Hotels Tried and Tested
Novotel Paddington Tried and Tested by, William, Jo (Mumii Editor), Sam and Harry.
Hotel: Novotel Paddington
Google Map Location
When: December 2014
Location, location, location, that is what they say. Well the Novotel Paddington certainly lives up to this…
Nestled a pleasant 10 minute canalside walk from Paddington Station, the Novotel at Paddington could not be more convenient… In fact, we think it is a little undiscovered, central London gem - sssshhhhh!!
This Novotel was completed in 2008, so is not brand new, but you would not believe this having set foot in reception. The glass wall and open lobby give an air of calm and tranquility away from the hubbub of London.
We were checked in by the very pleasant reception team. This was made easier as the kids had found the X-Box in the corner, so they were immediately happy. Check in was painless, and we were quickly provided keys to our room, which even at midday was ready.
The Accomodation: We were in a family room - a double bed with two pre-made flip out sofa beds. The 3rd floor room was bright and clean with a separate bathroom and toilet. I loved the fact that there was a bath ‘and’ separate shower. For a hotel of this type and price, this can be something of a rarity, especially in London.
Other amenities included tea and coffee making facilities plus a couple of bottles of still and sparking water in the small fridge.
Of course, the real winner for the kids was the in-room X-Box. This was apparently, ‘totally amazing and the best thing ever’ making the hotel ‘the best place in London’! Games can be borrowed from reception for free. This is a great touch, adding something a little different for the kids and making the stay that little bit extra special for them.
When the sofa beds are out, the room is pretty full. However, these are so easy to deploy and stow, that you only need them at bedtime. I liked the fact that the children didn't have to share a double bed and that they had full sized single beds - perfect if you are travelling with teenagers.
If the standard family rooms are not large enough, you can opt for a fabulous family suite. This is a twin room setup allowing you to sleep the kids in one room, and parents to sleep in the other. The room has a lounge and bedroom separated by an adjoining door. The lounge contains the sofa beds allowing mum and dad to put the kids to bed and close the dividing door to enjoy some peace and quiet - that's more like it!! It also means that if you have teenage children, they also have some privacy too. In addition, the suite has a few other fab little touches like a Nespresso coffee maker plus a much bigger bathroom. If you have the budget, this is the only option!
Both room options are great for families, the standard room is plenty big enough for a few nights. If you plan to stay longer, the suite will ensure your stay is extremely comfortable.
The Novotel Paddington Bar and Restaurant: We had been invited to review the new 'Shrek' menu in the restaurant that evening, so decided to test the bar on the way to eat.
The Novotel Paddington bar is cool, ‘glassy’ and trendy with some funky blue lighting. It is perhaps not the cosiest place in the winter, but the staff were helpful and efficient.
Outside the bar is something quite rare for London, outdoor space! The Novotel has a super grassed courtyard which would be a great place to relax with a drink in the summer and let the kids run around - they even have a ping pong table!
Dinner, I am afraid to say was something of a letdown for us. The kids ordered from the Shrek Menu. This consisted of the usual choice of pizza and pasta etc, the Shrek twist was that some of the dishes had been given Shrek-style names, and the kids got Shrek based crayons and activity sheets. The boys chose cheesy garlic bread followed by pizza and chips.
I chose a blue cheese and asparagus tart for my starter. This was followed by a sirloin steak and chips for my wife, and a beef burger and chips for me.
The starters took almost an hour and a half to arrive. However when they did, the blue cheese and asparagus tart was very good. Unfortunatley, the steak was overcooked. The staff did immediately offer to cook another one, but we declined due to the fact that we were very hungry. The burger was precooked but nice and big with a good portion of chips.
The kids meal was very average. The garlic bread was ok, but the pizza consisted of two slices of pizza base with tomato and cheese spread about the middle.
Starter and main course took almost two hours in total. When it came to the question of dessert, the restauraunt staff were excellent, aplogising for the delay and immediatelty offering to take the kids' ice cream up to our room - well done guys.
The catering department redeemed themselves in the morning however. The Novotel Paddington provides an excellent breakfast buffet. Whether you like a sausage or cereal, you will find something to suit. The kids really enjoyed making pancakes using the automatic pancake making machine - very cool! We could not fault breakfast.
After breakfast we decided to visit the leisure club. Up on the second floor hides a lovely swimming pool, sauna, steam room and gym. We had the place to ourselves for most of the morning which made a lovely change from the usual chase round London. We all decided this would be a great place to unwind after arrival before hitting the town. The children especially loved the pool facilities and this really helped to make this hotel their number one choice for London hotels!
The Novotel Paddington - what did we think?: Perhaps the best thing about the Novotel Paddington is the location, it is so easy to get to, convenient for Heathrow as the express is a 10 minute walk away. It is in a lovely area, surrounded by a variety of restaurants giving you choice in the evening if you don't want to venture further afield. Most of all, the hotel feels tucked away and sort of undiscovered.
The most striking thing for me was how clean it was - I mean the hotel is spotless! There is real care and determination by the team to provide the best possible stay. The restaurant was a letdown and for some it won’t be an issue as there are some great places to eat just a minute's walk away.
The rooms are all a good size and have an excellent layout. The extras for the kids include X-Boxes and a small kids play area downstairs which you will struggle to find in other similar hotel chains.
In addition, children under 15 stay and eat free making the hotel something of a bargain especially with rooms for a two night stay in January coming in at an amazing £114 per night!
This all adds up to make the Novotel Paddington a great place for a family to stay in London if they are visiting for a day or a week. We loved it and have made it our hotel of choice when we are in the capital! Stay there, but eat at Zizzi round the corner. You won’t be disappointed.
