In August, my wife and I spent a wonderful, relaxing honeymoon up in Halifax, Nova Scotia. For two of those days, we stayed in the Prince George Hotel, just south of the city's famous Citadel.

Sounds Like a Luxury Hotel, Doesn't It?

The Prince George Hotel's name sounds suspiciously like the name of the older, well-respected Lord Nelson Hotel, just a few blocks away. However, while the Lord Nelson is a genuine luxury hotel, the Prince George merely tries to pass itself off as one. The fact is, the Prince is just a souped-up Marriott (in fact, the charge on my credit card was under the Marriott brand name).

A Cookie-Cutter Prince

One sign of a luxury hotel is the use of interesting architectural details. There are none of these at the Prince George, which is just like any other mid-level hotel you'd expect to find in North America. The walls are sheet-rock square, the carpet is generic and the rooms are standard, without much extra.

Not a "Smart Choice"

What is available as extra at the Prince George costs extra. There's a snack basket next to the television, with a small packet of cashews for the not-so-small price of $8.95. For the amount we paid for our room, such items should be complimentary, or tastefully removed altogether.

The Prince George also offers an extra "Smart Choice" package, which includes breakfast, parking and free local phone calls. Again, at a true luxury hotel, such items are included in the high price. I'm also left wondering what the hotel is implying about people who choose not to use this option. Are they saying that if I don't pay for the "Smart Choice", I'm stupid? Is the Prince George's standard line of service intended for the unintelligent? Seems to me that this "Smart Choice" promotion is a really dumb idea.

Summin' it Up

The Prince George is an acceptable hotel. It's a nice hotel. It's just not a luxury hotel, which is what it claims to be. If you like safe, predictable surroundings, then the Prince George Hotel is for you. If you want something with more local flavor, I suggest the Lord Nelson Hotel or the antique-laden Waverly Inn. Both the Lord Nelson and the Waverly are right downtown, are less expensive, are more luxurious, and are much much more interesting places to stay.



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