Advantages: Excellent Food, Central Location. Disadvantages: Poor Bar Service, Limited Parking.
When one of my best friends got married yesterday (Sunday 19th December 2005) the location that she chose was the Novotel in Sheffield. This location was chosen for the entire day, which included the Civil Wedding at 2.30pm, the meal afterwards at 4pm and the evening reception which started at 7.30pm.
The first thing that I will say before I begin this review is that I live less than a 5 minute walk away from this Hotel, which is conveniently situated right in the middle of the city centre, so I didn't actually stay here. This review is therefore based on my own opinions as seen from a non paying guest.
My friend was staying at the Novotel (with her sister) on the Saturday night as well as her Wedding night the following day so I first went to this Hotel on Saturday night for a pre wedding drink.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The Novotel ...
Advantages: Central Disadvantages: Limited parking
As my son is studying at Sheffield University we have sampled a few of the hotels Sheffield has to offer and the Novotel is one we have used more than once.
For anyone visiting Sheffield for the first time, the traffic system can be a little confusing so the situation of the Novotel makes it attractive to visitors. Once you've negotiated Park Square and actually managed to turn left into Arundel Gate you have to drive passed the hotel on the opposite side of the road, go round the roundabout and come back along Arundel Gate the opposite way to gain entrance to the hotel. Each time we've visited there have been roadworks on or near the roundabout and this can cause problems. The hotel is clearly visible when you approach but the inside lane is buses only so you have to cut across the bus lane to get into the hotel.
Parking is ...
Advantages: Price, station location, popular late bar Disadvantages: Packed with smokers, Modern plastic feel
If you imagine that hotel chains can be like food chains, the Novotel group would hover somewhere around McDonalds in terms of its ethos and approach. I've stayed in one or two over my time, including those located in London and France, and the occasion in Leeds left me without any illusions.
Overall, Novotels hover around the 3/4-star mark, with facilities usually pushing them into the 4-star category. However, I reckon that once you take the quality of what's being provided into account, the experience is definitely more basic. In fact, the Novotel chain is doing its own bit to push 3-star hotels into the category of 'bloody waste of time for the price you end up paying - better off upgrading to 4'.
The context? My work apartment access key had been left at home in London and cue realisation of this after office hours, when ...
