More about Novotel London Excel
Good value for money
by glennkasner about Novotel London Excel
When at first I learned that the hotel was in fact situated out in the Docklands area I was concerned about having to travel miles to get into the city each day. This however presented no problem for us as the DLR and Tube made gettin to and from the hotel a breeze.
From the time we checked in until we left, we were well cared for by every single member of the staff we had contact with.
The hotel itself seems to be relatively new and modern and caters well for young and old.
I can hightly recomend this hotel to anyone wanting quality accommodation at really affordable rates. We were 3 sharing a room double bed and sleeper couch and it cost us ZAR 8000 +- USD800 for 5 nights Modern , airy and the staff were super friendly. The hotel has all one can want (gym, good restaurant, wi fi, internet etc.
Just a short,( mainly undercover) walk from the DLR station, a short way away from the O² centre.
Too cramped
by TripAdvisor Member RNDS
The Novotel London Excel is modern and clean. The outlook is pleasant and the breakfasts are generous. It's just that the rooms are small and cramped. Cupboard space is limited; you practically fall on the bed when you enter the room; it's hard to access the bathroom and close the door; and even two is a crowd. The rooms are obviously designed for the business traveller and I'm sure they would suit a person travelling alone very well. Public transport (DLR) is next door -- although the hotel is quite far out of central London, it doesn't really matter as it is quite easy and efficient to get around.
My other gripe concerns the amenities provided in the bathroom. The bars of soap are of poor quality and don't lather well; glasses are plastic disposables; and there are no shower caps. Surely the fairly high prices charged are sufficient to cover the cost of such items. On the other hand, there is plenty of coffee, tea and milk, as well as shortbread biscuits.
Staff are friendly but not always helpful if a problem is encountered. On our first night, we requested a sheet as only eiderdowns are provided and it was quite hot, only to be met with the response that the staffmember didn't know where the sheets were kept and we should remove the quilt from its cover and make do with that. At breakfast one morning, they had run out of decaf coffee -- at 8am.
All in all, not a bad experience overall but one which I am in no hurry to repeat.
Pleasant Surprise
by TripAdvisor Member Melston
The travel company that booked this hotel for us isn't noted for their excellent choice of hotels, so this was a nice surprise. The Novotel ExCel is nicely appointed, clean, has bathrooms with separate tubs and showers, all the inroom necessaries, and when asked for 4 clean towels (to help with some hand washing near the end of a three week trip) provided them quickly and cheerfully. It is 15 minutes down the DLR from downtown, but the docklands area is nice - a small grocery near is open from 7AM to 9:30 PM. The breakfast on site is good - with plenty of variety, but they were slow to refill during the rush. Inroom internet is not free, which I found odd for a business hotel. The outdoor bar/restaurant was very pleasant as a wind down spot after a late day in the city.
nice enough, but service needs some attention
by TripAdvisor Member maghredtraveller
Modern and sylish hotel easily reach by car or public transport.
The receptionist was overly familiar (I do not appreciate being called by my first name by a complete stranger), but otherwise very efficient. The room was good, everything one would expect from an Ibis property and the bathroom was spectacular as well as being spotlessly clean. My only gripe about this hotel is the lamentable food service at the bar. During the 25 minute wait to have my order taken staff came and went, paying no attention to waiting customers. None of the young staff appeared to have English as their first language and, as pleasant as they were, completely lacked direction. When I finally managed to obtain a second rate sandwich and a glass of third rate wine the bill came to nearly £13 - apalling value. I have stayed in Ibis hotels all over France and Belgium where food and beverage service is integral to the overall cutomer experience but sadly this does not seem to be the case in England.
Clean and functional for a short stay
by TripAdvisor Member Andi123
Stayed at the Novotel for one Saturday night on a weekend shopping break. This hotel is in the business district hence its distance from the city centre, but the weekend rates are cheap so you can't have it all ! The hotel is out of the centre of London, and as previously noted the dockland setting is lovely and very quiet compared to the city centre. The docklands railway is quick and efficient, and I didn't find the journey into the centre too much effort, although I can see that it could become a drag for a longer stay.
The rooms were clean, although there are obviously different styles of room, ours had a very comfortable bed, but there certainly wasn't any room for swimming in the bath !
The breakfast room was relaxed, and the choice of food available was good. The staff were all very polite and efficient, and I would stay there again.
great weekend deal
by TripAdvisor Member batmaniac
stayed at Novotel the weekend before christmas, it was awesome, good breakfast buffet, very nice staff, extremely nice room at a quite good rate for the weekend.
Since this is a hotel for business travels (Trade shows, etc.. at ExCel), it offers reasonable rates on the weekend and there not so many people. It is really close to Customshouse Station and getting into the city takes about 15 min.
The amenities are pretty nice too: Sauna and steambath, relaxation room and gym are free of charge...
I did enjoy our stay there very much and can only recommend this hotel
Very Nice Stay
by TripAdvisor Member trollking
Stayed for one night on Business. Superb room, quite small but very nice. Extremely clean great views for 8th floor room. Staff pleasant and Lobby / Bar / Reataurant area very nice. Really enjoyed my stay.
Fantastic, Modern, Quiet, Large Rooms
by TripAdvisor Member Lindabeck
What a treat,... £70 with breakfast, 20 mins on the Docklands Light Railway into London,... lovely quiet setting by the docks,.. very modern,.. lively rooms and bathrooms were supurb,.. great buffet breakfast - why stay in a london central hotel when you can have luxury for 1/2 the cost a few miles out,.. Novotel always pleases me,.. they really know how to do it !!!
Great location for Dome events
by TripAdvisor Member solo_girl_hants
Lovely large rooms with double bed and sofa bed. Got a great deal for a weekend at this hotel for the Red Bull Air Race.
Ideal hotel for both business travellers (within reasonable DLR/tube service of the city) or for leisure only short distance to the O2 Dome.
All staff were pleasant and helpful.
Breakfast was included in price of deal and you could not complain about the vast selection of breakfast items for even the fussiest of eaters.
Would definately stay here again without doubt.
