TravelWeary

I stayed at the Westin in November and loved the place. As a gold I was automatically upgraded to a nice suite with a huge balcony. Everything in town was within walking distance for me and with Guinness on tap in the bar my happiness was complete. I walked by the 4 Points which is only a few blocks away and it looked pretty nondescript. BTW, the airport is a fair distance, but I hired the hotel car for a reasonable rate for the trip.

On an amusing note. I was panhandled once there and when I offered Canadian money, the panhandler inquired if he could have US dollars instead.

YYZC2

The south end near the Westin has been thouroughly cleaned up. The last strip club in Halifax that was across the street from the Westin has been shuttered, the entire block adjacent to the railway station was razed and a new supermarket and Tim Horton's was put up, along with a condo complex. The docks themselves have been renovated too, to cater to the cruise ships that now bring in more revenue than the container ships, which now mostly dock further away. There is an immigration museum on Pier 21 (Canada's Ellis Island) and a new movie and television studio down there. A lot of new development in the less immediate area as well. Of course, the Westin itself has been reno'd as well, but some of the rooms are very small.

The 4 Points is closer to downtown, and much easier to walk to if you've imbibed a bit too much downtown. There is a great restaurant called "Bish" across the street and it's generally better located if you want to eat well, go downtown or to the waterfront, casino, etc... and it's all very new and not at all "cheap-looking"... great views too!

It sounds like you won't be doing a lot of touristy stuff, for which I endorse the Four Points, but are making a judgement purely on hotel amenities, I would take the Westin.

I grew up in Halifax... now you've gone and made me homesick!

Jeff
(currently in Helsinki)

100,000miler

Glad to hear the area has been cleaned up as I too have noticed, but the hookers (female) still offer their services very nearby the Westin on the streets.

Even the Atlantic SuperStore and Tim Horton's can't drive them out! I too am a Maritimer with fond memories of Halifax.

mcott

My two cents: Just got back from YHZ, (interesting train ride from and to but that's another story!) and chose the Westin over the 4Pts due to the no smoking at the 4Pts (I know, not the best reason, and as an aside, if you smoke, bring lots with you - CAD11.00 per pack is a killer there!). The hotel is quite nice, and as an SPG nobody, I got put in a room on the top floor, city view, didn't request a harbourview when booking, but in retrospect, should have. The area around the hotel is definately cleaned up, no seemy stuff or people, and I wasn't approached on my walk back to the hotel after a night of sampling the local culture with co-workers who took me out (the casino is worth a look, and good downtown bars are the Lower Deck, and the Split Crow). The pool and hot tub are quite nice, and the hotel is attached to the train station. I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that when checking in I asked to see the business centre and was given a tour by a bellman, and three days later ran into him in an elevator, and was asked if I'd been there to use the facilities yet, and if so, how they were? In a place where the guest turn over must be significant, I was most impressed.

All in all the Westin YHZ is a very nice hotel, and it gets my recomendation, for what that's worth!

Sorry for rambling, but I could go on longer

MC

ldsant

Just thought I'd give an update. Just returned from Nova Scotia. Stayed at the Westin one night since they had a "special" through the checkins folks (one stop/does all place that I would HIGHLY recommend using if you're planning a trip to Nova Scotia). Anyway, as a gold, I asked for an upgrade and was told that nothing was available. Was in a "standard" room on the 4th floor. It had a heavenly bed which was nice (queen) but the bathroom has not been renovated. Remember - I was only staying less than 24 hours here so I didn't really care all that much.

The staff was nice and very warm and professional. Got to use the computer in the business center for free (with internet access). The area of town is fine -the Westin is right across the street from Pier 21. I walked along the waterfront to try and find a restaurant (it was late at night when I got to the hotel).

I would recommend this property if you're staying in the Halifax area, but would definitely NOT recommend trying to book through spg (the difference in price was $99 via spg or the checkin place). Yes, I didn't get an upgrade or anything, but saving the $99 is worth it imo

Z-man

I stayed at both and to be honest I like the Four Points much more than the Westin. The Four Points is brand new and very well kept. If you like older buildings with more character then I would say the Westin but this is certainly one of the better Four Points I have been at. The Four Points is also a bit better location I think.

100,000miler

If you are a puffer, like I am the only problem is the 4 Points is one of the only totally NON SMOKING hotels in Canada if not North America. I will not stay there for that reason. The Westin is also not a great property ---it is limited by its architectual design. There are other hotels in Halifax which are far better than these spg properties.

Rolling Stone

Isn't there still a Sheraton on the west side of downtown? It housed the casino before the permanent one was built?

Though it's been a few years, I seem to remember it being pretty decent.

ldsant

No, it's no longer there. It's now the Casino Hotel.

As I mentioned originally, my stay was for one night and the price was definitely the factor here. For $129 CAD it worked out well for me. If I had been staying longer, I would have looked at the 4 Points based upon some other reviews on this board. The Westin definitely has character as far as the building itself is concerned.

lalala

Like ldsant, I spent about 14 hours in my hotel room and environs on Halifax.

I liked the four points. It had a good gym, the rooms are entirely non smoking. This was a plus.

The downside, the ventilation in the hotel is exceedingly loud and the windows didn't open.

Having said that, the Westin does advertise that they have rooms with windows that open, so it must be in the old part of the hotel.

The coffee place across the street from the 4 points wasn't too bad either.

lala

Braindrain

On another note, the Westin offers a free shuttle service in and out of downtown during business hours.

It was quite useful.

AJLondon

Found this old useful thread while searching for Halifax!

I'll be going there next month, for the first time. The rates for both the Westin and 4pts for my dates are the same and also seem relatively high at C$ 179++ at spg.com... Is this about par for a June weekend night...?? Any way to get better rates for these hotels.

Also, I'll be doing most of the touristy stuff, and would like to see the shops etc too. Is that Spring Garden road? Is it easy to walk there from both hotels?

Could somebody please give a recent update on the local area around the Westin... And how long is the walk from the Westin to the 4pts. Is that part of Halifax safe to walk around in etc, even at night.

And finally the big question: Westin OR 4pts with the touristy / shops objective, given the rates are same...

cheers
AJ

choptliva

The Westin is the nicer of the two, IMO. They are within walking distance of each other. Downtown Halifax is not all that big anyhow. The 4 pts is a bit closer to the touristy places, but it's only a short walk from the Westin.
Westin is next to train station, so if you're arriving by train...
Westin is next to a big supermarket, which makes it convenient for fruits, drinks, etc.
Spring Garden is a little bit of a walk from either hotel, I think. The hotels are closer to the waterfront, which is the main tourist area. (Had some fried clams at the pier. Man, they were good!) ^
Been to Halifax many times, and I think you'll find the location of both hotels more than adequate.
I'd say Westin and 4 pts is less than 10 minutes walk. Is it safe to walk around in? My experience with the city is that it's safe, but YMMV . I've walked around the city a lot, and yes, there are the occasional drunk, etc., but basically a safe city.
Rate of 179 C$ is okay for Westin, but a price high for 4 pts. But then June is a busy time. At the same rate, I'd stay at the Westin.
Hope this is helpful. Enjoy the lobsters!

ldsant

Stayed at the Westin last September. LOVED Halifax but the Westin is not near all of the touristy stuff except close to the waterfront. It's easy to walk around Halifax. The 4 Points looked lovely as well, but the room at the Westin had the Heavenly Bed (if that's important to you). I think that you'll be happy with either choice that you make. 179 does seem a little high, perhaps you want to use some of your points and see what the 50% off would be? Enjoy Halifax - hopefully you'll have the chance to get to Cape Breton - one of the most gorgeous places I've ever seen!

choptliva

Most of the "touristy" stuff in Halifax, aside from the waterfront, are NOT in the downtown area. Places like Cape Breton, as Idsant has mentioned, and Peggy's Cove, etc. are a drive/tour bus trip away. There are various day trip info stuff at the hotels, so it's not difficult at all to organize once you get there. There is also the Citadel in town, a fortress kind of thing that once protected the city. But it'd be a walk. IMO, the nicest hotel in town is not a *wood property at all, but the Prince George Hotel. http://www.princegeorgehotel.com/
Yes, you'll sacrifice stay credits, etc., but it's really nicer than either 4 pts or Westin.
Idsant mentioned it's easy to walk around in Halifax. I can't agree more. I walked everywhere! From the Westin all the way to Dalhousie University, to the casino, to the waterfront, to the art museum, and being in Canada, of course to a Tim Horton donut shop (forget those Krispy Creme stuff from the US. Canada knows donuts! ).
I love Halifax. Hope you will too! Enjoy!