Nunavut and especially Iqaluit Hotels

There are no Marriott Hotels in Nunavut. Indeed, there are no Holiday Inns, Comfort Inns or Motel 6s.

The closest thing to a chain are the Inns of the North, which is a loose association of inns in the hamlets. In truth, when visiting a hamlet you take what you can get. Usually the inns provide a single bed, bathroom and a tv; you get a bed and not a room so you may be given a roommate. If you want a room to yourself you have to say so and pay more; and if there are many guest that may not be available. In the south these inns would be the most basic of roadside motels -- on the other hand, the places are generally very clean and perfectly respectable.

In Iqaluit there is considerable choice although the hotels are often booked so your options may be limited. Iqaluit hotels rent rooms not beds so you never have the issue of an unexpected roommate. I have stayed in four places in Iqaluit: the Frobisher, the Hotel Arctic (formerly the Nova - most people still call it that), the Capital Suites and the Navigator.

The Frobisher is the closest hotel to a southern hotel -- probably on the level of a Holiday Inn. You want to stay on the 5th floor to avoid noise; each room has a flat screen tv with dvd player. There is a business centre with painfully slow computers (all computers are slow - they are running on a satellite feed). The hotel is part of a complex with two movie theatres, a swimming pool, a convenience store and a pub. There is also a hotel dining room. I usually stay here if I can -- the main downside is you are not especially close to anything else and it's a 10 minute walk to downtown (a significant issue in the winter).

The Capital Suites is also good and right downtown. As the name suggests the rooms are suite with a kitchenette and separate bedroom. There is a business centre and laundry but the hotel has no restaurant so you either have to buy food and cook it or go out.

The Hotel Arctic is ok. The rooms are big and have a fridge, microwave and a coffee maker. There is no business centre or laundry. There is a perfectly ok restaurant and a pub -- make sure to get a room far away from the pub if you want to sleep at night. The hotel is a curious mix of shabby and new. It was recently bought by Northern Properties and so may well be upgraded soon; the hotel is right downtown just opposite the legislature. I generally take the Hotel Arctic as my second choice because it has a restaurant.

The Navigator Inn calls itself the Premier Hotel of Iqaluit -- perhaps it is the first hotel here? Some of the rooms have been redone and have king sized beds with whirlpool tubs. That said most of the rooms are tired. But the hotel has a restaurant and free laundry. It is located a little bit away from downtown going towards the airport but this just adds a two minute walk so location is not a problem. It's not my first choice but it's not terrible.

The Discovery Lodge is a little further out of downtown going towards the airport. I haven't stayed here but am told it's fine -- it caters to construction workers largely. I have eaten here and the food was fine -- it has a pretty decent restaurant.

There are a couple of bed and breakfasts. They are quite far from downtown and I can't say much about them. Perhaps in the summer they would be fun?