Novotel New York : Great location, decent price (Novotel New York)

Member Name: tor0908

Product:	Novotel New York
Date:	09/06/09 (16 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great location, decent price

Disadvantages: Food at hotel was quite expensive

I had already been to New York twice before deciding to stay at the Novotel and it was on the recommendation of a colleague who had stayed there before. We booked direct on the website and paid £336 for three nights. I shared with my sister so overall the cost was £56 per person per night.

Location

For people who would like a central location for exploring New York then this hotel is excellent. It is located on 52nd Street and Broadway which is almost right in the middle of Times Square. All the major theatres are within walking distance - for example with Wintergarden Theatre showing 'Mamma Mia' is right across the street -and there are shops, bars, deli's and restaurants conveniently situated down the street, including about three Starbucks coffee shops and a McDonalds. Central Park South is approximately ten minutes walk away and you could easily hail a taxi from outside the hotel. Also you are literally one minute away from the theatre where they film the David Letterman show, you can see it from outside the hotel.

Rooms

The rooms are a decent size for New York, with the twin room having two double beds in it. We had a television, wi-fi internet access (although I think this was chargeable) and a sony playstation console in the room. The room was cleaned daily, with sheets and towels replaced.

There was no tea or coffee making facilities but as I say, there is a Starbucks across the road. We had a minibar in the room but didn't make use of it due to the expense, if you wanted snacks or a cold drink there was an all night pharmacy right under the hotel which sold crisps, drinks, beer, chocolate etc.

There are three types of room I think, Times Square View, City View and Skyscraper View, the most expensive being the Times Square View.
We booked a City View room and it was possible to see Times Square from our window.

The bathroom was fairly small but clean and had decent towels, albeit a little small. There was a hairdryer in the bathroom and basic soap and shower gel/hair shampoo was provided. The bathroom was well maintained and very clean.

Lobby/Bar/Restaurant

There is a bar and restaurant in the hotel lobby which I found great. Service was good and never got extremely busy. A lot of people (including us) waited there and had a drink if the room wasn't quite ready for you when you checked in. There was an outdoor terrace (which we only went out on once due to our stay being in January) which gave you some great views of Times Square. The hotel lobby was actually on the seventh floor of the building and you did need to use a lift to get there from the street but there were two and quite frequent. There is small gift shop which sells souvenirs and papers/magazines.

We didn't use the restaurant for breakfast as we thought it was too expensive, I think it worked out at $19.99 per person.

Other Facilities/General Stuff

The hotel has a gym and business centre, and tourist desk where you can get leaflets and advice for getting about in New York and where to go. There is also a gift shop in the lobby, and toilets for guest use.

There is a luggage storage facility at street level, which I think is $1 per bag plus tip. If you need a taxi to the airport ask the doorman and he will usually hail one for you, don't forget to tip.

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I have stayed in two other hotels in New York and this has definitely been the best. I would not hesitate to recommend it and will be returning here on future trips to New York.

Summary: Great hotel, would not hesitate to go back