Ben B.
Yelp
For all the great things that Halifax has, one thing that we lack is the definitive place to stay when you visit - we don't have Portland's Ace Hotel or our own version of The Drake in Toronto. It's a shame, really. So when the Haliburton offered up a pretty snazzy deal for last weekend's Open City ($125 for a room and continental breakfast for two), I figured I'd start the quest to test out the city's homes away from home.
Going in, all I knew about the Haliburton was that Stories should be on my list of restaurants to try when my budget inexplicable grows by 300%, so I was surprised to learn that the complex extends past the brick townhouse into the neighbouring ones on Morris Street. Given the vibe of the south end, I thought this was actually a nice touch and a great way to make the experience a little more homey if a visitor were to be staying longer than one night.
You get street-level access to your building with classic keys - not the plastic-card variety -and a second key for your room door. Now, I did hear from multiple sources about doors that leave a bit too much room near the floor, but ours fit snug! The room itself, well, I wouldn't exactly put it in the 'boutique hotel' category, but for an classic style inn with a bit of continental charm, it fit the bill. Besides, in my books, the location is unbeatable.
A (surprisingly high up) double bed was comfortable, the pillows were massive (I'd bring my own next time), a flatscreen was mounted on a swivel arm on the wall, and two armchairs and couch make a decent sitting area. Not exactly to my personal taste, but it was all clean and cozy! I *did* love the balcony in the back that looked over their patio garden. Lovely for enjoying the complimentary two cups of Keurig coffee in the morning. The continental breakfast hit the spot too - bagels and cream cheese, boiled eggs, fresh fruit, yogurt cups, Java Blend coffee...it was just what I was looking for.
Overall, it was a pleasant, quick stay. I think it may be jarring to go in expecting the same level of blown-awayness that Stories offers foodies which could be why I wasn't left tremendously excited coming or going, but for someone who doesn't exactly need grandiose lobbies and amenities for a night out in my own town, I felt pretty good about our visit.