hotel. The hosts are even better than the property! Every inch of the hotel is carefully thought out and is on level with any boutique hotel you will ever check into.

The location is excellent - walking distance to cafes, restaurants and bars. The front desk staff are very friendly. We had booked this hotel well in advance because we were coming to Kitchener for the annual Blues Festival. When we booked, we asked for a quiet room on a higher floor, away from traffic and street noise. The hotel accommodated us with a room on a higher floor, but our room was very noisy! We were facing the back alley, in a corner of the building and there was constant road traffic. There were also 4 rooms within close proximity to ours and when the other room doors opened or closed they banged and were very disturbing. The hotel did not seem that busy, so I don't know why we were put in such a noisy room when we had requested otherwise. Most of the other rooms in our hallway were stand alone, well away from other rooms, but were were tucked into this busy corner! We could have asked for another room, but by the time we figured out the room was so noisy we had already unpacked all of our stuff. We were travelling from New Zealand and we had a lot of luggage with us. We did not want to pack again, move and then unpack again. I just wish the hotel had given us a quiet room in the first place! Our other major complaint was with housekeeping. We were in the room for 4 nights and we were told when we checked in, because of Covid, our room would not be serviced daily, but would be cleaned on the 3rd day of our stay. This did not happened. Our room was never cleaned. It was already late in the evening by the time we returned to the hotel on the 3rd night of our stay, so there would have been no sense calling to complain. I told this to the front desk staff upon check-out and all he said was sorry. We had to ask for coffee and milk more than once, and ask that our garbage was at least emptied and our towels were changed. But our bed was never made and our room was never cleaned during our entire stay. I find this unacceptable. I feel the hotel is just saving money on housekeeping and using Covid as an excuse not to clean the rooms, while still charging a high rate.

Review from October on their older page. Just got back from staying at the Walper for Oktoberfest in Kitchner. When first arriving it was confusing where to park as the signs were small, but after driving by 3 times we found the lot. We checked in and went up to our room. It was clean for the most part, but one window had the screen partially taped with scotch tape. Why not just change it? The bathroom also had these red spots on the ceiling. Couldn't really figure out what it was. So we went out, had a blast and came back. We just wanted to watch tv and go to bed. Well the TV didn't work at all. We accepted defeat that night, and called the front desk. A girl came up and suggested to wiggle wires which didn't work. She blamed it on the antenna on the roof which I found a little ridiculous. We decided after she left that this wasn't worth $160 a night so we switched rooms. We get put into another room which was setup 10x better, and had a much classier look. We wished we were placed in it first. The only flaws were the blinds didn't pull up because they were broken, and the window had no screen so anything could come in. Overall it had some good things, but some really messed up bad things. Talking with the locals it sounds like they are in a transition. Also a last word to the wise, don't get sucked into the breakfast that "starts at $8". We were surprised to eat and get a bill for $14.95 each.

Not sure where to start - front desk on Saturday May 19th was a horrible experience. He couldn't explain parking or breakfast. We got past that. Then in the room there was NO WAY to adjust the temperature - although there was one. It was a humid day and I wanted to lower the temperature from 24C. Not possible - there was a master control. I call the front desk they said they would handle it. Came back from dinner and no ability to change. The moved me to another room SAME. Unreal something is really wrong here. The rooms are lovely but my advice is to not stay here the service is dreadful.

Weird, I thought there was another listing for this place? Anyway.. great classic hotel that's been redone for modern era. Rooms aren't incredibly pricey so I've stayed here on two business trips. The room locks are a bit janky so the key is really big and the keychain is also large. You can leave it at the front desk if you want or lug it around with you. Rooms are large and some are bigger than others. Depends on where you're put I guess. Their breakfast is also great - the Walper sandwich is a must if you are going to get breakfast there. Only gripe - the Wifi in the hotel is hit or miss. Goes in and our on several occasions.

Unfortunately, this is not an exaggerated rating :/ The Walper has a long way to go. Pros: - Great location, in the heart of Kitchener. Close to decent restaurants, city hall, the tech hub - Nice room decor - Close to cheap public parking - Free Wifi Cons: - Paper-thin walls. We were constantly woken up by noise from adjacent rooms, but also from street level (we stayed on floors 5 and 3). Drunk people, engine sounds, street cleaners could be heard clearly. - Shampoo/body wash/conditioner in the showers were used. Instead of individually-sealed hotel shampoo, they have large squeeze containers. Who knows how many people used that before us? - No "Do not disturb" sign to hang outside. Housekeeping woke us up in the morning by knocking. - No Black-out curtains for the hotel windows - just thin blinds. If you're jetlagged and trying to sleep in, the room will not be dark. - If you want a toothbrush/toothpaste, you must go downstairs to pick it up yourself. - Terrible service: we were told via phone that we could have a roll-away bed. Then at check-in we were told it wouldn't fit and we couldn't change rooms either. A manager again told us it wasn't possible. A fourth clerk then told us it was possible and found us another room. - Terrible service: at check-out, we politely and quietly gave feedback to the clerk. She didn't take any notes and clearly did not care. She made no effort follow up in any way. Overall, this was a bad experience and we will not return to this hotel, especially due to the poor noise isolation. We've warned our friends against it, as well. It would certainly pass as a 2 or 3-star hotel, but it certainly doesn't deserve its prime location in downtown Kitchener. On the bright side, most of our "cons" can be addressed fairly easily by the management.

The hotel was okay. A decent renovation of an very old building. The issue was the incorrect charges on my credit card and their insistence that they had not done it. It took over a week to get it resolved, every time I spoke with the hotel they said they had not charged my credit card, MasterCard said yes they did. In the end they said "oh so sorry" they made a mistake. Rather than LISTEN to my concern they just TOLD me what they hoped would make me go away. I would not recommend staying here. If they would have taken my first inquiry serious, investigated and made the correction I would be giving a different review, but sadly it took over 5 interactions with the hotel before they even looked into my concern. STAY AWAY....

This is a nice and clean hotel compared to the other ones in Kitchener. The people are the front desk are kind and the rooms are spacious enough. It was a little loud but I chose the room on the main rd. They offered me a quiet one on the off street but it's ok. I enjoy some life. The bathrooms are nice and they give complementary boxed water. Big plus to me. I'll defiantly stay here when I'm back in Kitchener. I would give it a 4 star rating maybe even a 5 on a good day and if they maybe had a pool. I hate that there is no parking. And they tell you there is a garage across the street that charge. When I stay in Miami or LA that is acceptable but not in Kitchener. This is not a big city. Property can't be that expensive. Or at least make a deal with the garage across the street. Even add the price to the room rate. What's another $10. I don't want to go and pay someone else to park my car. Come on now guys. How many guest do you really have in Kitchener that stay here and don't have a car??? Be sensible.

I used The Walper Hotel as my wedding venue (ceremony, cocktail hour and reception) and can't say enough about how amazing it was! I was such an intimate space for my wedding on 90 people. The renos highlighted the beauty of the building and there were so many great spots to take pictures after the ceremony. Chynna and Kirstin are AMAZING wedding coordinators. They helped me with every little detail and helped keep my day worry free. Have your wedding at The Walper Hotel, you won't regret it!!

A truly stunning hotel! Our first time in the area, we bought tickets to a play in Stratford and decided to stay here, a brisk half hour drive away through cute country roads. From the moment we walked in we were delighted by the beautiful, modern decor. They definitely have an eye for detail, from the local handmade soap, to the delicious Chemex-style coffee and tea waiting for us in our room with a personal note from our hosts. Being unfamiliar with the area, we were given lots of eating and shopping recommendations from hosts as well (via their handy text messaging service, which by the way still blows me away... never had such prompt and personal service like that!) Overall, everyone at the Walper were friendly, professional, and eager to make sure our experience was unforgettable, which it was! We will definitely be returning.

While staying in the hotel, I asked if I could eat my takeout dinner in the lobby while I ordered a drink at the bar. They told me I couldn't do that... seriously... the lobby? And sent me to my room to eat instead. That's not service. Will not be staying here again.

It's a really good looking hotel. It sells itself as high end. We paid extra to switch rooms in order to have a bathtub. The room is 1/2 the size of every other room. My partner and I can't walk around in it at the same time. The bath tub had hair from prior guests in it, the table top was sticky (the guest book was stuck to it). There is no counter space in the bath room and, because the sink is SO TINY, I soaked my feet while washing my face. We can't figure out how to adjust the air. There was no plug for the bath tub. The keys keep losing function. It's 2:23 PM pm and our room has not been cleaned. The bath robes are for extremely small people, so the average woman or man cannot wrap it around their body. You can only see the TV from one side of the bed. The blinds let the sun in, so sleeping in is difficult without a blind fold. I used their "full service" text feature and never heard back from them. I don't understand all the positive reviews for this hotel. Perhaps I had a freak, one-off, terrible experience. But if you check the website Glassdoor, you will see that the employees here are miserable. Apparently the owners and management are disorganized and don't treat the staff very well. I will never come back here, nor will I ever recommend this hotel.

Worst service ever. Do not stay here. Wedding going on till 1 Am with insane loud music. Front desk doesn't care

I had quite an enjoyable experience at The Walper. First, I must point out the staff here. The man working at the front desk, was very helpful and friendly. I didn't know where the parking lot is and he personally guided me there. The rooms on the other hand, are both nice and clean. And The Walper's location is pretty good as well, as its very close to many restaurants and transportation. My only small gripe about The Walper, is how some of the pillows kind of smelled a little bad. But, other then that, you should definitely check The Walper out if you're looking for a good place to stay in Kitchener.