The Best Luxury Hotels in Halifax for Business Travellers

Halifax punches above its weight as a business destination. It's the economic capital of Atlantic Canada, a serious hub for defence, ocean technology, finance, and government, and a city that has developed a hospitality scene in recent years that genuinely surprises first-time visitors. The hotel market is smaller than the major Canadian cities but has a handful of properties that deliver at a high level — and the city itself, compact and walkable along the waterfront, makes a working trip here more enjoyable than the geography might suggest.

The Muir Hotel

The Muir is the best hotel in Halifax and it isn't particularly close. It opened in 2021 as part of the Queen's Marque development on the waterfront and immediately set a standard the city hadn't previously seen — 109 rooms, exceptional design, and a level of finish and service that competes credibly with the best urban boutique hotels in the country. The harbour views from the upper floors are among the finest in any Canadian city hotel, and DRIFT restaurant and bar downstairs has quickly become one of the most serious dining rooms in Halifax. For any trip where the quality of the hotel matters, this is the only answer.

The Westin Nova Scotian

The Nova Scotian is a railway hotel in the grand tradition — it opened in 1930, sits adjacent to the VIA Rail station, and has the bones and proportions that distinguish that era of hospitality architecture. It's been through various operators over the years and the Westin flag has brought it to a reliable standard without fully restoring it to its original grandeur. The location is slightly removed from the downtown core but connected enough to be practical, and for the traveler who values historic character and a certain unhurried quality, it remains worth considering.

Cambridge Suites Halifax

Cambridge Suites occupies a useful niche in the Halifax market — it's a suite-format property in the heart of downtown, well-positioned for the legal and financial district, and consistently well-run. The rooms are genuinely spacious by Halifax standards, with separate living areas that make extended stays significantly more comfortable. It lacks the design ambition of the Muir but compensates with practicality and a price point that makes it the sensible choice for a longer working trip where space matters more than atmosphere.

Sutton Place Hotel Halifax

Sutton Place arrived in Halifax relatively recently and brought a level of polished full-service hospitality that filled a genuine gap in the market. It sits in the downtown core with solid meeting facilities, well-appointed rooms, and the kind of consistent execution that corporate travelers rely on. It's not a destination property in the way the Muir is, but for a meeting-heavy trip where the hotel needs to disappear into the background and simply work, Sutton Place delivers that reliably.

The Halliburton

The Halliburton is Halifax's best kept secret for the business traveler who has done their research. It's a small heritage inn — around 29 rooms across three connected townhouses — in the south end of downtown, with a quiet residential character that larger properties can't replicate. Stories restaurant on the ground floor is a genuine destination in its own right. For a solo trip or a stay where you want to feel embedded in the city rather than insulated from it, the Halliburton offers something none of the full-service properties on this list can.

A note on neighbourhoods

Halifax is compact enough that most of the city is accessible on foot, but the waterfront and downtown core are where business activity concentrates. The Muir sits directly on the waterfront at Queen's Marque, which has become the most architecturally significant development in the city in a generation — the surrounding blocks are worth exploring for dining and drinks. The downtown core a few blocks inland is where the legal, financial, and government district sits, which is where Cambridge Suites and Sutton Place are positioned. The Halliburton's south end location is quieter and more residential, a short walk from the Spring Garden Road corridor. For a first visit, anywhere in this triangle keeps you well oriented.