Royal Hotel - Historical Boutique Hotel

They tried to claim iur online booking was fake because I didnt wNt to upgrade my room. VERY unprofessional and sketchy AF.

Rien à redire. La propriétaire, Carmen, à pris le temps de me recommander tout les endroits où aller en ville et alentours. Si je retourne à Sydney, c'est à cet endroit, sans hésiter! 10/10. Merci pour la belle soirée et m'avoir fait goûter du moonshine!:) Service bilingue, français excellent.

DO NOT GO THERE

The good reviews are fake, please don't go to this bedbug infested hotel with the rudest owner I have ever witnessed!

Not one cent should be left at this horrible place

Royal Halal is one of the best restaurants in Sydney, NS. The use of high-quality ingredients and traditional cooking methods results in dishes that transport your taste buds to the heart of the Indian subcontinent.

The restaurant's interior is tastefully decorated, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere that's equally suitable for an intimate dinner or a celebratory feast. It's clear that attention to detail extends beyond the kitchen.

***UPDATE:
Just saw a reply to the review hence wanted to update and tell the truth of the situation I faced
Agreed that after a lot of follow ups and messages and leaving this review, we received a partial refund from the owner but now she replies saying we are faking it and all. I have been nothing but nice and polite but Carmen isn't giving that back.

When we told her about the bed begs and showed her videos of them, she said oh really and instead of apologizing or sympathizing with us she told that we got them there and started blaming us for it.
I even told her the reason I am telling is to not for a refund but to warn the next guests but they way she spoke back was not acceptable and I wanted a refund at that point which we got after a month of follow up.

Now that I was seeing the reviews seems like the bed bugs issue hasn't gone away in the last 4 months so I would really suggest against going to this place for your own safety.

Its an old building, so expect the ambience and decor to reflect that.this place gets 5 stars just for the living room lobby area, which i enjoyed sitting in.yes, some rooms have shared bathrooms, but when I went upstairs, bathroom was clean and well lite.there was even common room amenities like microwave, water kettle, an ice machine and air fryer.we stay at the downstairs room, which though small, was comfortable for a night.a small breakfast of fruits and pastries were provided and appreciated.

-BED BUGSSSSSSSSSSSSSS-

No food services.
Not at all clean.
She kept her puppy dog on mattress.
Not at all good place for people with allergy issues.
Most important point-The host Carmen was really rude and she behave so immature. She even shout at visitor who ask for facility that they promise to gave. Maybe because of these reason this hotel have less clients. Such a horrible experience.

I totally disagree with your comments about being discriminated against. I was a guest from Ontario

Terrifying. We left within 20 minutes. Read the one star reviews. They are accurate. Don’t stay here. The host yelled at us and made immature comments when we politely asked for a refund after seeing the room. I had to leave because she was being so aggressive. Worst experience at a hotel my partner and I have ever had.

They have bed bugs. Do you wanna bring some bed bugs to your home with your clothes? Just stay out of here.

Where do I start? We had booked a room here a couple of months ago to stay 2 nights. Upon booking Carmen told us there were absolutely no bed bugs at the Hotel. So on our way I called after crossing the Canso causway to request an early check in. She said she would call back to let us know if this was possible because she would have to check with the cleaning staff. Well come to find out Her and another man were the whole staff so this is where the bullsh#t started. We arrived at the Hotel and upon check in I asked if I could leave a credit card and pay upon check out. She said no you have to pay now so I did. Very stupid on my part. After this she brings us to our room and she opens a steel door to our room. This is when we found out we had to share a bathroom with the whole 2nd floor. In the meantime I was out getting our luggage. After I went back upstairs I found my girlfriend in tears. Carmen was rude and yelled at her because my girlfriend simply said I don't think these facilities are going to work for us. Anyway I grabbed our bags and went back down to the car then went back into the hotel to get my money back. Was willing to let her keep the 75 dollar deposit that we paid during booking. We'll she said should would not refund me and this is when I had to call the police. When they arrived and came and spoke with me they said this isn't the first time they have been there for this reason. They went and spoke with her and she ended up agreeing to give me 112 dollars back of the 212 I paid at check in plus she kept the 75 dollar deposit. Anyway even when the police were there she called me names and acted like a child. She acted very unstable. Anyway long story short. She is a scammer so be aware and she is not a business woman by any means. The place should be called the Royal BnB not Hotel. I wasn't there long enough to have any bed bug experience but the latest reviews don't lie I'm sure.

Very rude host! I don't know, where all the good reviews come from, but she was not only unfriendly, but yelled at us! Would NOT recommend!

BED BUGS

***UPDATE: After multiple messages and leaving this review, we received a refund from the owner. However, she is now texting us accusing us of lying and faking the bed bugs. We are extremely upset as we’ve tried to be as kind and cordial as possible with her about this. Stay away from this place.

This is a sweet little spot with a lot of potential. Unfortunately, they are very obviously dealing with a bed bug infestation and don’t seem to care and are still booking people into rooms that are infested. We also experienced unprofessional and weird behaviour from the owner and others in the hotel.

We booked a room on August 5th, 2023 and were grateful to the owner, Carmen, for sticking around to get us checked in last minute. However, once we arrived, we experienced strange behaviour from her and another man who didn’t seem to work there and seemed to be hanging out in and around the hotel. When we got to our room we found him in there “positioning the fan. ” We felt uncomfortable and once we actually got into our room we found a bed bug on the rug and immediately left.

The owner was gone at that point so we sent her a message thanking her again, explaining what we found and asking her for a refund. The only response we got was an “okay” late at night. We messaged her again the next day and she agreed to do a refund via e transfer. We never received it.

It’s a real shame because this place could be a gem if it was run properly.

We have since found other reviews mentioning bed bugs.

Woke up with a bed bug!
I have stayed at the Royal Hotel in the past many times, when in Sydney. I like the charm, the quirkiness of a hotel like the Royal as well as the central location and of course, the more affordable rate.
The hotel ownership changed a year ago, so I blame my own naive and trust in people, in not checking the reviews prior to booking.
I woke up last Thursday, Aug 3 at the Royal with a bed bug! You can imagine, I was aghast! I killed and captured the dead bed bug to show the new owner, Carmen Spino, so she would have evidence to deal with and treat the problem. I packed up my stuff threw it in my car, and approached Carmen with the dead bed bug. She blamed me, did not want to see it and wanted me gone from the hotel, quickly refunding my last night.
I have since checked the reviews for the Royal hotel. There are bad reviews, pictures, evidence of a bed bug infestation since May 2023!
What kind of person would knowingly book you into a room with bed bugs!?
My past week has been a nightmare!
Thxfully I have not brought any unwanted critters home with mebut not without a lot of effort. I had washed, heat dried everything prior to leaving Sydney and again when I returned home. Also threw out my suitcase or anything not able to be heated. But the agony, the itchiness of many many bed bugs bites, I would not want anyone else to have to go through this! This is my reason for writing this review.
Please do the right thing! Close and clean up the hotel before knowingly harming people and spoiling long awaited vacations.

I had the pleasure of staying at the enchanting Royal Hotel in Sydney, Nova Scotia. The experience was delightful, and what made it even more special was the presence of the charming proprietor, who resides on the premises and happens to be a wonderful artist as well. The bed provided an incredibly comfortable night's sleep, and the room exuded a cozy, old-fashioned charm that was truly inviting.

The hotel itself has a rich history, dating back to the 1800s, adding to its unique allure. One of the highlights of my stay was the complimentary breakfast, which was included in the price. Although I missed the deadline and woke up late at 10: 30, the hotel staff were accommodating and understanding.

In a world of predictable chain hotels, staying at the Royal Hotel offered a refreshing and distinct experience. It may not be flawless, but for me, it was just right. If you're looking for something out of the ordinary, I highly recommend giving this charming gem a try.

Don't stay here! Very poor accommodations and hospitality. The host was from the beginning on very unfriendly, when we asked her about the private bathroom (which was supposed to be included but wasn't there) she became really rude, screamed at us and slammed the door behind her. After finding bugs in our bed (!) we decided to leave immediatley and didn't stay for the night.

Scrupulously clean aged hotel in good location. Beds squeek, the floor squeeks, the mattress and pillows are not the best, the sheets are nice, there is external noise overnight, and the blinds do not darken the room. Carmen was friendly.

The Royale Hotel was one of the most lovely, welcoming and charming hotels I have ever stayed in. Carmen was an incredible host and we enjoyed staying in her historic hotel in downtown Sydney. Great communication and very comfortable experience. I would highly recommend staying here for a few nights to maximize your stay.

Omg worst experience of my life! Me and my cousin booked week before and made call to the front desk lady (she’s so nice and sweet on call which totally opposite in person). I booked for 3days! Confirmation was done. Me and my cousin arrived at hotel late night and she lied that there’s no booking and this is not confirmation number or pin! I was so mad. She was so bad. She continued lying because she knew that we can’t go anywhere because late at night and it’s our first time coming Canada. She ruined our first time in canada! She made us pay again. We plan to stay at night and just left in morning. This wasn’t even enough…. We paid again and she gave us such a bad room! ’ The door was broken and there was no lock! Me and my cousins put our suitcases behind the door and didn’t sleep at night! I hate these scammers! They made us pay around 400 usd$$$! They harrashhh international students because they know we are new here and got scared and worried when have no one to pickup late at night!
pPLEASE DONT STAY AT THIS HOTEL OR PAY ANYTHING ONLINE! They are SO BAD PEOPLE।।।।। SUCH A BAD EXPERIENCE NO SAFETY AT ALLLLLLL!

I highly recommend the Royal Hotel. I had a wonderful experience during my stay. It's the best in every way, like budget friendliness, cleanliness, location near a bus stop, and services offered. The owner, Carmen, is a very kind and friendly person who makes you feel welcome, creating an excellent environment for guests. Anyone coming to Sydney, Nova Scotia, must visit the Royal Hotel.

It has to be the cutest hotel with a kind and compassionate staff. I booked in quite late around 2 am. We were greeted friendly and just our luck middle of a snow storm we got her last room available. The bed was awesome, my fiance and i had a phenomenal sleep, the shower pressure was amazing and unfortunately we had to leave before check out but out host already had coffee hot and waiting for us. Besides the room being s bit chilly and me not knowing how to fix that it was actually okay and it wasnt chilly until the morning and then I warmed up real good. Also my tv either didnt work or I didnt know how to use it but there was only two channels so I don't think that was the case however I would go again and recomend that anyone stay there it really felt like a night at my nan's. Feeling I haven't had in a long time