Today was a travel day. We’ll cover those details in the next post, but wanted to take time here to describe our hotel experience here in Dartmouth. When we checked out we asked for more details on the hotel’s status as a homeless shelter. We found out there are six other hotels in Dartmouth that split their rooms between homeless and paying customers. When we reserved the room in February we had no idea, but it sounds as though it was just getting going then.
As was true everywhere, COVID created a spike in mental illness and addiction, and the city was overwhelmed with need, so they contracted with these hotels in January 2022. I was perusing reviews in May and saw how the hotel’s ratings had plummeted and now reviews were almost exclusively negative rants from guests who were horrified to find homeless at their hotel. We talked about switching but decided to stay there anyway. I was frankly curious about what this arrangement would look like, and the price (and view) couldn’t be beaten.
It was challenging. We had to be on guard. For Kitty it “felt like work but without a panic button.” I never felt threatened in our room, but we were both constantly scanning our environment coming and going. We were approached on the streets by people in various states of intoxication, but the hotel was swarming with security. Dartmouth is definitely more dodgy than downtown Halifax. I was looking for water at the Dartmouth bus terminal this morning and the guard told me with zero humor: “This place is too rough for a water fountain. It would either break down or get vandalized.”
Would I recommend this hotel or stay again? Probably not, but the comparable hotels in Halifax cost 300-400 CAD per night, and this one was $170.00. Canada is MUCH safer to travel in than the US as there’s hardly any violent crime or gun violence. I’d recommend Halifax, but if you need to save some money, are OK navigating a homeless population, and don’t mind the fifteen-minute ferry rides, I’d suggest Dartmouth. Just maybe not the Hilton Garden Inn!
K & L's Travel Blog 
Wow! Exceptional lodgings. Meanwhile, every day you are in Canada, gun wielders kill additional victims back in the US. Hotels for the homeless in Canada sound safer than school, stores, and churches in the US.
Carry on! Hugs, K
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I was curious if they disclosed this use of the hotel to bookers so I looked… nope. they advertise it as an upscale hotel and conference center. , reviewers said that they were told this dual use of the facility could not be disclosed due to privacy reasons. Yup, reviewers were largely pissed about this. you two were good sports about it but seems like hotel should have disclosed the situation. Glad that all turned out well and that you safely launched. what an adventure!
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We asked the front desk man about disclosure and he said “I tell everybody who calls.” but Hilton will not put it one the Web page. Can’t wait to talk about therapeutic details with you.
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Love all this. Lorena, your clam linguine nearly killed me for envy.
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Welcome to my world here in DC. Not only the hotels but rental bldgs like mine and condo bldg have homeless. UR Nation’s Capital’s mayor puts them in and then does not follow up with services they need. Never have I ever lived anywhere where
there is a very visible 24/7 armed guard roaming bldg.
Please be very, very careful. ⭕️♥️❌
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PEI is totally opposite. We left the car door wide open at an overlook. No harm but it flipped us out.
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I’m loving these, thanks for sharing!
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Me too! I feel like I’m seeing it right along with you.
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