The Barrington Hotel

Tempo was a bright spot, the attached restaurant was good and the team there gave great service. The hotel itself was clean and central to downtown, but the rooms and amenities seemed short on care and upkeep. The lighting was glitchy, and noise carried badly through the hallways. Staff were okay, though they seemed indifferent to the guest experience. For downtown Halifax, I expected more. A mediocre stay once you balance the good against the N/I.

The location was convenient for downtown, and walking around gave us some nice city views. The sauna was cool, probably the one thing that lifted this to three stars. Service was quick and they were eager to help when we asked for extra towels and shower supplies, since there weren't enough in the bathroom. The room felt old and cramped for four people. There's no microwave, and the mini fridge is tucked under the TV. The TV is outdated too, so watching Netflix would mean connecting a laptop. There was nothing special about the place, and the price felt high for what you get. We even had to pay $4 per bottle for water, with no complimentary water. Fine for one night, I guess.

The front desk staff were kind and professional, but that was the one bright spot. The room had bugs, and the hotel feels dated in a neglected way, like it might not have been updated since the early 90s. I can see why they have a no-refund policy. Housekeeping only comes after three days. That might be okay somewhere that felt clean to start with, but this didn't. During my five-day stay, cleaning staff came just once, and I overheard them loudly complaining about how much they hate cleaning. There is almost no soundproofing. By 6am, constant banging woke me up, probably from the GoodLife gym below. No water was left in the room, which seems like basic hospitality. If you're after a restful stay, bring earplugs, cleaning supplies, and a sense of humor. You'll need all three.

This historic building has nice high ceilings and lots of character, but it could use some updating. The rooms have no ventilation and the windows won't open, so they get humid and stuffy quickly. The elevator was extremely slow, so we mostly took the stairs.