‘The prices were outrageous’: Tourists stunned by cost of Halifax hotel rooms

Tourists say they're stunned by the price of hotel Tourists say they're stunned by the price of hotel rooms in Halifax. CTV's Bruce Frisko has more.

Many tourists staying in Halifax over the past few weeks say they've been taken aback by the price of hotel rooms.

Christina Throneberry of Dallas-Fort Worth came to Halifax for her 50th birthday. She says she started planning her trip for six back in February.

"I thought, 'Well, maybe I'll start looking at hotels,'” says Throneberry, “and I thought the prices were outrageous.”

Throneberry says she ended up booking an Airbnb in Prince Edward Island and used a rental car instead.

With Halifax being in the peak of tourism season, those who haven't pre-booked might be in for a surprise if they try to snag a last minute room.

A quick survey of Halifax room rates on a popular travel website shows wild variations over the next couple of weeks. Some rooms are as high as $409.

Industry insiders say the price hike shouldn't be surprising, as there's plenty going on around the city this summer and the country is celebrating its 150th birthday.

In the hotel business, rates are always determined by what's left to sell.

“It's much like someone famously said in the airline industry,” says Prince George general manager Scott Travis. “My goal is to have 120 people on this plane paying 120 different rates.”

The president of the Hotel Association of Nova Scotia suggests those looking for last-minute rooms to wait until a bit later in the evening before checking rates. If the room is unsold, it’s not uncommon to slash rates last minute.

So after some initial sticker shock, Christina Throneberry is more than pleased with her 50th birthday in Halifax, and she's seeing more of the region than she'd planned.

“I thought, 'Well, here I am from Fort Worth, Texas, and I'd love to be in Halifax on my 50th.  Someplace nice and cool," she says.

Throneberry just hopes room rates aren't quite as hot for her next visit.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Bruce Frisko.