The Walper Hotel - JDV by Hyatt

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Thoughtful and Memorable Stay Our first night away from the kids couldn’t have been more special thanks to Samantha and The Walper Hotel team. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with warmth and care. The lobby felt chic yet welcoming, and to our surprise, a complimentary welcome awaited us to celebrate our personal milestone. We also really appreciated the hotel’s attention to privacy. Instead of announcing our room number out loud, they discreetly wrote it on our key card sleeve and mentioned it was for privacy reasons. It’s a small touch, but it felt like true white-glove service. Even though we (unknowingly) stayed during Oktoberfest, the room was completely quiet thanks to excellent soundproofing, and we still enjoyed the nearby festivities. The room itself was stylish yet cozy, the staff were quick to respond through text, and parking across the street made everything convenient. Thank you, Walper team — your thoughtful gestures and genuine hospitality made our stay unforgettable!

amazing location and desk staff were excellent. very friendly and helpful. the room was on the s.all size and very plain (white walls). ok room to sleep in but not to do much else. it was VERY noisy at night both from outside traffic and construction and also inside, could hear people walking in room above and a late night argument in the hall. the blinds dont block all the light from the street or sun if you are looking for that. bit of a struggle with the thermostat and figuring out the shower controls (seemed like hot or hotter were the only options). for a hotel in a century building it was very 'modern' in the room. not really an issue just thought it would have more character inside. parking was paid lot not far away. would have given 4 stars if we had gotten decent sleep but it was too noisy. street facing room 4th floor.

Loved my stay at the Walper. My room was clean and comfortable, with a very nice bathroom. The best part was the Walper staff. They are professional, efficient and really go the extra mile for their guests. I can't say enough nice things about them. The only negative was the street noise. Even on the 5th floor, I could hear it. Next time, I will be sure to ask for a courtyard room.

I booked this hotel specifically because I needed a quiet room, and I clearly stated this in my reservation. Instead, when I returned around 9 p.m. ready to sleep, I discovered that the hotel was hosting a full-on party directly below my room. I’m talking blasting music, heavy bass, shouting—the kind of noise no earplugs on Earth could fix.||||What’s worse is that this wasn’t some spontaneous event. It was a scheduled party, meaning the hotel knew it would be loud. Yet they still placed me one floor above it, even though my reservation explicitly requested quiet. If you’re hosting a loud event, why would you put anyone—let alone someone who specifically asked for quiet—right on top of it? Basic planning and common sense were clearly missing.||||When I called reception, I was told the hotel was “100% full” so they couldn’t move me. That’s not my problem. My request for a quiet room wasn’t last-minute, and it should have been honored or at least considered when placing guests. Instead, I ended up stuck in a room where sleep was impossible.||||To make things even more frustrating, the only “compensation” offered was a $25 breakfast credit… for a breakfast that was already included. So basically, nothing.||||Overall, this was poor planning, poor guest consideration, and poor customer service. If a hotel chooses to host loud parties, that’s fine—but don’t pretend you can also offer quiet accommodations at the same time. And don’t disregard guest requests as if they don’t matter.

I wanted to take a moment to share our heartfelt thanks for everything the team did to make our son’s wedding such a beautiful and memorable occasion. From the moment we arrived, everyone from the front desk staff to the event coordinator and the wonderful serving team, they were warm, welcoming, and incredibly attentive. Every detail was handled with such care, and the entire day ran so smoothly thanks to the professionalism and kindness of your staff. We truly felt supported every step of the way, and it was clear how much pride your team takes in what they do. We extend our sincere gratitude to everyone involved. Their hard work and genuine hospitality made the celebration everything we hoped it would be and more.

Absolutely love this hotel - the front desk team are charming, the rooms are spacious. The coffee and tea selection nice and pairs perfectly with reading a local magazine provided. Great location for attending events downtown. King bed comfy. Pillows need to be refreshed though. Sad they've swapped locally sourced handsoaps for cheap, plastic-wrap option. The black out curtains noted on the website are merely blinds and a sheer white curtain so expect street light flooding in all night. Combined with a lot of street noise and paper thin walls made for a rather sleepless, noisy night. Pack a sleep mask and earplugs if the hotel management doesn’t fix these issues.

I have been to Walper multiple times for X'mas dinner and baby shower party. That's how I know how beautiful the rooms are, with wonderful food and services. And that's why I decided to have my wedding reception there. It was one of the best decisions I ever made! Whether you decided to have a big or small reception, they have rooms to accommodate. All rooms are beautiful and nice natural light. Staffs are exceptionally professional, they are smart, sharp, very polite and they communicate very well (we decided to have cake cutting the very last minute, when we brought a cake back, at least three staffs know that and were helping us with the setup and storage)! Food is always tasty, decent-looking and inspiring. We didn't meet the chefs, but I could tell that they are very thoughtful with the cuisine. Even with some dietary-restriction request, you won't feel you're left out, they are all so yummy and we wish they have a restaurant/bar where we could just walk-in for meals from time to time. I can go on and on about how wonderful this place is, I am just super thankful that this venue exists! If you plan for an event, definitely high recommending the Walper to you!

READ FULLY! Mixed opinions. The Walper Hotel is an absolutely beautiful hotel, and it seems to have a good reputation as a wedding venue. And it is often less than $250/night on Expedia, which surprises me considering how upscale the place feels. Unfortunately, though, we have had some bad luck staying here for personal weekend getaways over the years. It’s a shame. Back in perhaps 2019, the fire alarm system with a strobe light went off in the building in the middle of the night, abruptly waking us up. We stayed again last night. Immediately upon entering room 503, we saw a bug on the bathroom sink counter. This was seconds after we entered the room, it did not come from us. It quickly scurried underneath the sink into a crevasse in the wood framing of the sink’s vanity. ChatGPT identified it as a cockroach based on my photo, the location of the bug, the after-dark timing, and the behaviour of it scurrying into a small crack. The front desk was understanding and switched us to a new room, and indicated that our previous room would be out of order pending an inspection. The thing is, I doubt they will even find the cockroach, as it went inside the wood framing below the sink. Cockroaches hide! There could easily be a larger infestation in the room. Unfortunately, our new room 411 faced King Street, and it was quite loud when trying to fall asleep after midnight, due to vehicle noise. And the thermostat in this room was locked down, it said it was “master controlled” when we tried to adjust the temperature. I like to sleep in a very cold room, but I couldn’t adjust it. The room ran hot for several hours and I slept poorly. There are windows, but there are no screens and there is too much street noise. I wish I could give a 5-star review, but due to the combination of the fire alarm, cockroach, street noise, and non-adjustable thermostat, I sadly have to leave a 3-star review.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.