Novotel London Greenwich

Every bit a corporate chain hotel, the Novotel is nonetheless family-friendly, and plenty of tourists choose to stay here for the lower rates compared to central London. However, the Novotel lacks much personality, and feels cramped and fairly dark. The purpose-built brick exterior is unremarkable, and the bland lobby has gray floor tiling, dull gray walls, and modern, but uninspired, metal and pale-wood reception desks. Wood-paneled windows on the first-floor balcony add interest, though hallways are also dowdy with cream walls and blue-and-white checkered carpet. Things get better in the Elements restaurant and bar, a pleasant, contemporary space with wood-paneled flooring, floor-to-ceiling windows with homey white curtains, club chairs in neutral shades, and a sleek modern bar.

With mainline railway and DLR subway stations right outside the hotel, it’s relatively easy to get from here to central London, though it’s still a fair distance. The hotel is more conveniently located for the O2 Arena, and there are plenty of restaurants and bars within the lively neighborhood -- but the road outside can get busy at rush hour.

• One-minute walk to Greenwich railway station
• Three-minute walk to Greenwich DLR (subway) station
• Eight-minute walk to Greenwich Park
• 10-minute walk to Cutty Sark
• 11-minute walk to National Maritime Museum
• 18 minutes to Canary Wharf by public transportation (25-minute drive)
• 21 minutes to O2 Arena by public transportation (15-minute drive)
• 27 minutes to London City Airport by public transportation (26-minute drive)
• 30 minutes to Big Ben by public transportation (36-minute drive)
• 35 minutes to London Eye by public transportation (34-minute drive)
• 53 minutes to Gatwick Airport by public transportation (52-minute drive)
• 66 minutes to Heathrow Airport by public transportation (74-minute drive)

Rooms feature chain hotel decor -- there's nothing revolutionary here. Comfortable beds have pale-wood frames with built-in lamps and bedside tables, which helpfully feature USB sockets as well as regular power points. There’s gray carpet and white walls. Large windows have neutral curtains and there are modern gray sofa beds, plus curved pale-wood desks overlapping with dark TV cabinets. Suites provide separate living rooms and two flat-screen TVs. 

Bathrooms are small and functional with cream floors, white wall tiling, attractive curved built-in sink vanities, and built-in shower/tub combos or small shower stalls with power showerheads (some rooms have both). There are also separate water closets. Hairdryers and free miniature toiletries are provided.

Amenities include 32-inch flat-screen cable TVs, phones, free Wi-Fi, safes, mini-fridges (advertised as minibars but they only come with drinking water), coffee- and tea-making facilities, irons, and ironing boards. Executive Rooms and Suites add Nespresso coffeemakers, Bose iPod docks, bathrobes, slippers, and free local calls. Superior Rooms sleep four, Executive Rooms sleep up to three, and Suites can accommodate two adults and two children. Cribs are available for a fee. Many rooms have pleasant neighborhood views, but some front-facing rooms pick up traffic noise. The hotel offers incentives to guests who forego daily room cleaning.

This Novotel doesn’t have an especially exhaustive selection of facilities. But there’s a gym with a full range of free weights and cardio and weightlifting machines (though it’s on the small side), plus ping-pong, a separate boxing room, and a steam room. There’s an excellent hot and cold breakfast buffet. The spread includes traditional English items like mushrooms, sausages, and tomatoes -- but it isn’t included in room rates for adults. Two kids under the age of 16 eat for free with their parents. The Elements restaurant and bar are open until late evening and get solid reviews, and there’s 24-hour room service. The games area is a nice touch, complete with an Xbox console and kids’ play area. There are also Apple Macs in the lobby and reliable free Wi-Fi throughout. Pets and parking cost extra. Six furnished meeting rooms can host up to 92 guests.