The location
Once you’ve conquered the intricacies of Geneva’s one-way traffic system, the Novotel in the city centre is actually quite easy to locate. It’s also conveniently situated: within a few minutes’ walk you can have what feels like the world at your feet thanks to the city’s multicultural mixture of ethnic restaurants and world-renowned brands. Public transport is also easily accessible from the hotel, with tramway stops and train stations just moments away. Finally, there are plenty of museums and monuments close by. In short: you have all you need, and then some. Just one point to note: if you do have your car with you, then be aware that parking – at the rate of 30 Swiss francs per night – is not included in the room rate.
The room
Spacious and well-equipped, the executive room also had a delightful sun-kissed balcony that was a most pleasant attraction in the mornings and early evenings. Other highlights were the coffee machine, which produced high-quality beverages at the touch of a button, minibar stuffed with complimentary drinks (still and fizzy water, juice and Coca-Cola were all free), and encouraging water pressure in the shower. However, the bathroom was arguably the weakest point: the shower/bath combi, lack of storage space, and sink that was slow to drain meant it could do with an upgrade.
The breakfast
The food on offer was mostly mediocre, with the cooked options not worth your time. The best part was perhaps the cereal station, which offered plenty of dried fruit and seeds to mix with your bran flakes, granola or whatever. At €25 a head, it was also very expensive (even if you took on the hot dishes), so you’re perhaps better off going down the road to Starbucks on this occasion.
The price
We got our rooms as part of a “buy one night – get one night free” promotion, so we only paid €180 for two nights, which included breakfast and a room upgrade (thanks, Accor loyalty points program!). This represented exceptional value, but was perhaps not the norm. Its central location is to be highly prized, and if we could access a similar offer again, we would undoubtedly take it. Would recommend.
Rue de Zurich 19, 1201 Genève, Switzerland
+41 22 909 90 00
http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-3133-novotel-geneve-centre/index.shtml
The Flying Ferret 