Novotel London Waterloo Hotel

, London, United Kingdom
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Novotel London Waterloo Hotel

3 star

Rooms: 187

113 Lambeth Road - London - England - SE1 7LS - United Kingdom Hotel Website | | 44 02077931010
739 Traveller

Reviews - Novotel London Waterloo Hotel

Historical Traveller Reviews of Novotel London Waterloo Hotel

wonderful stay

from bigi59
i stayed with my husband and 2 children for 5 days in august in this hotel. we enjoyed our stay, the stuff was extremely friendly and helpful.

the hotel is fine situated, just 20 seconds to the bus stop and the bus goes directly to several tubes, if you walk 10 minutes you are either in the middle of westminster or in lambeth north tube station.

the rooms were big enough, friendly furnitured and clean.
breakfast was absolutely OK, if something was empfty it ws refilled within one minute.

we had a great rate for four people, because we booked early enough, thats a good idea if you know your trip date. the gym and steambath in the hotel was for free and great!

if we have to stay in london we are sure to stay in this hotel again.

Good overall but understand the location

from sir_warren
Overall we had a pleasant experience. Decent daytime location but not much around at night. If you are okay with the location of this hotel you will have a nice experience.

Location: I never walked to the Lambeth station, always Westminster, so I cannot comment on Lambeth. We felt safe walking to and from the Westminster station, which is right in front of Big Ben and flooded with tourists. We enjoyed walking over the Lambeth Bridge and seeing the sights on our way to the Tube, so a 15 minute stroll was not a problem. Those with children and lots of luggage may disagree. If I had to do it over I think I would stay in Earl's Court or another property right off the Tube, as the walk did get old after a couple days - especially if you hit the pubs at night and had to cab home. Certain stops (such as Earl's Court) save you about 20 minutes when travelling to Heathrow as well.

If you are going to Wimbledon the train goes there directly from nearby Waterloo, saving you time by not going the lengthy Tube route. However, again Chelsea or Hammersmith may be better (but pricier) Wimbledon options.

Room: We were pleased with the recently renovated room. The couch is a fold out with two single beds (not common in the USA), so three to four can sleep comfortably. Room has hardwood floors in the bathroom, a nice touch. Good view as well.

Staff: Courteous and respectful, we did not receive five-star treatment but they did help us out on several occasions. No complaints.

Disclosure: We booked on priceline so the low rate probably made us a bit easier going. It is classified as a 3 star on priceline.

Stay away! Much better places

from A TripAdvisor Member
My family has just moved to York from Atlanta. We figured we'd make our first big trip something local, i.e., a drive down to London for the weekend. Tried to find a place near the city attractions but had difficulty. Plan ahead if going to London.
Found the Novotel Waterloo. Okay, I know they're a major chain, thus, lets try them out. The Novotel Waterloo on Lambeth, decent location to access all the city center attractions.
I read ahead of time that there's something called a Congestion Charge. Calling the hotel, Novotel stated it would show-up on the hotel bill. Mistake-1.
Arrived Friday-nite and parking out front had several cars. I had to park behind the cars slightly in the street. My family stayed in the car while I went to reception. Inquiring about the parking, the reception desk staff stated the car was fine for unloading but would have to be moved to the parking lot. Mistake-2.
Got to the room. Paid for a family-room. Instead, got a regular room that wasn't big enough for my twin 3-yr. old boys. Novotel stated this was one of their bigger rooms. Mistake-3.
Called room-service at 6-pm. Told the food would be up to us in 25-mins. At 7-pm, called back, wondering where our food was located. They hadn't started it and there wasn't a crowd this Friday night. Mistake-4.
Food arrived but was missing 2-dishes we ordered. I would label this a mistake as well but we didn't get charged, thus, Novotels only saving-grace on this one. But the food was quite decent.
Spent a terrific day touring London but thats another very positive review.
Decided to give room service a chance again. This time, food was brought within 20-mins, but, not of the previous nights' quality. Steak was well-done instead of med. as we ordered, most of the hot food was only room temp., the cold drinks went luke-warm, and the ice-cream was melting. Only item that was decent were the pints and they were even warmed-up from a cold-state. Mistake-5.
Mistakes from above:
1) Due to Novotel not charging us for the Congestion Charge even though inquired, I've gotten a Penalty Charge Notice. Sent a letter to the PCN center and explained situation.
2) Due to Novotels extremely incompetent reception staff, I was sent another PCN from the parking-svc for the area stating I was over the double-yellow lines. 50-GBP. Novotel said it was fine. Another letter sent to a different PCN center to hold-on until Novotel pays (I'm trying). Heck, double-yellow in York seems to mean park on the sidewalk from what I've seen so far.
3) Waaayyy too over-priced for the quality room. Over 339-GBP for 2-nights in a supposed family-style room with room for 2-adults and 2-children. Rip-off actually.
4) Pitiful room service staff taking the orders. The delivery person understood the situation and diffused it. But the person at the end of the phone is incompetent.
5) Just pitiful chef selection for the hotel. Then again, based on our experience, whoever the chef is who does the short-order cooking fits right in with the rest of the schysters and scammers.

Needless to say, London is a great place to tour but the Novotel Waterloo is a nightmare. If the entire trip was based on the Novotel, I would recommend a tear-down and start from scratch design. We will be back to London, just not by car and definitely NOT at ANY Novotel. For that matter, no Novotel will get our business. The complaints I've sent about having just plain old decency and common sense in a hotel have fallen on deaf ears at Novotel mgt. Oh well, better places to stay.

Okay

from A TripAdvisor Member
Stayed at the Novotel this weekend, the room was a good size and the ammenities were all there as expected. The bar was pretty reasonable food was okay. Everyone is right about the location everything is quite a walk which is okay during the day but not at night. Location for myself was good, nice view of parliment etc and a very nice cafe on the river about a 2 min walk. I refused to pay £9 for breakfast. What annoyed me the most about this hotel was the parking. £24 a DAY!!!!! I probably would'nt stay here again one because of the location in the evening I dont want to walk miles to find a nice restaurant and especially because of the parking.

Style and Character free

from Trouserpress
I stayed at the Novotel Waterloo on 10th February. It was OK, but completely lacking in any kind of style or character. The room I stayed in was clean and well equipped but everything - walls, ceiling, light fittings - was unremittingly white; it put me in mind of a hospital. A touch of softening colour would have been welcome (I think even hospitals use colour these days).
The substantial buffet breakfast was good and the standard of service was acceptable, so I wouldn't discourage you from staying there although I certainly wouldn't (and didn't) pay the full advertised rate.
The area immediately round the hotel is somewhat lacking in local amenities but if you walk along the river embankment towards the former London City Hall you will find a decent selection of restaurants.

Fab Stay at the Novotel Waterloo

from ScottishTourist
Stayed at the Novotel Waterloo for 3 nights in January. Thought the location was fine, only 10 mins walk to Lambeth North Underground or across the bridge to Westminster. The area was a bit quiet, but you are only a few stops on the underground to the nightlife of Soho, Chinatown, etc. We had a good sized double room with a great bathroom. The room was clean and well-equipped. The staff we encountered were all polite and spoke fluent English although it was not their first language. The breakfast buffet was excellent with a huge choice of items to start the day with. If I'd been paying for it I would probably not have had it as it was expensive. Parking at the hotel was also expensive at £1.50 per hour. The restaurant was fine too, we enjoyed the evening buffet. Didn't like the hotel bar as it was not in keeping with style of the hotel and was extremely smokey - very unpleasant! On the whole I'd say this is a decent hotel in a good location.

OK but not great

from A TripAdvisor Member
Location: 10-15 minute walk to Parliament and Westminster but no restaurants, ATMs, etc are nearby and the hotel does not have an ATM. Easy to catch cabs or buses. Tube station is a 15 minute walk. Neighborhood OK as long as you only go in direction of the river. Close to River Thames and the riverwalk which is great for jogging. Fairly quiet street and neighborhood.

Rooms: I stayed in one of the renovated rooms. A bit small by USA standards but adequate. Decor was modern, minimalist, and budget oriented. Bed was OK, bedding was cheap. Odd lack of storage space for clothes and other items (only had one small drawer, a tiny closet, and a few shelves). Had a nice desk, a sofa (they should have put in a chest of drawers instead), a TV, and a phone. Excellent in room water heater for tea and coffee but with the ubiquitous instant coffee often found in the UK. Shortbread cookies every day was a nice treat. I think the separate toilet room is a great idea as is the free in room safe. Bathroom is modern and clean. Nice soaking tub which is separate from the shower was wonderfully relaxing after a long plane trip. No washcloths are provided so bring your own. The bathroom with its flimsy door was very close to the bed.

Staff and lobby: Most of the staff in the hotel and restaurant spoke marginal English so communication was a bit dicey at times. They were adequately polite but not overly helpful. Lobby was modern and clean with occasional smokers polluting the air.

Restaurants: The hotel has a restaurant and a pub. Food is pretty good in the restaurant. The only option for breakfast is a very expensive buffet which has a good food selection. Service was usually slow and some nights the restaurant didn't open until 7:00 pm for dinner. I didn't try the pub because of all the tobacco smoke - yuck. I've heard London may be banning smoking in all restaurants which would be wonderful.

Other Amenities: Has a small but clean and adequate gym which is a real bonus for who like to work out daily. Apparently that isn't many people because it was never crowded. Wireless internet is available for a fee. I had room toward the back of the hotel and the signal was too weak so I had to sit in the hallway or lug my computer down to the small business lobby to log on. A colleague with a room toward the front did not have a problem with the signal. I had a UK cell phone and reception in my room was also dicey for that too.

This is my first hotel stay in London so I can't compare it to other hotels but apparently it is relatively inexpensive so I'd have to say it is OK for a moderately priced hotel.

Not Great, But Not Terrible

from A TripAdvisor Member
We stayed here on a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This was a last minute trip to London, and we waited until arriving in London to find a hotel. We chose this hotel upon recommendation by a person in the train station.

The location is as the other reviewer put it, "paradoxical." Seemingly close, while being completely inconvenient. The nearest tube station is about 15 to 20 minutes by foot. During the day, the walk is fine. At night, I would not make the walk alone. There is a bus stop just outside the hotel, but buses are not always the most reliable or predictable.

As for the hotel, the lobby was nice. The internet in the lobby (which is EXTREMELY overpriced, I think it was 2 pounds for 15 minutes) was very slow. The room was ok. It was a decent size. The bed sat low to the ground and was not very comfortable. The bathroom was big and everything was clean.

I was pleasantly surprised with breakfast. Breakfast is served buffet style with cereal, scrambled eggs, muffins, croissants, hashbrowns, and various other hot foods. The food was pretty good and the selection was above average.

I found the staff to be marginal. I booked the hotel directly through the Novotel website. (After arriving at Waterloo, I went to an internet cafe to book the hotel to ensure that I was getting a good rate.) My booking said "breakfast included." I verified that breakfast was included when I checked in. Upon check out I was billed for breakfast at 17 pounds per person per day. Not exactly cheap.... I told the lady at the desk that breakfast was included with my room and I showed her the confirmation (which I printed from their website). The manager came and had to look it up in their records. Eventually the bill was fixed. During our stay we also made a couple of inquiries about a few attractions. The staff seemed to not care and be uninformed.

Would I stay here again? Probably not. The poor location and inattentive staff ruin the experience. When travelling, I can deal with a marginal room, but a convenient location and knowledgable staff are at the top of my list. This hotel lacks both of these things.

Paradox location

from JHROrange
We recently returned from an 8 day stay in London at the Novotel Waterloo. This hotel has a paradox location. Just steps from the River Thames with incredible views of Parliament and Big Ben, yet not a tourist convenience within a 15 minute walk! No ATMs, convenience stores, Tube stop, restaurants (except the hotel), laundry, shops, etc. I have requested that my e-mail address be shown with this review if you want to write to me about the hotel. I can give you more detailed information that will save you 3-5 hours. Here are some general tips:
1) The hotel rooms are not air conditioned, although the lobby and restaurants do have air. This is important if they put you on the side with the Waterloo trains and you have to have an open window at night to stay cool.
2) Staff is young and friendly, but not very knowledgable about the area. The information that they gave us was vague. No concierge.
3) You are about a mile from nearest Tube stops of Westminster and Waterloo. You will either have to walk a lot or rely on buses right outside the hotel to take you to the Tube. This will add time to your journey. We found that the buses were fine during the day, but we sometimes waited up to 30 minutes at night and on weekends.
4) Bring cash with you to the hotel. No ATM's nearby and they would not cash a $50 American Express Traveler's Check for me.
5) The hotel has two restaurants. One is very reasonably priced with a varied menu and open until midnight. Use it! The restaurants across the river are closed Saturday and Sunday evenings. Don't expect (as we did!) that there will be restaurants on the main street of Parliament and Big Ben (Whitehall).
6) Once again, feel free to write to me and I can tell you more about hotel location, room location, hotel amenities, nearest restaurants, convenience stores, ATM's, bus schedules, laundry, Starbuck's, pharmacy, etc. The hotel is fine, but you will be trading price with convenience.

t eat the mussels

from YorkshireUKtraveller
The rooms were large for London, spotlessly clean and the staff very helpful. The area is quiet, and it is about 10 minutes walk to somewhere to eat and around 15 - 20 minutes to the London Eye. I would take a cab in the evening if I was a woman alone - the area is a bit off the beaten track and I would have felt vulnerable without colleagues in tow.

Stayed for 5 days on business and all the meals were delicious, but marred by the first evening when I got food poisoning from some dodgy mussels (but that could happen anywhere I suppose).

Beware that the hotel seems to be in a 'black hole' when it comes to mobile reception - I could only make calls by almost hanging out the window, and use of email by laptop therefore very difficult.

Top Local Tips for London

Would definitely use Superbreaks again We got excellent tickets for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat through Superbreaks. I had looked for separate tickets but the row/seats were poor, even for top price tickets. Through a combined hotel and tickets deal we got central, dress circle tickets in row E which gave a fab view.

Driving Contrary to popular belief it IS possible to drive in London, and easy enough to park for nothing at the weekend if you look at local council websites to see where free parking is!

british museum An insightful trip to the British museum (ENTRY FREE) is a great way to spend a cold and rainy afternoon.

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Other names for Novotel London Waterloo Hotel

  • novotel london waterloo
  • novotel london
  • london novotel waterloo
  • london novotel
  • accor london waterloo
  • Address: 113 Lambeth Road - London - England - SE1 7LS - United Kingdom
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