If you’re travelling to Nova Scotia this summer and need a place to stay, consider making one of the local university residences your home base. Most have opened their doors since May while school is not in full swing and are offering a variety of rooms to book until Aug. 11. Across Halifax, each university sets its own policy on rates, minimum lengths of stay and cancellation fees—but all run you less than an Airbnb or a hotel would.
Drawbacks can include shared washrooms, no kitchen space and no A/C. But most include free parking, fans and gym access—as well as being centrally located—so they’re worth considering.
This is not a new program. Most universities in Halifax have been offering this for "roughly a decade give-or-take" (or over three decades in Dal's case), staff at university summer accommodations desks tell The Coast. But it’s still catching on with the general public.
In Halifax’s south end, there are several university-turned-hotels to choose from. At the corner of Oxford Street and Spring Garden Road, the University of King’s College (UKing’s) has single and double rooms available which can be booked here.
Single rooms will run you $115/night including taxes, and double rooms cost $170/night including taxes.
Amenities include laundry on site, towels and linens, free wifi, kettles and fans for the rooms, 24/7 security and access to their gym, library and chapel. There’s limited parking available at the small campus for $15/day plus tax, however many nearby side streets have free parking.
The UKing’s quad is very private and there’s a great bookstore in the basement of the main academic building. Their bookings come with no minimum length stay, however do have a 72-hour cancellation policy.
Down Spring Garden Road at Dalhousie University (Dal), rooms are available across three different residency buildings and can be booked here. They range from $64.54/night plus tax for a single room, up to $358.80/night plus tax for a four bedroom suite in their newest building, LeMarchant Place (which is the only building with A/C).
Weekly rates are also available, starting at $60.79/night plus tax for single rooms. Seniors, alumni and students are able to book for significantly lower rates, too.
Amenities include laundry on site, towels and linens, free wifi, free parking, free access to the DalPlex Athletics Facility, shared kitchenettes, fans, A/C in LeMarchant Place, 24/7 security, and private washrooms available in some suites.
Dal does require guests to book a minimum two-night stay and has a 24-hour cancellation policy. Dal offers an art gallery and several libraries on campus and is located on several major bus routes.
Further south at the corner of Inglis Street and Tower Road, Saint Mary’s University (SMU) has rooms available to book here. Rates are $70/night including tax for a single room and $130/night including tax for a double room.
Amenities include laundry on site, towels and linens, free wifi, free parking, free access to the Homburg Fitness Centre, shared washrooms, fans and 24/7 security. There’s a shared lounge area with a microwave but no shared kitchen space.
There is a minimum two-night stay and a 72-hour cancellation policy for booking at SMU.
The campus boasts an art gallery and library and is located on major bus routes, as well as being walking distance to Point Pleasant Park.
If you’re wanting to stay slightly off the peninsula along the Bedford Highway, Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU) has rooms available to book here. Rates range from $76.90/night including taxes for a single room, $88.73/night including taxes for a double room and $100.55/night including taxes for a two-bedroom or double bed suite with a private bathroom. Student, alumni and group rates are available, too.
Amenities include laundry on site, towels and linens, free wifi, free parking, free access to the gym, shared washrooms on all floors, private washrooms in suites, fans and 24/7 security. There is no minimum length stay, but there is a 24-hour cancellation policy. There is a library, bookstore and art gallery on campus. MSVU is located on a major bus route to get into the city but is also secluded from the downtown area and boasts views of the Bedford Basin.
