Halifax
Where To Stay

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Connected by convenience

For most business travelers, the choice of accommodation in any major center is limited to chain hotels, which they select for their proximity to a city's commercial core. While most of the big-chain hotels are found in Halifax's downtown, the city is also home to some very quaint hotels. Many are housed in historic buildings that have been modernized to suit the most discerning traveler. Bed and breakfast establishments abound in the city, both near the center and in its outlying areas. For travelers with some free time and a rental car, B&B's and charming country inns outside the city are the way to go.

Downtown

The oldest hotel in the city is The Lord Nelson, built in 1928. The rich and richer met at the hotel to consolidate their business interests in Halifax's early days. A stone building that has maintained its original architecture, the hotel was renovated and expanded in 1965 and has since upgraded to include luxury accommodations.

Just a few blocks east, on Upper Water Street, the Sheraton Halifax Hotel is the largest and most luxurious hotel in the area and has the added attraction of being adjacent to the popular, 24-hour Casino Nova Scotia as well as to a number of fine dining and drinking establishments.

Halifax is convenient for both leisure and business travelers. It is small, which means almost everything is within walking distance, or accessible via a short cab ride. The Halifax Metro Centre and the World Trade and Convention Centre are across the street from each other, and both are just minutes, on foot, from the Delta Barrington, Delta Halifax, Citadel Halifax Hotel, Radisson Suite Hotel Halifax and other major chains. Holiday Inn Select Halifax Centre shares the load with Holiday Inn Express in Bedford.

The The Westin Nova Scotian is the city's railway hotel, an old establishment built to accommodate Canadian Pacific rail travelers. Fully renovated, it's a huge edifice that houses the train station and is home to top-of-the-line meeting and banquet facilities.

The King Edward Inn, is a beautifully appointed historic building designed for people who prefer antiques to the more sterile atmosphere of most hotel rooms. It offers fully equipped meeting rooms and caters to business travelers. The same can be said of The Inn On The Lake, which is halfway between Halifax and the airport. For visitors anticipating a longer stay, the downtown Cambridge Suites Hotel allows its clientele to spread out and make the place home, with fully equipped kitchenettes.

Those in search of unique accomodations may want to check in to the Waverley Inn or Halliburton House Inn. Each of these historic buildings offers the convenience of a central location, combined with an atmosphere of the elegant past.

For the extremely budget conscious, who don't mind sharing facilities, rooms may be had at the YWCA of Halifax of Halifax (women only) as well as the Halifax Heritage House Hostel, both on the south end of Barrington Street only a few minutes away from all the action.

For something a little different in the center of the city, there's Bobs' Guest House. Bobs' is within a 25 minute walk to downtown on one side, and the Halifax Shopping Center on another. Ten minutes on foot will bring you to Quinpool Road where wanderers can access a nice variety of interesting restaurants, large and small, serving Indian, Greek, Japanese and Chinese cuisine. Many of the most popular fast food chains can be found in this area as well as specialty shops, an art gallery, grocery and hardware stores.

Dartmouth

For those doing business across the harbour, the Dartmouth Holiday Inn is a popular venue and is 15 minutes from the airport. The nearby Burnside Industrial Park is home to many commercial head offices for the Atlantic region, and business travelers will find dozens of chain hotels within minutes of the sprawling park.

Airport

The Halifax International Airport is larger than might be expected for a city of Halifax's size. This is because of the city's east coast location and status as the major metropolis in Canada's four eastern provinces, and as a major entry point from Europe. While the airport is a 30-minute drive from downtown, the city is growing so quickly that the airport will soon be on the outskirts. The 151-room Airport Hotel Halifax is the only on-site accommodation, but major hotels provide frequent and reasonable limousine and bus service to and fro.

Access to the airport from both Dartmouth and Halifax is smooth; you won’t sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic. There is a well-maintained, divided highway with a 100-kilometer-per-hour speed limit that moves traffic along swiftly. However if you're leaving the city during rush hour, be prepared for slow travel to the outskirts, though it's nothing compared to most major cities.