Novotel Sydney Brighton Beach

The Novotel Sydney Brighton Beach is a massive white structure that sits above the Bayside Plaza Shopping Centre, with whom it shares an underground parking lot. The lobby is large, with marble floors covered in parts with blue carpet and a stairway that leads up to a mezzanine area with lots of seating on black leather couches. Australian newspapers are presented in metal wall-mounted holders. There's also an outdoor terrace that connects to an open-air skybridge that guests can use to cross the busy highway that separates the hotel from Brighton Beach. 

The Novotel is located in Brighton-Le-Sands, a beachside suburb in Southern Sydney not far from the airport. It's across the street from the beach and some apartment blocks, and Bayside Plaza Shopping Centre is just around the corner.  While the area is relaxed, its removed location makes it less than ideal for those wanting to spend the bulk of their time visiting urban attractions in Sydney. 

Guests of the hotel need a car if they plan to do any sightseeing, as getting into the city center on public transportation can take an hour or longer. It's a 15-minute drive to Sydney Harbour (traffic permitting) and it takes about half an hour to reach Taronga Zoo. Bondi Beach is a minimum 25-minute drive from the hotel. The Sydney airport is a convenient, however, and getting there takes under 10 minutes by car. 

The Novotel offers five room and suite types, ranging from Standard Rooms with king-size beds or two twins all the way up to big Penthouses with separate living rooms. Decor is plain, with blonde-wood furniture, solid blue carpets, and tan bed runners on white beds. Bathrooms are a bit snazzier and are covered floor-to-ceiling with brownish marble; they also have huge mirrors and lots of counter space. All room types have balconies, air-conditioning, minibars, kettles, and hairdryers. Three accessible rooms are also available. Bayview Suites have separate lounge areas and sofa beds along with king-size beds or two twins. Bayview Spa Suites also have whirlpool hot tubs. Guests wanting more space may prefer the Bayview Terraces, which have huge terrace spaces with views of the ocean along with jetted tubs in the bathrooms. Penthouses are the biggest room types and have dining rooms that can seat up to six people along with extra amenities such as a CD player, an iPod dock, and a Nespresso machine as well as jetted tubs.

As a business hotel, the Novotel offers a number of meeting and conference facilities, including 11 meeting and function rooms of varying size (the Endeavour Grand Ballroom can fit up to 600 people). Two of the rooms get a ton of natural light. There's also a business center and Wi-Fi is available for a fee. 

The Baygarden Restaurant has pretty oceanside views and serves a variety of seafood dishes a la carte and offers continental buffets and full buffets (with hot items) for breakfast and lunch. It's open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day of the week; children under 15 get discounted meal rates.There's also a sleek lobby bar, V3, which has indoor and outdoor seating and hosts live entertainment on Saturday nights.

The hotel also has its own spa, Revive Day Spa, which offers a large number of massages as well as skin and body treatments. For active guests, there's a tennis court, as well as a fitness center with a large selection of cardio and weight equipment, though machines are close to each other which gives it a cramped feel. The outdoor freeform pool has lounge chairs for relaxing and a small hot tub, while the indoor lap pool is more appropriate for exercising. 

The hotel offers special amenities for children beyond the discounted breakfasts at the restaurant. There are special children's menus and little ones get welcome gifts at the hotel. The property also offers a special where parents traveling with kids can get second rooms for their children for half price.