I have to give an update to the Sportsplex. We went over there for the Pirates-Cove Swim on Friday…read morenight. This review is for a particular staff member who was in need of some serious coaching for customer service. Now, before we went , the site says go at least 45 min before hand to line up and they start to sell tickets half an hour before the swim which was at 7:30 pm. The reason for this insanity of earliness was because of March Break. So we went there for 6:30. We went up to the desk to ask for the tickets and she said they would start selling them at 7:00. No problem, she told us to stand in the line, which is what we did. There was another lady there with her children who was there since 5:30 pm, she thought she could buy hers ahead of time. Policy is No! I understand why this policy is, so I do not have an issue with that. The issue was with the lady , who we believe was management. She proceeded to tell us to leave and come back, that we were interrupting the line of the people who were going in for the 6:30 swim. Please take note, there was no one in a line for the 6:30 swim, they simply walked right up to the counter and we are talking a span of 2 minutes. Now, being the person I am, I simply said , no. I was not going to walk around for 1/2 hour to come back and stand at the end of a line when I am standing at the beginning right now, where is the logic there, I will tell you, There Is None! The other lady, however was not quite so diplomatic, she and the manger started to exchange words. The Manger was telling us to leave and come back, the lady was very unhappy that we were being told to go and do something else and come back. Let's just say, after we all had words with Miss Congeniality, we stayed exactly where we were and within 15 minutes the line was down the hall. Hind-site, we would have left and been at the end of the line. I would hate to hear the conversation at that point. It is unfortunate that she was on duty that evening, as she did not win anyone over, just annoyed everyone. And we all thought she was poor with the customer service. Now, the swim, that was good. Lots of life guards. Great Fun!

Growing up I spent a lot of time at the Dartmouth Sportsplex, mainly watching my brother's hockey…read moregames. The Sportsplex is home to a number of health and fitness programs and services. An ice surface, cardio gym, weight room, 2 swimming pools, fitness classes and a new indoor running track are all housed int his building with a number of community rooms available for Bingo and meetings. My "Safe Prom" party was hosted at the Dartmouth Sportsplex and we were given basically full reign over the building overnight. The pools were open for swimming, and the lifeguards that were on duty were very nice, despite the fact that they had to stay awake overnight with a few hundred high school graduates. Hot Hint: If you are looking for a fitness pass that give you a great variety of workouts this is the place to go. A membership gives access to all the facilities, and a discounted rate on exercise classes.

A family run horse ranch, Serenity Acres is a great experience. From the moment we arrived, we were…read morewarmly greeted. We were given a tour of the stables along with the history of the stables. From there we were introduced to the horses we were going to ride. We were invited into the horse stalls as the horses were groomed so the horses could get familiar with us. Once the horses were ready and saddled, we went outside where we were properly shown how to mount and dismount the horse. Off to the trail. The ride was a very relaxing hour horse ride through some trails, guided by Kristy, one of the owners. She gave us a history of the area as we rode, talked out the horses and all the while made sure everyone was good. The horses were very familiar with the area and very comfortable around people. All in all it was a very fun, relaxing hour. Upon returning, we were helped in dismounting. Once off, we had a brief chat with our tour guide, Kristy. She invited us to use the pool or saltwater hot tub they have on site. Perhaps on our next trip. My wife and I would absolutely recommend this experience to anyone looking to go horseback riding. We were extremely comfortable and the horses were exceptionally well looked after. All in all, a great trip.

i went for a horseback riding today (sept. 15th 19)…read more the moment my girlfriend and i got there we were treated like we were a part of they're family. we both got to know each other and everything felt comfortable. taught us the basics (our first time riding) then introduced us to the horses that we were going to take for a trail ride. the ride was really beautiful, calm, relaxed, everything we were looking for was all there. after the ride we went to meet and pet other horses and donkeys. i would suggest this place any day. right when i got back in the car with my girlfriend, she told me right away that we need to come back for a horseback riding again very soon. i would rate 6/5 stars if i could. thank you so much everything was perfect

The Cole Harbour Outdoor Pool has been around for eons and I remember it as a great place to swim…read moreas a kid. It's one of the only public outdoor swimming pools in Dartmouth. The pool is small, but recently updated. If you live in Cole Harbour visiting the pool is basically hanging out with your neighbors and school friends. It's a great pool to bring the kids to while you get in some relaxation and suntanning. The prices are okay, with family pricing and adult passes a few dollars cheaper than the much larger Cole Harbour Place. They offer classes in synchro, swimming, diving, and water polo for those of you looking to gain an impressive new talent. The pool is also home to the Colby Sailfish, a great swim team for kids and teens. If you're looking for a different party idea you can rent the pool out. When I was younger there was a small twirly slide and several diving boards, including one of those scary tall ones. Since the reno they axed the slide and huge diving board, but kept the basic two pools. The regular pool, and a shallow pool for tots and small kids. The best thing this pool has going for it is that it's outside. It's nice to be able to swim and enjoy the sun without the bitter chill of the ocean. Being outside is also a downside as your enjoyment rests on our fickle and every changing weather. There is also a huge parking lot and you can easily get a bus to the pool for the car-less.

This outdoor pool run by HRM is only open July and August so if you blink you can miss it. Very…read morefamily friendly, it is actually two pools: a shallow kiddie pool that is only a few inches deep in places and a 9 foot deep pool where bigger kids can dive and cannon ball. There is a beautiful view of the Basin and you can see all the way up the narrows. They have several different swims throughout the day so even if you have very little babies you can take then without worrying about being splashed or bowled over by bigger kids. There is also a little playground just down from the pool. The lifeguards are pretty on point; not just working on their tans. We basically lived here the Summer my son was born. Swim times are anywhere from an hour to hour and a half. Just take something to cover up with after the swim; since the pool is right on the Basin and there is no cover from the water little ones can get chilly on the breezy pool deck. At $8 for a family it is a cheap fun way for cooling off the whole brood!

Great little spot, fun for small kids. Also a separate section for adult swim and lane swims. Clean…read moreand affordable, would recommend.

I don't recommend CGC. They charge twice as much as other pools for youth swim classes, and after I…read morebooked a class we were not actually eligible to participate in, I was told I could only receive a refund in person. I expect this is done to discourage people from actually seeking a refund, and seems like an incredibly outdated practice. I've never experienced any other kind of vendor that doesn't refund over the phone.

I like to workout. I…read moremean "I'm a gym rat" kind of work out. If I could live at the gym I would. It's what happens when you lose a lot of weight and actually come to realize you like doing crazy things like run marathons, complete triathlons and lift heavy stuff. As a newer member to CGC I have to say I'm pretty impressed with the set up. The cost is reasonable too at about $50/month for a year membership. I haven't taken any classes so I can't vouch for that portion of the gym but I do hang out upstairs in the cardio room quite a bit and so far so good. They tell me it's not too busy during the morning/day. As of yet I've never had to wait for a treadmill. When it is feeling a little "packed" I'll go run laps on the indoor track. It's a great way to get in some nice cross training in between some push ups or perfecting the pull-up. My favorite part about CGC is the pool(s). Olympic standard size and as of yet never too busy to not get a lane. Instead of chloride as standard chemical cleaner they use bromide (much gentler on the skin). Locker rooms (both wet and dry options) are spacious. Lockers themselves are big for that over stuffed gym bag. Showers are kind of funky but once you get the hang of them they're not too bad. And while I don't frequent Subway, it's very convenient to be able to grab a little nosh on the way out.

BEWARE!!!!! Currently staying with my family in a queen…read moresuite for a night away before Christmas. Mega disappointed. Just want to leave and drive back home for the night. I can understand a couple issues however, there are a number of things that are pilling up to truly ruin the stay for me and my family. Firstly, the rooms are not cleaned to hotel standards beginning with the mirrors being dirty, the toilet was dirty, the grout on the tile is black and dirty. I had to run to the store to get Lysol wipes to clean the toilet and surfaces before we used them. Secondly, there was no toiletries but bar soap and a shampoo and conditioner dispenser. I had to go to the front desk to ask for a shower cap and body wash. I've never experienced this at a hotel and was really put off. Especially because they did not have any body wash to offer me at the moment, but would let me know if they find any. Thirdly, the room was really outdated and old looking, full of stains on lampshades, carpet, rips in carpet, shaving cream left on walls of shower from last visitors. Rust stains in sink and the elevator floors were filthy. I was forced to check the bedsheets for bedbugs, not the way I wanted to start out my stay. Really wished I stayed in Halifax for the night at a nicer hotel for the same amount of money. Really bummed us out right before Christmas. Tomorrow we will try the breakfast but honestly I don't have much faith in the rest of our stay here. Definitely WILL NOT be back. Save your money and go somewhere clean. My skin will be crawling for weeks!!

Attractive hotel in a good location, but the infrastructure is terrible. The person who checked me…read morein barely made eye contact and did nothing to make me feel welcome. The room was generally comfortable, but the HVAC unit was very loud and inconsistently cooled/heated the room. Midweek the shower was fine, but on Saturday morning it literally squirted a tiny dribble. The fitness room has three treadmills, but two were flagged "out of order due to maintenance" for the whole time we were here. Lively pool, but hot tub barely circulates, plus we counted at least nine large spiders readily visible on the inside of the windows next to it. Although I have been a HHonors Gild member for several years now, I would not recommend this hotel. Again, it is a great location and attractive superficially, but I can't believe the Hilton/Hampton chain can be pleased with the way this place is being run and cared for.

Awful air quality in the pool/swimmer area. Athletes were unable to breath properly causing many of…read morethem to leave with chest pains and lung irritation.

I joined the DalPlex and within my 3rd visit I had enough of the poor parking. The membership…read moreincludes a parking pass, however there are a number of spots with parking meters and 2 only for Electric Vehicles. I have more to do with my time instead of driving around for 30 minutes looking for a place to park. It is frustrating that such a large facility has such poor parking. Parking on the street is limited as well. I ended up cancelling my membership without penalty. In addition, I found the large new gym not clean. They have several members of staff walking around but I didn't see any of them actually doing anything. However I was only there 3 times! Not impressed

The Sackville Sports Stadium houses a lot under one roof. It is a complex of two pools, hockey…read morerink, fitness centre and even childcare facility. My friend use to drive her daughter her for swimming lessons , she was actually on a team which practised out of there. It is a great facility and well used by people from all over. Summer is here and there is lots of day camps going on.

I've been going to the Stadium for about four months and have been really happy with the services…read morethey provide. Memberships include access to the cardio and weight equipment, skating, swimming, etc. - much more than you get at some of the larger chain gyms in our area, and more affordable, too. The gym gets really busy after work and parking can be a nightmare, but first thing in the morning when I usually go, it's pretty dead. Almost all the cardio machines have their own TV which definitely helps with a long workout. One tip - bring an iPod/headphones as the music they play might not be your cup of tea. Facilities are clean, there's a ton of equipment, staff are helpful, and it's not a snooty gym.