The Prince George Hotel
August 2022
I am back in Atlantic Canada and this time in the town of Halifax in the Nova Scotia province. Halifax is built on a hill by the sea on top of which the ancient British Empire citadel stands. And at the foot of this citadel the Prince George Hotel is located where I stayed for many days of vacation.
The property
This hotel is located downtown, across the street from the congress center and a couple of blocks away from the boardwalk bordering the sea. You won’t have a sea view from this hotel.
There is a restaurant on site at the hotel, but during our stay it was closed on Monday and Tuesday evenings. However, there are several restaurants nearby within walking distance.
The room
I booked a room with a king size bed, and it is very large and very well furnished. However, in my room the furniture is old and worn. A carpet covers the floor, clean and in good condition. A reading chair has been placed in a corner, underneath a floor lamp. At the other corner of the exterior wall, a large recamier can also be interesting for reading and is oriented towards the TV. This television is placed on a dresser, adjacent to the work desk. There is a large selection of channels offered and pay-per-view movies. USB and HDMI sockets are also available on this television.
The bed is very comfortable. The pillows, although very large, were too firm for my taste, which compromised the overall quality of my sleep. There is a large work desk and a rolling chair. Several electrical outlets are accessible on the side of the desk. In an alcove, in the small corridor that connects the room to the front door, on a shelf are available a Keurig coffee machine, glasses, cups and small plastic water bottles. Under this shelf, a small fridge where I found, to my great satisfaction, small containers of cream and milk for coffee. There is no microwave in this room. Bottles of wine, one red and one white, are also available.
Next to this alcove is a large wardrobe, with double doors, in which dressing gowns and slippers have been placed. There is also a safe. All these little touches (coffee cream, slippers) show me that this is an establishment with superior service compared to the hotels I usually visit.
The room AC system is silent.
The bathroom
The bathroom is rather small compared to the size of the room. The colors are different from those of the room, paler, in a shade of gray that makes the room pleasant. Several hygiene products are provided.
There is no bath, only a shower without a door, but with a fixed glass panel. The access opening to the shower is poorly sized and allows water to be projected onto the bathroom floor.
Services
I booked my room on the sixth floor, which is called the “Crown Floor,” by requesting access to the “Six-Seventeen” lounge. This area is reserved for visitors who have paid the extra fee. It is a area with several tables and chairs, sofas, and very practical, for example, to hold meetings in a more confidential environment than that of the hotel lobby. Drinks, coffee, sweet and savory snacks, and fruit are available all day free of charge. A computer and a printer are also available. During my stay, access to the lounge was no longer available after 10 p.m.
A breakfast buffet is served every morning in a large room adjacent to the lobby, with an excellent selection of several hot dishes. There is also a bar by the lobby, and it was very busy at the end of the days during my stay.
There is also an indoor swimming pool with sauna and a small gym.
During my stay, the hotel staff was very friendly and helpful.
Indoor parking is available with a fee, in addition to the cost of the room, with or without valet service, at your choice. Wi-Fi internet is available free of charge and of excellent quality. The establishment also has several meeting rooms.
Design
In the common areas of the ground floor, especially in the lobby, the decoration is consistent and somewhat modern. A palette of gray was chosen to produce areas of brightness and interesting contrasts. As soon as you move to the upper floors, this theme disappears and you discover an older design, in more conservative shades of brown, as if the design update was not complete.
In my room, I found, in part, the style and colors of the ground floor. In part, because the furniture does not all follow this style. And, from seeing the level of wear of certain pieces of furniture, it is clear that the update effort is not complete there either. The bathroom also looks like an incomplete work since the counter and the storage unit still has dark wood tones and a marbled brown surface from 30 years ago.
My two cents
The Prince Georges location is excellent, especially for conventions. Its location halfway between the citadel and the seaside also makes it an excellent choice for an urban tourist stay. The benefits offered in the room and in the hotel show the establishment’s desire to offer a superior service. However, to maintain this caliber, an upgrade of the rooms, in terms of decor and quality of furniture, should be completed.
The devil is in the details:
- The wear and tear on some of the furniture in my room does not reflect the standard that this hotel claims to offer.
Pros
- Location.
- « Six-Seventeen » lounge on the sixth floor.
- Large room.
Cons
- Independent hotel: no points or privilege program offered.
- Pillows too firm.