Novotel Canberra

I'd say the ratings you see on the property speak for themselves. The location is great. The property and interiors are dated. The room cleaning service was average. The parking was full and we never got parking. Also a bit difficult to park in front of the hotel to check in. I am told before 3pm is the sweet spot to get the internal parking. But that said everyone knows all this about this property from the earlier reviews You still select it for the location and budget. The breakfast buffet was decent. There's a parking 6 min walk alway from the hotel. So I'd say it's not a bad option for the location. If your very particular about the room decor and parking don't go for it. If you want a place that checks most boxes and is a decent experience go ahead. I feel the people are making an effort and I wouldn't want to bash the place when it gets a lot of things right .

We had 2 nights stay, the location is good however the rooms are spacious but old bathrooms including carpert which is not clean. The lifts are so busy long wait. For breakfast they had a huge queue. The pool is not appealing, dirty towels, the floors were dirty. overall not satisfied with cleaning and aged rooms

We booked 2 rooms for our family. We were told they would be adjoining. When we got there we were told that they were a few rooms apart. We got upgraded rooms however it was useless as we were not able to all stay together. We ended up just booking one room with a sofa and put a cot in there. We were given free parking however parking was only subject to availability. Phone was broken in our room so we were not able to get room service. There were no rubbish bins in the room (only recycling bins). There was also no toilet brush. There was no bedding for the sofa nor were there enough pillows or towels. There were also no towels in the swimming pool. The rooms were very dated. Buffet was amazing. We loved it! The pool was also lots of fun with the kids. Sauna was out of order though. I was really looking forward to that! Parking was a bit of a nightmare. We were lucky that we got a spot under the Novotel but we heard others complaining. We got to breakfast quite early but there were about 50 people lined up waiting when we left!

I wouldn’t recommend staying at Novotel Canberra. From the moment we arrived, the experience was disappointing. Reception was noticeably dirty—floors hadn’t been properly cleaned and the general area looked neglected. Staff were unfriendly and dismissive, making check-in feel like an inconvenience rather than a welcome. The room itself was no better. It felt tired and poorly maintained: scuffed walls, worn furniture, and a bathroom that looked like it hadn’t been deep-cleaned in a while. To top it off, beers at the bar were incorrectly tapped. For a four-star hotel, this was unacceptable. I hope management will address these issues—I’d appreciate contact to discuss a goodwill gesture after such a sub-par experience. Overall, it felt like the hotel was coasting on its brand name without investing in the basics: cleanliness, professional service, and proper upkeep. For a hotel that positions itself as four-star, it fell well below expectations. I won’t be staying again.

It could be a lot more clean. Also on our last day we would have liked to use the spa as we didn’t have an opportunity and time on the previous days. As we were inside the spa for 2 min the maintenance guy said the spa water wasn’t good and that they needed to clean as on the weekend was very busy. The cleaning of of the SPA should be done out of hours when the facility is actually closed, so it doesn’t disturb guests who actually chose the hotel because of that facility. Breakfast was avarage. Also as we were checking out the receptionist wasn’t friendly at all, didn’t ask how we were or how was our stay, essentially looked at us and said “room number”. I gave my feedback about the spa, and really felt we were not heard at all, apologies were made but it wasn’t genuine.

The room was clean as expected from Novotel. The room is slightly larger than I expected for the price. Would be nice to have USB charging port next to the bed. Would be nice to have a microwave in the room. Would be nice if the glass door in the shower is slightly larger so water don't splash onto the floor. Would be nice if there is a plug of the bath. Would be nice if the lifts have indicator to which lift is opening so I don't missed the opening lift.

Be aware - parking is very limited especially on Fridays and weekends. Be prepared to park elsewhere if you enter after 4pm, and once you enter, probably not a good idea leaving until next day. If you’re lucky enough to get a spot, the space is likely very cramp and expensive. The entire hotel is not just outdated but smelly. The rooms aren’t expensive but not again.

Hotel is really well located and easy to get around. Rooms were clean and pool was great for children. All staff were lovely and really friendly. We stayed during the July school holidays, so hotel was packed. This meant full car park, so had to park in other places which cost more. Was hard to get staff to help eg - was not able to get hotel staff on the phone to ask questions or request things like linen or towels, had to psychically go down to reception to speak with front desk to get anything (not a massive issue but a pain when you have children). Considering the busyness of the hotel, I would have expected more staff to be rostered on. Often had to wait at reception to speak to someone, because there were so many people needing help. Staff handled it really well, but it most likely could have been dealt with better, if more staff were available. Overall a good stay, management just need to work on their staff rostering and availability of staff for hotel guests.

This hotel was near downtown, many museums and attractions, restaurants, shopping, etc. Very handy. Our room, although a bit dated, provided us with everything we needed for an enjoyable few days in Canberra. The bar/restaurant looked updated, as well as the lobby area. The staff was always friendly and efficient. They had a nice sized pool and hot tub, although we never did figure out how to get the sauna room to work right. There was also a fitness room. Parking was underneath and that was sometimes a challenge, as there didn't seem to be enough spots and most of them were quite small.