Short review
Note: 3 is average
Value for money: 4/5
Services: 4.5/5
Bedroom: 4/5
Sleep quality: 4/5
Bathroom: 4/5
Facilities and amenities: 4/5
Pros
- Strategic location in the Parramatta CBD
- Spacious room
Cons
- Light rail construction in front of the hotel
- Fairly expensive parking
Long review
Novotel Sydney Parramatta is a 4-star hotel strategically located in the centre of Parramatta with many facilities within a walking distance from it. The Parramatta River Walk is right behind the hotel, providing a relaxing space to stroll. The restaurants along the Church Street are accessible within a 5-minute walk. We dined at a Japanese restaurant called Sushi Mata a couple of times and we enjoyed them very much. The Prince Alfred Square (a park) is right in front of the hotel. For those who enjoy going to theatres, the Riverside Theatres is located conveniently less than 5 minutes away. Unfortunately, there was a minor annoyance when we stayed there. The light rail construction work was right in front of the hotel. Generally, they didn’t cause any issues during our stay, although sometimes the traffic controller didn’t see our car when we exited the car park so I had to get out from the car and wave at them.
Let’s now focus on the hotel itself. The reception desk is fairly small and the area has a relatively low ceiling. I also felt that this space is rather dark. The staff made some efforts to decorate the space with some Halloween-themed decorations. The bar is placed opposite the reception desk. Walking further inside after passing the lifts, the space opens up as the ceiling height increases dramatically. The staircase is the prominent feature of the space with the restaurant located on one side, while the remaining area is occupied by function rooms.
Our room is located on the tenth floor (there are 12floors above ground). Before entering the room, I noticed a tiny light above each room door. I think the light was on when the room was occupied. If my assumption is right, then it is quite a strange indicator to show whether or not a room is empty. Our room is spacious and has 2 double beds. The sloped ceiling makes the room’s appearance unique. The sloped curtain was problematic as it was impossible to completely open it or at least it was very heavy when I tried to open it further since I was afraid that I would break the mechanism if I forced it. The curtain also does not completely block the morning sunlight as it can penetrate from both edges of the curtain. Looking out from the window, I could see the swimming pool. Other than that, an apartment building next door dominated the view. I could also see some bits of the Parramatta River. The window needed a good wash from the outside though.
Other amenities in the room are as expected. The sofa is a nice piece of furniture to have, and we actually used it extensively during our stay. The Wi-Fi was fast and reliable. There is a good number of power outlets too, including two USB outlets, which were handy for charging devices. In terms of sleeping quality, the beds were a bit too soft for me, but this is a matter of preference. The air conditioning and heating system was quiet and did a very good job in maintaining the room temperature. Near the top of the hotel, there were several big exhaust pipes (I think they are exhaust pipes). The wind was quite strong when we were there and these pipes made some banging noises (fortunately not during night time).
The bathroom is on the small side, but the bathtub is a big plus. It is not that common to have a bathtub in a 4-star hotel nowadays. The showerhead is way too low though. Other than these, it had all the expected amenities.
Facilities in the hotel include a swimming pool, a jacuzzi, and a gym. All of them are located on the second floor. The pool is rather small with a fairly large floor area around it. I felt that this space is not used optimally. The jacuzzi is placed in one corner of the pool. It is a good addition, but it also needed some cleaning to remove some dead leaves inside. The gym was well equipped and is a good place to get some exercise. I could see a sauna room on the same floor, but it was not operational, probably because of COVID.
Let’s now talk about service. The staff were polite and helpful. One time, a staff gave my daughter a candy (after asking my permission) when we were around the reception desk. Daily cleaning of room was possible, but I had to call the receptionist before a certain hour. This is understandable during this pandemic time. Room service could be ordered using a QR code placed above the mini bar. We ordered a big brekky. It came on time and tasted delicious. It was big, but not as big as I’d imagined.
Overall, my family and I had a good experience staying in this hotel. As I said earlier, the location is certainly the best feature of the hotel. The physical amenities met all the expectations, although perhaps some parts needed to be refreshed. The services offered by the staff were good, and I didn’t find anything to complain about on this front.
