Novotel London St Pancras

We decided to stay at the Novotel London St Pancras for a Saturday night in Oct 09 - with the choice being made purely for it's proximity to the Eurostar terminal.

We were not disappointed as the hotel is about a mere 400 metre walk to the station, which helped our journey to Paris off to a super smooth start.

The room was very large (for London) and had everything that one could want - TV, mini bar, great shower etc. Beds were very comfortable and the room was quiet (despite overlooking Euston Rd).

Staff were friendly enough - I had a few laughs with the cockney receptionist at 5am - it was nice to find a Londoner working in London.

The only slight disappointment was when we wanted to leave some luggage overnight. They said it was not possible and that there was a left luggage depot at St Pancras.

Fair enough I suppose, but I have been to numerous hotels were this request has been accommodated so I know it's not impossible.

It's often said there are two types of hotels in London - cheap or clean.

The Novotel London St Pancras is clean and an ideal hotel for a Eurostar trip.

Arrived at St Pancras for a 1 night stay. Hotel was very easy to find and very impressive to look at. Stayed in a room on the 9th floor, with a great view of London and the London Eye. Had to keep the window closed as Euston Road is very busy and noisy, but this didin't bother us. Beds were very comfy, and plenty of channels tgo choose from on the TV. Breakfast was very good, one of the best I have had in a London hotel. Quite expensive but free for kids, so that made it good value for us. Just accoss the road was a Pizza Express and a Starbucks so didn't need to venture far for lunch. Lots of buses take you all over London, and only a 5 minute walk from Euston or Kings Cross tube stations. Will definitely stay again.

I‘ve stayed at a few Novotels in different parts of the world in recent months and hold an Accor frequent guest card. I have to say, though, that the Novotel – St. Pancras really doesn‘t match up to the others.

We were planning a long weekend vacation and after a great deal of investigation selected the Novotel St. Pancras based on a combination of location, facilities, price and past experience of the chain.

Booking about two months in advance we got a good prepaid rate of GBP 128 (USD 210) per night including breakfast and taxes for a twin room. We arrived on Friday 23 October about 30 minutes before the advertised earliest check-in time of 14:00 and were received without question. The process was efficient and we were quickly on our way to the elevator.

The room was on the small side, particularly when compared to Novotels in other countries, but then this is London where anything larger than a broom cupboard is a bonus! But, the fixtures and fitting did rather leave something to be desired.

Only one chair was provided, which doubled for the desk and as an easy chair – surely an oversight for a twin-bedded room? The desk was clearly intended only to be that – no mirror was provided for make-up and hair. And why, or why, do so many hotels insist on glass topped desks, without providing a mouse-pad?

A mini-bar contained a small selection of soft drinks and beers but provided hardly any cooling. The complimentary tea & coffee facilities were barely adequate, but we had brought our own supplies. TV, movies and Internet were available individually, or in a “special offer“ package at GBP 14,99 for 24 hours, probably about the going rate. The bottom of three drawers in the wardrobe could not be opened as it fouled the door frame, reducing space to a bare minimum. Coat hangers were provided, but no skirt hangers – despite apparently sincere attempts by housekeeping to locate some.

The bathroom was small, but by no means the smallest I have seen in London – reasonable shelf space and a combined bath / shower. Amenities were minimal – soap, conditioning shampoo, shower gel. Why have so many hotels stopped providing separate shampoo and conditioner? No shower cap, no body lotion ... and no face cloths, the first Novotel in which I have stayed where the latter are not provided!

We had a mid-afternoon snack on room service shortly after our arrival – promptly delivered, of good quality and reasonably priced, so no complaints there. We ate breakfast on our first and last days, and it was substantial – a wide selection and very well presented. The queue on the Sunday morning was simply too long, so we ate elsewhere. We didn‘t otherwise use the dining facilities.

A compact but well equipped gym is provided and includes a sauna and a steam-bath; kudos here!

One of the three elevators was out of action for much of our stay which resulted in some rather lengthy waits at peak times.

We requested a late check-out and were offered this complimentary until 16:00 which was a little too early for us; I willing paid a charge for a 18:00 check out which was smooth and efficient.

Overall, I felt that I was in a 2-3 star hotel rather than a 4 star. The location is good – taxis are easy to find, and there are a multiplicity of Underground lines at Kings Cross / St. Pancras and at Euston, the hotel being roughly equidistant between the two.

But, next time I shall pay more and stay at a genuine 4 star hotel !