Arrival/Check-In: Spanning a block in the center of Halifax, Nova Scotia, the Prince George Hotel is a modern, red-brick structure furnished conservatively with mahogany tables and plush traditional carpets. Even though it was 2:45 a.m., the efficient 24-hour front desk staff was on duty and sent me right up to a spacious guestroom on the uppermost (sixth-floor) Crown Floor. My questions about parking and wake-up calls were answered, and one of the doormen guided me downstairs, through the parking lot and across the street to pick up a slice of pizza to tide me over to breakfast.

Guest Quarters: All done up in shades of beige with reddish brown- and caramel-striped taffeta curtains and more mahogany furniture, the room was extremely comfortable. A six-foot-long console held the TV and provided six spacious drawers for unpacking, as well as lots of counter space for sorting papers. With views uptown and downtown, the hotel’s rooms are bright but with windows fixed shut. The bathroom provided plenty of shelves and a wall-to-wall marble vanity. A double-sized shower substituted for a tub. Aveda Rosemary Mint amenities are provided at the hotel, and Crown Floor guests have the option of continental breakfast served each morning from a cart, offering coffee, juices and croissants. In addition, a coffee and tea station is set up every morning by the elevators.

Services/Amenities: The lobby floor business center provides 24-hour access to computers and a printer. Conveniently open from 5 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., the fitness center (with bicycles, weight bench and jogging machine) leads down to a pool, enclosed on the grassy outdoor patio. Here there is seasonal open-air seating for people dining in the comfortable Terrace dining room, where the extensive breakfast buffet includes made-to-order omelets. Next door, lunch and dinner are served in the Gio Restaurant with Jackson Pollock-like splotchy horseshoe banquettes facing the length of the marble bar. A display of colorful glass pieces decorates the wall; halibut with a bread and anchovy crust is a popular entrée here.

The Experience: If location, location, location is a priority, the Prince George, poised halfway up the hill between the harbor and lofty Citadel, couldn’t be more convenient. It serves as host to guests appearing at the performing arts and sports Metro Centre across the street (Jerry Seinfeld happened to be my across-the-hall neighbor one night). What’s more, the hotel’s lower floors and parking garage connect to the Downtown Halifax Link series of interconnected tunnels. From The George you can walk all the way to the harbor (and the harborside casino) without going outside.

The Prince George Hotel

1725 Market St.
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3J 3N9 Canada
tel 902 425 1986
princegeorgehotel.com