We stayed at the Novotel from 3rd-10th March 2008. We had a lovely time generally. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, which is what made our stay, along with the company we spent it with. Our original booking was for the Palm, and we are glad we managed to change it because we were with a small group and we would have been in two completely different buildings. I didn't venture over to the Palm as everything we wanted was on our side, but there is a noisy and very busy road splitting the two down the middle! Be aware of this when you book. I'm sure it would be like a completely different experience.
The room we stayed in was perfectly reasonable, and clean, but it felt quite small in comparison to other hotel rooms we have stayed in. Fortunately we didn't spend a huge amount of time inside so it wasn't a major problem. We had a balcony overlooking the front of the hotel which was an average location by our standards but our other party had a sea view - however, their view was intersected by trees/buildings and wasn't a true "sea view" as you'd expect, (especially not for the extra cost) and to make matters worse they said it was terribly noisy from the road. For some reason, whenever taxis/lorries pass by they insist on hooting their hoon. So every few minutes of the day you would get this. Also the fridge/air con unit makes a noise more than it should, and this takes some getting used to. Our other party didn't sleep well for a couple of nights.
Our biggest bug bear however wasn't noise, it was prices. The Novotel insist on charging a ridiculous amount for food/drink onsite. We priced up a Jack Daniels and Diet coke at the bar and it was £9! That's for a single measure, and is more expensive than the Burj Al Arab! We wondered why it was dead during the evenings. People would venture 15 minutes out into town, and find a meal and drink for less than a tenner. We signed everything to the room and at the end of our stay we went to pay - we forgot the service charge and the tax, of course, which more or less added another 25% the cost. So a little point to remember, what you see is not always what you get. There's a distinct lack of printed pricing around the hotel. You have to ask for everything.
Breakfast/Dinner in the Novotel is a mixed bag. If you pay for lunch then you get a lovely selection of fresh food/drink and excellent waiter service. If you opt for B&B as we did, you get a reasonable selection but the service is dire. I guess it's a trait of the Egyptian's and the hot weather but service is not what it should be for a 4 star + hotel. You almost get the feeling they try and cut costs at breakfast. If you're happy to pay extra (and by extra I mean a good £30 for lunch alone) then you do get a good service.
I have to say, the nightlife is great around Naama Bay, if you like that sort of thing of course. Prices are generally low, and there is plenty of choice. The only gripe is the constant onslaught of street traders trying to grab your attention. You do tire of it quickly. But as long as you are polite and firm, they leave you be.
Reading back over this it sound like we had a dreadful time - we sound like a bunch of Victor Meldrews. Don't let this put you off however, we did have a great holiday. I guess we are just a little more selective than most people on here. But it was more the company and the exceptional weather than the hotel that made it for us. For all the little problems the hotel is exceptionally clean, and well staffed, and has a great central location. The staff speak excellent english in most cases, and are very polite. They do make you feel welcome.
To sum up, The Novotel is a slightly nicer than average 4 star hotel, with 5 star prices. Recommeded if you have deep pockets.





Value
Rooms
Cleanliness












