Short review
Note: 3 is average
Value for money: 4/5 – Good value for money due to its close proximity to the beach
Services: 4/5 – Generous welcome gifts
Bedroom: 4.5/5 – Spacious with a balcony and an ocean view
Sleep quality: 3.5/5 – The air conditioning system made some strange noises occasionally
Bathroom: 3.5/5 – Clean and spacious, but I could feel a fairly strong airflow
Facilities and amenities: 4/5 – Beach, gym and pool (too cold)
Pros
- Close proximity to the beach
- Spacious room with a wonderful ocean view
Cons
- Many flies in one section of the breakfast area
- The pool water is very cold
- Would like to see more equipment in the gym
Long review
Two days before our arrival, I received an email from the Novotel Wollongong Nortbeach stating that I received complementary parking throughout my stay. I could also register my car online before my arrival. This was much appreciated and certainly a wonderful way to start our trip. I checked online to find out the usual parking cost. The hotel website did not reveal anything, but the cost seems to be $20-25 per night based on the information from other websites.
Upon arrival, I drove the car directly to the car park in the basement. Some of the spaces here have low ceiling heights, so pay attention to the signs when your car is particularly tall. The carpark has two levels and it was easy for us to find a parking spot on the first level throughout our stay despite staying there a few days prior to Christmas.
The lobby is very spacious and had extensive Christmas decorations. The hotel has three lifts. Two lifts to access the rooms from the lobby, which interestingly is on the third floor. The other lift is used to access the car park and meeting venues on the fourth floor.
Our room is located on the seventh floor. Walking along the corridor, there is a nice view of the hillside around the city of Wollongong.
Our room is an ocean view room with two queen beds and a balcony. The room is fairly spacious and has the usual amenities. The welcome gifts were very generous. They provided a bottle of red wine, four pieces of chocolate cake in the fridge, and a paper bag containing some kids’ stuff, including chocolate, a lolly, crayons, an activity book for kids, bubbles, a stamp, and a small soft toy.
The highlight of the room is certainly the ocean view from the balcony. A great place to relax while enjoying the view and even the sound of the ocean. We also had visitors in the form of yellow-crested cockatoos and pigeons. At one point, there were six cockatoos in the balcony. They were fairly tame too, allowing us to come very close to them.
The air conditioner did a good job in maintaining the room temperature, although sometimes it made some unusual noises. The beds were also a bit too soft or bouncy for my liking.
The bathroom was again fairly spacious and clean. The use of marbles for the walls makes the space look elegant. I could feel a rather strong air flow in the bathroom from or into the ventilation system though, which was unpleasant. There is only a traditional showerhead (not a rain shower head), so when I took a shower and placed the showerhead in its attachment, water also went to the supposedly dry area of the bathroom.
Breakfast was served at the Palisade Kitchen and Bar. Another expansive space which seems to be the characteristic of this hotel. A glass wall on one side offers a wonderful view of the ocean. The food and drinks were spread out. Tea was served near the entrance. Typical Australian breakfast, including pancakes, eggs, sausages, bacons, potatoes, and baked beans, was served in hot bar in the centre of the space. It was possible to order omelettes directly from the kitchen when it was not busy. The bakery stuff was served opposite the hot bar. In the opposite corner from the entrance, juices, coffee, milk, cereal, cheese and condiments, yogurt, and fruit were served. It was possible to make your own juice as a juicer was provided. Some of these dishes in this spot were quite unique too, so it was nice for a change. At first, I was wondering why the dishes were covered by a cloth. Then I discovered that there were many flies in this one particular corner.
I could see that some services from the staff was a bit below average here. One day, no one was manning the entrance even though a few people were waiting. Even after looking at the queue, there was a lack of urgency from the staff. I also witnessed a staff mistakenly identified one guest from the other. One time, I was asked my room number twice, which indicated that the staff did not remember faces, which I think should be kind of expected in the hospitality sector.
The swimming pool is on the third floor, the same floor as the lobby. It was quite deep, so not suitable for children who cannot swim. The size is not that big either, which is in contrast to other things in this hotel. The main problem was that the water was very uncomfortably cold. Another alternative is of course to play in the sand and swim in the ocean, which is literally in the back of the hotel.
The North Bar is another place to enjoy some food and drinks. It was nicely designed; I like the ambience of this space due to its super tall ceiling height. The gym size was reasonable, although more equipment would be welcome. The wi-fi was very good. However, make sure that you are an Accor Live Limitless member (free to join) before you use it to avoid its shockingly hefty cost. The hotel is located less than two kilometres from the CBD so there are many restaurants within a walking distance.
Overall, we enjoyed our stay here. We will pick this hotel again when we visit Wollongong in the future.
