During my travels along Canada’s Acadian Coast, when I followed the New Brunswick shoreline from Moncton north to Caraquet, I stopped off for two days in the riverside town of Miramichi.
While many visitors to Miramichi come for the excellent salmon fishing, I used the town as a base to explore the region, from the sandy beaches at Kouchibouguac National Park to the Beaubears Island historic site, where costumed guides tell you more about the Scottish, Irish, and Acadians who settled the Miramichi area. My temporary Miramichi home was the Rodd Miramichi River Hotel.
Guest Rooms and Amenities
The Rodd Miramichi River Hotel has 80 rooms and suites, done in an upscale fishing lodge style with painted wood furnishings and plaid upholstery and soft goods. The family-friendly rooms have either one king or two queen beds; the standard king rooms also have a pullout sofa.
All the rooms have complimentary Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, coffeemakers, and mini-fridges.
I stayed in one of the King suites (pictured above), which had a living room with a kitchenette, as well as a separate bedroom. The kitchen came in handy when a colleague gave me the best New Brunswick gift ever…
…two ready-to-eat lobsters!
My kitchen was stocked with dishes and glassware, so I walked down to the hotel restaurant to borrow a lobster cracker and fork for my in-room crustacean feast. The dining room staff even supplied me with that other lobster-eating essential: a lobster bib.
Rooms with a View
Even if you choose one of the standard rooms, it’s worth asking for one with a view of the Miramichi River.
The hotel’s riverfront location means that all the rooms on the river side have beautiful water vistas. Riverview rooms are typically priced at only $15 above similar rooms that overlook the parking lot.
Room rates range from CAD$112-152.
Restaurant and Other Facilities
The hotel restaurant, The Angler’s Reel Restaurant & Bar, which also overlooks the river, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
In the morning, when meals include standards like bacon and eggs, the cheerful staff keep your coffee cup filled. Later in the day, choose from salads, sandwiches, or other pub fare; salmon, naturally, is a specialty.
The hotel’s indoor pool looks out to the river as well, as does the fitness room, so you can take in the river views as you paddle around the pool or jog on the treadmill.
A walking path runs along the river, too, if you’d rather get your exercise outdoors. The hotel’s website has a helpful list of all the things to do in and around Miramichi.
- Get a Car Rental
- Buy Travel Insurance
- Search for Great Tours HERE
More River Views
The only drawback to all these rooms with a view is that you’ll want to sit there and watch the river, as the sun and clouds shift throughout the day.
And that’s a problem — you don’t really want to stay in your room (even if you’re well-supplied with tasty lobsters), when there’s so much to explore along New Brunswick’s shores.
Hotel review by Vancouver-based travel, food, and feature writer Carolyn B. Heller, author of the books, Moon Handbooks: Ontario and Living Abroad in Canada. Photos © Carolyn B. Heller. Tourism New Brunswick provided support for my travels in Miramichi and along the Acadian Coast.
