Novotel Wollongong Northbeach Review

So disappointing...
Pros - a comfortable bed, good water pressure
Cons - (there are many)
*Very noisy
*Constant noise from the toilet plumbing and hearing lots of other guest flushing toilets etc
*Heating did not work
*Our door would rattle loudly whenever another guest on our floor would shut their door
*TV reception was terrible
*Minibar not stocked

We stayed for a wedding and asked about the parking situation at check in. We were told by the girl at reception "I don't know, check your booking" I thought that was her job!

We were told later that we had free parking AFTER we had paid for it... Super helpful

It's definitely overpriced and feels tired and in need of an update, check elsewhere in Wollongong, I'm sure you can do better for less money

I had a shocking dinner tonight nothing was fresh except the ice cream.

Fantastic check in staff who were welcoming and accommodating of personal requests. Dining experience was again positive with staff being attentive and friendly! Clean spacious rooms and very quiet! Thoroughly enjoyed my stay

Always a pleasure to stay at Accor Group. ( Novatel ) Loved the stay, different feel with the Covid19 restrictions.

My good mate Bradley Hawkins had his wedding & reception here last night. I have been to many held in allegedly better hotels & found the event, service ,hosting, rooms food just everything was outstanding !! One word PERFECTION
If I could give 10 stars I would.
Thanks Novatel & WILL RECOMMEND to family & friends.

Carl & Brittany Front Desk Absolutely Fabulous Service.

The place was lovely with a great view, only issue with the balcony was when i came to sit outside, there was a baby shower going on below so I felt a little restricted using it but otherwise it was all pretty good

Spacious rooms, very comfy bed, yummy breakfast included in deal. Staff friendly & helpful.

Good rooms, great service, and not too pricey to boot! Loved our family stay here and happy to come again! Thanks for the consistency Novotel.

Beautiful venue, amazing view, great service and always lovely food. Thank you for another delightful lunch.

All you can eat buffa is realy nice worth the money and even better if you are an accor member

Excellent in every way. Highly recommended especially if holidaying with kids

Nice clean room with comfortable bed. Great for frequent travellers.

Rooms were amazing, well maintained, but so was the whole building, great view from the some of the higher levels. Bit expensive for just your basic stay in Wollongong but definitely worth the look if you want one of the best in Wollongong

Our room was very clean, and the view was outstanding but the lift well looks disgusting. Either close up the window in the middle lift or clean it. There should never be the amount of dirt, dust (& a sugar sachet) in a hotel of this standard. Understandably it'd be very difficult to clean, but it's completely unacceptable.

Classic Novotel. Clean rooms, good location, breakfast is similar to what you get in most of 4 star hotels in Australia

Disorganised and contradictory. Staff appeared to be untrained and not familiar with detail. Every second person gave a different answer. Management team assisted to organise. Policy of get your own luggage to room. Restaurant while serving good seafood at buffet was let down by other offerings. Couldn't attend buffet for lunch and dinner as offering was exactly the same. A la carte was very disappointing. Too much Indian content and flavour. Accommodation was potentially very good but variations were difficult to negotiate. Had to book online for ongoing stay while actually inhouse in order to obtain cheaper rate!

Another great hotel in a great location and love the seafood buffet

Beautiful presented, staff were wonderful and the restaurant was divine. We will be definitely staying again. Thank you.

Staff were beyond friendly and helpful. Room was very clean and bed was very comfortable.

The staff were immediately friendly from when my partner and I first walked in to the foyer.
The check-in staff were very helpful in answering all our questions and providing us with local information for the area.
When it came time for dinner unfortunately the Windjammers Buffet Restaurant was booked out for 2 hours.
So my partner and I wandered over to the Lounge Bar where we met a Barman by the name of John.
John hands down makes the best jugs there and I would highly recommend the Long Island Ice Tea.
John was also able to give us local information for places to eat including Pepe's which is just a walk around the corner and plenty of information also of what the good eat places are in the center of town.
So after a few jugs we wandered back over to Windjammers as we had a couple drinks under our belts by now and got a table. The menu there is amazing vast for a buffet to choose from and would highly recommend it to anyone even if your just going out for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Our room felt very modern and spacious and the bed is something I'd want to steal to have back at home.
The view was also very nice with a good overlook of the beach and street.
The bathroom also had a very modern look and feel and would be the envy of most homeowners.
To sum up if your looking for a little getaway that's close to home or visiting the South Coast I can highly recommend the Novotel at North Wollongong for your stay as the staff will take care of you 100%

Good location on North Wollongong beach, walking distance to nearby parks and cafes. Undergoing renovations currently so lots of facilities are out of service, plus the hot water will actually scald you at random points during your shower.

Room is OK. It was a pity. The hotel has no gym and swimming pool.

Great food, great service and breakfast with a fabulous view!

My wife and I stayed for two nights for her birthday and it was fantastic the bed was like sleeping on a cloud. The rooms are really nice and the staff were fantastic and so nice and helpful towards us. The breakfast and dinners was so delicious. We will differently be staying again

Great ocean view, neat rooms, 10 seconds walk to the beach, free drink voucher.

Every thing was nice at seafood buffet except the prawns and Balmain bugs had no taste at all
Must have been a cheap frozen batch. . Frozen from last summer

Loved the upgrade to ocean view. Always love the convince of the free shuttle right at the door to do shopping without having to worry about parking the car. Love the little boutique to make a few special holiday purchases. I would like to say that it would be appreciated to have a complimentary bottle of water for each night stay not just the first. I stayed three nights. Also toileterieres each day I was there busting my Mum in hospital & travelled from the mid north coast

Most of service and rooom are perfect but the view is the greatest thing ever.Can see everything on the beach,good bar and food. Great experience.

My brother died just before Christmas & at short notice we needed rooms for 16 of our family, including for our elderly parents , for the night before the funeral. We booked over the 'phone & were given mainly rooms on the same floor. When we settled my parents into their room we found that the shower was over a deep bath which they couldn't use. We went to reception who were so understanding & gave them an amazing suite looking over the beach. On settling my parents into it, a lovely man arrived with wine & a fruit platter! This huge hotel has the personal touch! Even the cleaning staff in the halls said hello. The kindness shown to us we will never forget & yes we would definitely stay there again & hopefully next time to enjoy what this great location has to offer.

It was great! Power went out during the night though.. the pool is great! Free toys and good water temp

It has a good restaurant, good services. Carpark is slightly dirty. Rooms are very clean and modern

We love Wollongong and always choose to spend our time at the Novotel when staff rooms are available. The breakfast was the best part of our stay and the coffee cart gave it that little extra touch- I was very impressed with the idea. Cannot wait to come back again asap.

The building itself is a little dated but the facilities are great. It s close to the beach and a hub of coffee shops and restaurants. Always very accommodating.

Nice hotel, great location and good food at the windjammers restaurant.

Nice lobby, friendly staff, cost of food is a little steep though

For anyone interested in staying here - please reconsider.

Pros:

- Nice food (but expensive)
- Nice location

Cons:

- Thin walls, doors and windows: I got woken up at 6am due to an alarm from the next room. I then got woken up at 6:30am due to people having a regular conversation in the hallway of our floor. You can also hear cars zooming past as the windows are paper thin

- No pools, spa, gym: Half the hotel looks like a construction site

- Expensive: Paid $400 for a last minute one night stay

- Parking: The 2 levels were full and we had to circle and navigate the maze that is the Novotel parking with narrow spaces and wires hanging across some spots

- Room is quite small for the price

- Wifi is not free

In conclusion: Will never stay here again

Your facility is really great, would definitely stay again. Our 1st night was so good then we went elsewhere for the next night and back again for another night. We were in a different room this time a smaller bed and street side. A bit noisy this night but not your fault. Would definitely come back especially for the ocean views in rooms with decks.

Charming service. Good location. Free parking for paying guests.

Amazing service at Windjammers and the view is gorgeous.

Walk in for a casual coffee at the lobby bar, place was clean and tidy and pleasant atmosphere to relax with a hot cup in hand.

Good facilities, clean neat and tidy. Friendly staff

Location is good view is wonderful. But the bed was terribly soft. We end up slepping on the floor...

From when we checked in to when we left we were treated very well. As already indicated we received a complimentary upgrade which we had not asked for. This really impressed us and ocean view from our room was wonderful. The service at breakfast and quality of the food at the buffet was of a very high standard. The parking system you have only charging $15 for a 3 day parking ticket was great. We're from sydney where overnight at some hotels is $49.00 which is ridiculous. We'll definitely be coming back to stay with you again.

Rooms were fantastic.
Conference room was perfect. Loved the food provided and thought it was very professional.
The views were gorgeous and the location is not too far from sydney and in a great location. I would highly recommend this location and even come back again for another conference.
I'd also come back personally for a weekend getaway. I loved it and so did our team. We were extremely impressed.

The only issue i had was the car park, that my boot hit the roof and dinted it and chipped the paint off. It would be good to have signs up or coloured stripes to remind people that it is a low area and watch out for your vehicle. I've only had my car for a week and it was heart breaking to get a dent in it.

The property location and views are unbeatable. The check-in process was quick and easy and our room was in top notch condition, just as the photos outlined at the time of reservation. The best bits of the stay for me were the amazing water views and the buffet breakfast. Parking was very reasonable too. I will definitely consider booking it again next time I m in Wollongong

Bathroom ventilation is not working at all. You have to open the windows to get rid of toilet smell!
I booked room there twice in different rooms. Had the same problem

Nice rooms with plenty of space. Friendly staff. Great location.

Nice hotel and great room. They are in the process of renovations but its not getting in the way. Covid safety is present and a bit painful for the restaurant but understandable why.

Didn't get room with an ocean view as I had expected for a higher floor from where you get a clear view. Instead it was view of your terrace on 6th floor.
Also the rooms are refurbished but the lifts are not and scary to travel in such old lifts which jerks on stopping

The staff at reception was not courteous and we had to look for the staff in restaurant if we wanted something and didn't offer to help much

We visited for the school holidays Ice Skating and absolutely loved it.Such a well organised event and such a treat to ice skate right by the beach.a fan of the lolly and crepe station.great time had.

The rooms were lovely, very clean and modern. The staff was very friendly and location is perfectly situated to the beach

Had a beach view and balcony. The bed was divinely comfortable. Enjoyed my stay.

Great views and venue layout with facilities .. Didn't like the lunch all u can eat buffet though...

The room was nice and clean. Restaurant/Bar was great for a snack and a couple of drinks

Great views, with the beach and cafes and restaurants just a minutes walk from the hotel. It s a lovely area, and really great to go for the day or for the weekend.
Lots to do at Wollongong, and that helps with entertaining kids

Good location but was only there for a party so didn't get to see much of the hotel

Lovely visit. Had a beach front view. The room was very clean and the service was beautiful. Had a made up bed and toiletries re-stocked every afternoon.

Nice and clean. Very convenient and central for our needs

The boardroom was freezing cold! And not fixed after several complaints all day.

Great location, a little bit pricey but not to unreasonable. Would be nice if they were to utilise the roof a bit more

Superb location and nice facilities. Stayed on the 9th floor looking out towards the beach. Incredible views. Nice, small private balcony. Rooms are well refurbished, clean and spacious. Restaurant downstairs is exceptional.

Staff empathic, gracious fulfil your requests n requirements

Well the stay was ok. Lack of anything abailable in the mini bar. There's a dress shop downstairs but nowhere to get a simple tube of toothpaste. Then on departure apparently the guy charged my card incorrectly and rather than call and tell me you have just deducted the correct amount and I still haven't received the original amount back on my card.. poor customer service

We were there for the buffet dinner. The seafood was fresh and tasty and the cooked food was very good.

Generally great experience. Breakfast was nice.
would have preferred a sea view room with balcony (which was missing with our room despite booking a sea view room) the surcharges in my view could have added this benefit to our stay.
otherwise all good.
The car parking at the hotel is very poor but not sure what can be done. Not enough head room for cars and very low ceiling and risks customers damaging their cars or suffer head injuries if people are not careful.
the access cards to the rooms trips repeatedly because of close proximity to mobile phones and other electronic devices. this needs to be fixed as it was not only an issue with our cards but several others who were staying at the hotel.

Really enjoyed the refurbished hotel room, and the function room was perfect for the wedding and reception

Can't complain with the sound of waves waking me up in the morning. The hotel itself could do with a contemporary interior redesign. Many spaces look like an empty shopping mall. The breakfast was surprisingly delicious but a few more staff needed to herd out the pigeons and keep tables clear.

Whilst the staff were extremely friendly and helpful our experience was let down by the noisy location of the King Studio room we stayed in. On one side was obviously a family sized room with a family staying in it and the sound proofing (if any) didn't help reduce the sound at all. The other side was near the lifts which made a hideous scraping sound during operation. The RHS one was the worst. We realise it's an old building but the lifts need a major overhaul. Beautiful location over North Beach but the building is looking a bit tired.

This hotel is very tired in the Lobby and hallways. The rooms once you get inside though have been refurbished and are very nice. The Bed is comfortable and you can get views of the beach if you are on the right side.

I wouldn't want to have a large car trying to park in the Underground carpark. .

Great hotel in a great location. Walk across the road to the patrolled beach, great sized rooms. Decent sized pool, gym, sauna. Great buffet breakfast, with kids eating free. Very family friendly, free ice blocks for the kids. Free city loop bus right outside the door, secure parking also. The Lobby Bar is a great place to sit back and relax

Rooms are nice but at $500 per night you will still have to pay for internet. $75 for buffet dinner so get your wallet out..

There was a lady in middle age at reception. She insist not to change room for us. She was very angry to me! Very bad experience.

Good venue, great lounge bar. Staff seemed a bit overwhelmed trying to keep up with the number of guests.

We had an extended problem about getting into our rooms. The rooms weren't available at 4pm and even then we had to remind the staff multiple times that we were still waiting for our rooms. Eventually we were given a room that wasn't what we booked and had to have several more discussions about our booking of 2 adjacent rooms. I got the impression that noone could care less. I don't like dissing staff, but I must say that the front office staff were unbelievably unconcerned and unhelpful.
When we did finally get 2 adjacent, interconnecting rooms, they were good.
This was 4, 1/2 hours after our guaranteed check in time.
The beachfront bar was pretty ordinary. We got a drink at 9pm, but that is the best I could say- The choice was just passable, and I wouldn't recommend the atmosphere. We went there because our kids were upstairs under the care of an aged Grandma. Other wise....... Surely Wollongong has better.

Overnight to see a show in the gong. Really comfortable room, and fantastic buffett.. Well done all round.!

Lovely hotel!!! Clean room. Lovely staff and nice foods. Will come back!!!

Excellent quality service and seafood smorgasbord to die for.

Attended a function at the Novotel and was pleasantly surprised. Staff were well dressed, helpful and prompt. The food was exquisite, and the table settings were lovely. Will come again.

Great stay for a low price. Good location and rooms

All I can say is WOW. I have not sleept that good in years. The cleanliness of the room was pristine condition. I should have extended my stay

Service was great. Staff attentive and food amazing.

Unfortunately I didn't have such a great experience here, we we not aware that there was no use of the swimming pool, the gym or any other facility before we got there. Even when we booked in we still were not told by the staff about this, we found out by going to take a walk around to see where the facilities were to see it was all under reconstruction, so we couldn't use any of it. This little break away with my Husband and my 7 year old son was meant to be for Fathers Day / my Birthday, we both work a lot and it is not very often we all get a weekend together due to work so when we went away to see we basically paid $450 for a bed was vert disappointing. We also were very clear that there was 3 people and when we turned up there was no linen etc for the sofa bed which was something we then has to sort out ourselves. The other issue was when we booked this online we paid UPFRONT for our breakfast, when we arrived we were told we had to go and sort this out again for ourselves as they limit the people at a time in the restaurant which is understandable due to Covid. But i personally would have thought it should be them doing their job not us doing it for them and having to arrange all of this for ourselves. Anyway, we then went to the restaurant to see what time we could go for breakfast to be told we couldn't as they were full and could not fit us in. We then explained how we had actually pre-paid for out breakfast and we just felt as thought we got pretty bad attitude from the boy who was dealing with us, then a boy Jack came over and sorted the problem for us and we got the breakfast sent to our room instead which was fine but again another issue we should not have had to go through on our "relaxing" weekend. There was also not ANY hand sanitizer at either the reception or the lifts etc all empty both the Saturday and the Sunday. Over all a bad experience and would not return nor will i ever recommend to anyone we know.

Top location but let down by poor value. Would not recommend if paying any where near full price. Our shower leaked and ran accross the floor and pooled next to the toilet. The room was other wise OK but no better than a basic motel standard. The parking is very difficult due to the tight spaces and all the pipe work. Not near a good experience for the money.