Novotel Rotorua Lakeside

On arrival we find out we have to pay $15 to park the car. There was no mention of this when booking. You can park free on the road after 5pm.nGet to the room only 2 cups and 2 of each drink things even though we booked in for 3 people. You call down for guest service and theres no answer. I called the restaurant and the kind guy bought us cups and a chocolatenot drinking he said we had to call guest service for that. Still no answer.nLeaving the room we found anothe kind guy who was servicing the rooms and he gave us some drinking chocolate.nThe pool is very small and looks like it has small round hot pools or spars enough to fit 1-2 people. We are going to try them later as they are open till 11pmnThe hotel is close to lots of bars and restaurant and abig park for the kids.nThe key cards are wooden which is really cool and the beds are lovely and soft.nThe TV doesn't work you have to use your own betflix or Disney by connecting to their WiFi. Never been in a hotel or motel that hasn't had disney or netflix or other channels to watch movies or kids stuff.nWe have breakfast included so will see how that is.

I recently stayed at the Novotel Rotorua and found it to be a generally pleasant experience, though a few things could use improvement.nnOn the positive side, the hotel’s location is excellent close to the lake and within easy walking distance to shops and restaurants. The room was clean, and the staff were friendly and helpful whenever approached. Breakfast was also good with a nice variety, though it was surprising that there were no baked beans on offer.nnHowever, there were several issues that took away from the overall experience. There weren’t enough staff at reception, which meant longer waits to check in and out. The main bar stopped serving cocktails at 10:30 pm, even though it stayed open until 1 am, which felt unnecessarily restrictive. The air conditioning in the room was very poor practically non-existent, and the bed sheets were made across the bed, leaving about a 50 cm gap at the bottom, which was odd and uncomfortable.nnAlso, the so-called “lake view” rooms are more accurately lake side, as the view is more of a glimpse than a true outlook over the lake.nnIndividually, these are mostly minor issues, but together they add up especially for a hotel priced over $400 per night. The property is clean but in need of an upgrade, and in its current state, I’d consider it more fairly priced around $150–$200 per night.nnOverall, it’s a decent stay with friendly staff and a great location, but the details and maintenance don’t quite match the premium price tag.

We really enjoyed our stay for a couple of days, November 30th till 2nd December. Stayed as a couple. Thank you for honouring our Accor membership with a lovely room with a great view! The welcome card and snacks were a lovely touch. The room was clean and I loved the crisp white sheets. Staff were welcoming and friendly. I loved that you supported local by providing the milk in the bottle. Location was excellent and easy to walk into town for shopping and dining. Also loved that you still have sky tv, so we could watch movies or sport at our leisure, as some other Accor hotels no longer offer it, but at least nice to have the choice! We loved our food we ordered for room service for one of the nights. Steak was cooked to perfection and was a good selection to choose from, and reasonable in price, so would support this again.

The location of Novotel Rotorua Lakeside is perfect, just right by the lake and directly opposite the playground, which is ideal for families. As an Accor Gold member, free parking is provided, and this is a huge bonus in a lakeside area where parking is often very hard to find. The staff were warm, welcoming, and very polite throughout our stay. Our kids especially loved the hot and cold pools and had an amazing time there.nnThe welcome drinks were generously offered to everyone in our group, which honestly made us feel very well looked after and truly valued as guests.nnThe only downside is that the rooms feel a bit dated, and you can clearly see the signs of age. However, the handwritten card from housekeeping added a very personal touch and made us feel genuinely welcomed.nnOverall, a great stay with excellent service and an unbeatable location.

Overpriced and overrated. Location fabulous. Published Information is incorrect. Parking is not free. It is street parking .nAnd in room minibar is not stocked.nFor this price, complimentary cookie or welcome fruit is offered in Asia / Africa.nnInsufficient staff at reception. Queues form quickly due to protracted check in process.... some staff talk too fast, repeating same words when not understood, instead of rewording phrases.nnRooms standard but small. Maintenance required in the room we stayed in.nBuffet breakfast.... disappointed in lack of range / lack of labels. I could not find any safe plant milk.nNo tea or coffee offered at table. Instead a line formed at push button machine. Barista machine there, but no staff operating it.nnDinner buffet.... again no labels. A mix of ethnic options. Carbohydrate was rice... no root vegetables.nnPool small. Gym well stocked

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