Planning and Booking:

There isn’t much tourist traffic to Halifax, Nova Scotia in the winter time. There were a choice of several Marriott branded hotels in the downtown area ranging all the way from a Four Points up to the plusher Marriott Waterfront. I ended up at this location, saving myself $20 a night off the Marriott rates. Being a weekend, there wasn’t much competition for rates. I had some Suite Night Awards expiring so I plunked them down. They cleared me from a base level Traditional, into a Premium corner room

The hotel itself shares a building with the historic train station. You could consider it a historic railway hotel that is mostly occupied today by Fairmont after they acquired them from Canadian Pacific Hotels and Resorts. Some photos from the next morning.

Surprisingly, it also contains the Dutch embassy.

The Room: A Premium, Guest Room, 1 King Harbour View

The lobby was under renovation so the check in desks were set up in a temporary space in the lobby. I was given keys to the room. The rooms and hallways had all been renovated but being an older building, they had their own unique creaks and personality to them.

There was a comfortable space for the weekend couch and for watching television.

There was also a small work desk adjacent to the bed.

The bathroom, as is the case in most historic hotels, was pretty compact. There was just room for a tiny shower and single sink.

The view from the room was pleasant. It over looked the train yards, along with a view of the harbor.

Food, Beverage and Breakfast:

The next day after the 1 AM arrival, I slept in a little. I made it down to the breakfast restaurant called “Elements” for a titanium benefit breakfast. In the continuing trend of the new world under Marriott, this former Starwood Hotel is now charging $5 CAD upcharge for the buffet which came to $5.75 after tax. These sorts of things were previously free under the previous management where the terms and conditions would typically offer a continental breakfast but in reality, offer the full American breakfast. It was super chintzy and really off putting but it would be something I’ve had to get used to under the new world order. Despite that, buffet was really popular and had lots of families being the weekend enjoying the space. The room was pretty typical hotel décor without much redeeming to it.

The Westin Nova Scotian Bottom Line:

Overall, it was a reasonable stay at the Westin Nova Scotian. Everything worked as it was supposed to. Having said that, it was a very forgettable stay and I’d probably stay somewhere else next time just for a new experience.

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