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A Review of the Muir Hotel in Halifax for Families Traveling with Kids
- andrewsco3
- Aug 2, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: May 23
If you’re considering a luxury hotel in Halifax and wondering whether the Muir Hotel lives up to its reputation, this review is for you.
We spent two nights at the Muir hotel during a 2 week road trip around Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI - and wanted something special to mark our youngest daughter’s sixth birthday.
After comparing a few options, we chose the Muir for its waterfront location, making it easy to walk to shops, restaurants, and most of the best attractions in the city - plus we booked it for free using hotel points.
In this review, we’ll share what we loved about our stay - and what you might want to consider before booking - so you can decide whether the Muir is the right fit for your trip to Halifax.
How Much Does the Hotel Cost?
The Muir hotel is one of Halifax’s top hotels, so as you would expect, it can be expensive, especially during the peak summer months.
Room pricing can regularly run in to the $500+ per night range for a basic king room, and even in the off season, rarely drops below $350 per night.
Paying those rates in cash? That would’ve been a hard no for us.
But we’re pretty savvy and put all of our spending on credit cards, collecting points and sign-up bonuses to help offset travel costs.
For this stay, we redeemed Marriott points to cover the full amount - including taxes - so the only out-of-pocket expenses were parking for our rental car (which was optional)
If you haven’t looked into using credit cards to subsidize travel, I highly recommend it. We’ve stayed in some incredible five-star properties around the world that we simply couldn’t afford if we were paying cash.
Where is the Muir Hotel Located?
The Muir Hotel is located in downtown, right by the waterfront and boardwalk within the Queen’s Marque development. It is surrounded by some high end restaurants, bars, a COWS store and, of course, a Tim Hortons.
While we were planning our 2 day Halifax Itinerary, we wanted to be close to most of Halifax’s major attractions, and the Muir fit the bill.
The hotel is about a 35-minute drive from the airport and a taxi fare costs around $70 one-way. Alternatively you could grab an Uber, or take a ride on the 320 bus downtown, which stops close by to the Muir and is very reasonably priced (around $3.50 per adult, one way).
Check in Experience
We arrived in the evening and the staff on the check-in desk were extremely helpful with getting us checked in promptly.
Pro tip: If your kids have a birthday during your stay, email the hotel ahead of time. At check in the staff wished her a happy birthday and gave her a little card and a balloon “wiener dog”.
Waiting in the room were small bowls of fruit and bottles of soda, which was a nice touch. All in all everything was very smooth and professional.
The Double King Room
Our first impression of the double king room was ‘wow’
The room was beautifully decorated and bigger than we expected. The hotel has a nautical theme throughout, and I really loved how the room design tied everything together - it felt perfect for the location.
We had a lovely view of the harbour - well, it would’ve been lovely if we could actually see anything through the fog! I’m pretty sure our kids thought we were in a landlocked province for half of our time in Halifax!
Sometimes, it’s the small things that make all the difference with kids. For our girls, the highlight was definitely the automatic window blinds that opened all on their own when you gave them a little tug!
The mini bar area continued the nautical theme and was stocked with plenty of items for purchase, plus a Nespresso coffee machine, which always makes Dad happy! Just be sure the kids don’t raid it for a midnight snack - those mini bar prices are on the pricey side.
Dining Experience
Although we didn’t dine in the main restaurant, we did order room service breakfast on our daughter’s birthday to make the occasion extra special.
We ordered the blueberry pancakes and sour cream coffee cake, and both came in huge portions. The pancakes, in particular, would be more than enough for most people to share between two.
On top of that, the hotel brought a special dessert, free of charge, to celebrate our daughter’s birthday. Had we known, we probably would’ve just ordered one breakfast item instead of two!
It was such a thoughtful gesture, and in my opinion, it’s these little touches that really set this hotel apart.
Pool & Fitness Area
The hotel has an indoor pool, spa, and gym, all located on the second floor, called the Windward Wellness Spa.
The facility definitely caters more towards adults rather than kids.
The gym was excellent and well furnished with all the equipment that you could could ever want, including a boxing bag and gloves (which I rarely find in a hotel gym, or any gym for that matter).
There were bowls of free fruit and different types of flavoured water - but it gave the gym more of a spa-like feel.
The spa (which includes the pool) was open from 8am to 8pm and they have designated specific times as ‘family’ and ‘relaxation’ as per the below:
Relaxation hours (16+): 6am-9am, 11am-2pm, 6pm-9pm
Family hours (all ages): 9am-11am, 2pm-6pm
We asked if kids were allowed during relaxation hours and were told that they are - as long as they respect the ambiance (no cannonballs, please!).
The indoor pool was nice but not especially large - so not ideal for adults wanting to swim laps, and not particularly interesting for kids either. There was a shallow shelf with jets that the kids enjoyed, but if it had been busy, I would’ve felt pretty self-conscious about them disturbing anyone trying to relax (luckily, it wasn’t).
Our girls still enjoyed the pool area, but if a "play" pool is a priority, you might want to consider this hotel, where we stayed at the end of our trip, for its fun waterslide.
Our only real disappointment with the hotel was the lack of a hot tub - something we definitely missed after long days exploring the city.
There was a cold plunge pool (still not sure why anyone gets in that!), a steam room, an infrared sauna, and a salt room. The salt room needed to be booked in advance but was free and easy to access - though definitely a strange experience!
Free Chauffeur-Driven Car for Hotel Guests
One of the most impressive features of the hotel is the free chauffeur-driven Range Rover available to Muir guests on a first-come, first-served basis for rides within a two-mile radius.
We used the service several times, including a pick-up from the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 when the kids were too tired to walk back. The driver was friendly and even shared some great recommendations for the rest of our road trip - one of his best tips was the hike to the secret quarry lake near Chéticamp in Cape Breton.
Is the Muir Hotel a Good Choice for Families?
In short, a resounding yes!
The highlights:
Free stay using Marriott Points
Amazing harbourfront location
Exceptional service
Chauffeur-driven car for guests
The downsides:
Expensive if not using points
Not an ideal pool for kids to play in
No hot tub
Conclusion:
The Muir Hotel is a fantastic choice for families, especially if you can take advantage of points for your stay. While it has a few drawbacks, like the lack of a hot tub and a pool more suited for relaxation than play, the location, service, and unique perks make it a great option for a family getaway.
What an inspiring journey you've shared! Travel truly teaches us in ways no classroom can. Reading this made me reflect on our road trips—nothing beats exploring in style with an Escalade limo. Comfort and adventure go hand in hand, just like the memories you’ve created over 50 years!