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About
4.0
#3 of 4 inns in Pictou
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Overview Welcome to the Customs House Inn overlooking the historic and picturesque Pictou waterfront. During your stay soak in views of Pictou Harbour and enjoy exploring this walkable town. Explore the history of the Hector Quay replica ship or relax on one of the many nearby warm water beaches. In the evening back at the inn, feel like you are stepping back in time with original features perfectly maintained in this cira 1870 property. Made of brick and sandstone the inn boasts large windows and rooms, original wide plank hardwood floors, high ceilings and intricate crown moldings mixed with modern amenities.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Mid-range
Charming
Languages Spoken
English
Location
38 Depot Street, Pictou, Nova Scotia B0K 1H0 Canada
Customs House Inn
86 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Lovely old Customs house that has been converted to an Inn. While the rooms are not luxurious they are clean and comfortable. The location is conveniently located adjacent to the waterfront with a number of options for dining and sightseeing within walking distance.
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Date of stay: August 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Very clean and spacious rooms in old government building with lots of character. Beautiful wood finishing, wide doors, lots of windows, on the harbour. Has a small kitchenette, stove top, fridge. The inn is within walking distance to restaurants and a short 5 minute drive to the ferry. I would stay here again!
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Date of stay: June 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My wife and I, along with another couple, stayed here. What a lovely spot! I love repurposed historic properties like this, especially when they are taken care of. The rooms are large, well appointed, nicely furnished, and extremely clean. The washrooms are updated and ours had a jacuzzi tub. You couldn’t be more central to local businesses. There was a nice local breakfast spot across the street. We also purchased Grohman knives and some nice crafts. I can’t recommend this hotel highly enough. It’s comfortable and unique, and in my opinion, extremely reasonable. Don’t pass this by.
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Date of stay: August 2022
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Room Tip:First floor room has a view, a great tub, and
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Very disappointing. Advertised as an inn with delicious breakfasr and friendly staff, was nothing but a room with no onsite staff. When we arrived there was an envelope on the door with our name. Inside was a room key and a note saying they weren't doing breakfast and made a small adjustment to the price charged. The adjustment didn't even cover breakfast at a fast food restaurant. Very deceptive advertising. Avoid. There are lots of other B&B's and inns in the area.
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Date of stay: July 2023
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Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Plenty of other places in the area. Avoid this one.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from doug desbarres, Owner at Customs House Inn
Responded Nov 29, 2023
Thank you for your comments. We haven't advertised nor provided continental breakfast for approximately 3 years (since COVID). We still don't offer it because many travelers are still very cautious about crowded spaces. That said, we do still offer a small discount for not providing continental breakfast just in case travelers like yourself have read outdated reviews about continental breakfast when we did provide it. Again, thank you for your comments.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Made a booking for December 27th, 2021. On the 19th, out of the blue, I received a written message from the Inn that the reservation was cancelled. Strange and unexpected to cancel a booking a week before a major holiday. Today I received a message that the booking still existed and that I would be charged. The Inn had not cancelled the booking. Bizarre. I have not had a similar experience anywhere else in the world.
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Date of stay: December 2021
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I don't know what's going on with this Inn, but at this point be very wary about booking a room. I booked through Booking.Com a couple of weeks ago. The Inn immediately charged my credit card for one night. I had a couple important questions to ask them and attempted to call. I got their voicemail and left a message to please call me back. After not hearing from them I sent an email. Still no reply. I tried calling and emailing repeated times. Never a response. I was starting to believe they had gone out of business. I contacted Booking.com. They tried reaching them, to no avail. I booked another hotel and am now in the process of trying to get my money back (Inn policy states reservations can be cancelled for full refund). I'm going to have to go through my credit card company because they are still not responding.
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Date of stay: June 2017
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The Custom's House Inn was absolutely beautiful - with very attractively restored rooms. Our room had a high ceiling and a lovely fireplace. One wall of the room was brick.
I agree with previous reviewers that the innkeeper was not the doting type. The "office" was closed most of the time.
The atmospheric pub in the basement was the location for a woefully inadequate breakfast. When we came down to breakfast - less than a half hour after the breakfast room opened - there was no longer any juice available. We had to search for cups for coffee since all of the cups had already been used. We found paper coffee cups in a cabinet. There was no creamer or milk for the coffee. There was a long line of cereal boxes to choose from. The one that I chose was virtually empty. There was also bread to toast and a few pieces of fruit in a bowl.
The Inn is in a very convenient location for exploring the waterfront, the shops, and for restaurants. It is also walking distance from the deCoste Center where we attended a fantastic music production.
Stay here, but eat breakfast elsewhere!
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Date of stay: July 2007
Value
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Beautiful, elegant, charming room. The included breakfast was not "available." Completely unable to find the innkeeper when we tried to check-out, looked everywhere! Chose this Inn partly for the on-site pub when we reserved but disappointed to find it was closed.
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Date of stay: July 2011
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I chose this title because I believe that the place has potential but that the owners still have some way to go to add the finishing touches to make it a B&B that will see repeat business. When we arrived in Pictou we had some trouble finding the place. When one approaches from the street close to the marina, the inn has a "boarded-up" look. The sign pointing out that this is the inn is small and difficult to make out. The front entrance is in need of repair and the impression does not get better when one is informed that the innkeeper's office is located in the basement. It gets a little bit better after that. We were shown our room which was large with high ceilings and well equipped. The room could have had a lot more impact had it contained a small sitting area by the couch. As I said, "halfway there". Bathroom facilities were fine. Breakfast was included in the price and ok if you like cereals (we do). The owner is personable, but may be overworked looking after this place. A little imagination could turn this historic building into a real gem.
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Date of stay: September 2012
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Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The Customs House building is interesting and unique. The owners have done a very nice job of renovating it for use as a B&B. The bed in our room was excellent, the appointments tasteful and the shower very nice. The owner/inn keeper is a pleasant fellow, but he and his business partners have not had hospitality experience. So...the lamps next to the bed were about 14 inches tall providing minimal light in a room with 12 foot ceilings. And if one wanted to read on the sofa, there was no floor lamp to help out. The biggest failing of their concept is breakfast: cereal boxes, cardboard milk and juice containers, and strawberries offered in the store container do not present an appealing breakfast environment. If the lighting and breakfast inadequacies were addressed, this could be an "excellent" property. We recommend the owners stay in several other B&Bs to learn how it should be done!
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Date of stay: September 2011
Value
Rooms
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Pictou area.
PRICE RANGE
C$213 - C$216 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
CanadaNova ScotiaPictou
NUMBER OF ROOMS
8
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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Customs House Inn - UPDATED Prices, Reviews & Photos
Frequently Asked Questions about Customs House Inn
Which popular attractions are close to Customs House Inn?
Nearby attractions include deCoste Centre for Arts & Creativity (0.10 km), Hector Heritage Quay (0.3 km), and Northumberland Fisheries Museum (0.2 km).
