A Big Day At The Sheffield Novotel!

Advantages: Excellent Food, Central Location.
Disadvantages: Poor Bar Service, Limited Parking.

...When one of my best friends got married yesterday (Sunday 19th December 2005) the location that she chose was the Novotel in Sheffield. This location was chosen for the entire day, which included the Civil Wedding at 2.30pm, the meal afterwards at 4pm and the evening reception which started at 7.30pm. The first thing that I will say before I begin this review is that I live less than a 5 minute walk away from this Hotel, which is conveniently situated right in the middle of the city centre, so I didn't actually stay here. This review is therefore based on my own opinions as seen from a non paying guest. My friend was staying at the Novotel (with her sister) on the Saturday night as well as her Wedding night the following day so I first went to this Hotel on Saturday night for a pre wedding drink. FIRST IMPRESSIONS The Novotel...

micksheff 19.12.2005 · Read review
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Review of Novotel, Sheffield

Novotel Sheffield

Advantages: Central
Disadvantages: Limited parking

...As my son is studying at Sheffield University we have sampled a few of the hotels Sheffield has to offer and the Novotel is one we have used more than once. For anyone visiting Sheffield for the first time, the traffic system can be a little confusing so the situation of the Novotel makes it attractive to visitors. Once you've negotiated Park Square and actually managed to turn left into Arundel Gate you have to drive passed the hotel on the opposite side of the road, go round the roundabout and come back along Arundel Gate the opposite way to gain entrance to the hotel. Each time we've visited there have been roadworks on or near the roundabout and this can cause problems. The hotel is clearly visible when you approach but the inside lane is buses only so you have to cut across the bus lane to get into the hotel. Parking is...

Tashana 04.08.2004 · Read review
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Review of Novotel, Sheffield

A Novotel's a Novotel's a Novotel

Advantages: Price, station location, popular late bar
Disadvantages: Packed with smokers, Modern plastic feel

...If you imagine that hotel chains can be like food chains, the Novotel group would hover somewhere around McDonalds in terms of its ethos and approach. I've stayed in one or two over my time, including those located in London and France, and the occasion in Leeds left me without any illusions. Overall, Novotels hover around the 3/4-star mark, with facilities usually pushing them into the 4-star category. However, I reckon that once you take the quality of what's being provided into account, the experience is definitely more basic. In fact, the Novotel chain is doing its own bit to push 3-star hotels into the category of 'bloody waste of time for the price you end up paying - better off upgrading to 4'. The context? My work apartment access key had been left at home in London and cue realisation of this after office hours, when...

chunkieuk 29.05.2006 · Read review
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Review of Novotel Leeds Centre, Leeds

There is more to Portugal than the Algarve - visit Lisbon

Advantages: Easy to get around and different quirky places to visit, everyone speaks English
Disadvantages: The City seems a bit 'faded glory'- places uncared for and tired

...what we would see on the way going across the Serra do Caldeirao and which regions we would pass through and then as it was early she said she would be quiet until nearer Lisbon. As we approached Lisbon she told us about the toll on the A22 and the various industries approaching Lisbon and the fact that we would go into Lisbon over the April 25th Bridge and see the huge statue of Christo Rei which is a bit like the Corcovado in Rio and overlooks the city of Lisbon from a great height. This bridge was the first to cross the Tejo and was originally called Saladar Bridge until the coup overthrew the Fascist dictator Saladar in 1974 and Portugal became a democratic Republic. The Portuguese are justifiably proud of this bridge and liken it to the Golden Gate bridge of San Francisco which is does resemble to be fair. We drove over the bridge...

catsholiday 21.06.2009 · Read review
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Review of Lisbon (Portugal)

  Portugal's Costa do Sol

Advantages: A Stretch of Coastline with Villas and Architecture from a Ggolden Era
Disadvantages: None

...Estoril and its coastline has always been a favourite getaway for me especially when I worked in Lisbon and still to this day is somewhere I love to visit even though the area has changed a great deal with time. When I first visited Portugal's Cost do Sol over 20 years ago the area had what I can only describe as a 'Miss Faversham look.' It was run down and jaded around the edges. Beautiful villas had been left to decay when their owners fled during the Revolution. I remember walking through private lanes looking at these beautiful ornate buildings with windows broken, overgrown gardens and gates falling off their hinges. Gypsies had taken refuge in many a property, children playing in the streets while scrawny cats jumped into turned over bins. Even though there was a sadness to the area part of the resort had enormous charm and made...

Praski 06.05.2009 · Read review
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Review of Cascais-Estoril (Portugal)

Graceful Portugal

Advantages: Relaxing, hot, beautiful scenery
Disadvantages: very steep streets, mad drivers

...I went on my first holiday aboard in 20yrs last year, with my sister, her husband, and their family - to Portugal, we stayed in an apartment complex a few miles out of Lagos - We were only there for a week and had a day trip into Lagos - we caught the local bus, which was air conditioned, but was a bit rickerty, the journey took us about 40mins, through very narrow streets in places. At one point we thought the bus would not make it, but it limped and got us there. It cost us the equivalent of £2.00 each on the bus. Once there the main highway boarding along the coast and the marina is very wide and very busy, there are many crossing along the road, which you can us to cross safely and go into the town. We walked along the front, where you go to many little coves and swim in the sea - which is the most beautiful blue. One...

arnoldhenryrufus 17.07.2005 · Read review
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Review of Lagos (Portugal)

Hotel Novotel, Krakow

Advantages: good
Disadvantages: not bad

...just come back from a 4 night stay at this hotel. have stayed in novotel hotels before so i knew what to expect!! firstly the name! CENTRUM that would lead you to believe that it is centrally located! then think again! it is a good 15min walk ,which ok is nothing! (and the hotel is in a beautiful setting near the river) but when you start exploring this beautiful city, you do not realise just how much walking you will do!!!! There is a tram stop just across the road and 2 stops you are in the centre! thats fine but when you get the tram back, where it drops you off you are on like an intersection which is very busy, and unless you use the underpasses( there are 2, one being along side the river, the other by a supermarket, okay during the day but i would be a bit cautious at night! there were some drunks around!) you can always play...

loius.achu 01.08.2009 · Read review
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Review of Novotel Krakow Centrum, Krakow

  The modern face of Air Portugal

Advantages: Got there in one piece
Disadvantages: Ohhh where to begin? Customer service, Cabin crew, food?

...~Introduction~ Transportes Aereos Portugueses or TAP Portugal was formed in 1945. The first planes were converted C-47's (or Dakota's) as used by Allied forces to drop troops on D-day and ferry in supplies. Most of the original TAP pilots were trained in England by BOAC, whilst others completed training with Iberia the Spanish national airline. The early routes were local, the first was Lisbon to Madrid, then the major Portuguese cities were added and finally international destinations. Step forward 50 years and we have the modern TAP Portugal with destinations to the major Portuguese cities, Europe, Africa and South America. In 2002 TAP carried over 5.5 million passengers on it's network, (Source: www.worldaviation.com). For this you get jet engine planes, grubby leather seats, sulky attendants, tasteless food and incompetent...

buzzard_cad 12.09.2005 · Read review
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Review of TAP Air Portugal

Just another Novotel.....or is it?

Advantages: Clean, very modern, nice rooms and great rates
Disadvantages: Some will prefer a hotel closer to the Champs Elysee

...Another hotel in my recent hotel visit to Paris and this time the Novotel Tour Eiffel. I was really looking forward to arriving at this hotel because I had heard so much about it and so I already had an idea in my head about what it would be like. The hotel: The hotel is a 4 star hotel that is located quite close to the Eiffel tower on the left bank in the 15th Arondissement of Paris. It is in fact just across the main road from the river bank. It is also within easy reach of the Louvre. The hotel is obviously part of the Novotel chain and is fairly easy to spot as it is quite a garish red/orange colour in one section. Location: As mentioned it is in the 15th Arondissement and is situated at 61 Quai De Grenelle. The hotel is on the main road so is easy to find when coming along the road. First impressions: The building is...

frankiecesca 27.11.2008 · Read review
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Review of Novotel Paris Tour Eiffel, Paris

Portugal Revised

Advantages: see above
Disadvantages: see above

...After some helpful suggestions, I decided to do this opinion on the town in Portugal I went to, Lagos. Lagos is on the western end of the Algarve, about 100km from Faro, and it is one of the most historical places in Portugal. On the front, there is a huge statue of Henry the Navigator, possibly Portugal's biggest hero, but you can find a much stranger statue in the centre. It is supposed to resemble a spaceman, although it is actually a statue of a 15 year old king, and it is a very controversial statue, because this king led Portugal to a disastrous defeat in Morocco, but he made Lagos the capital of the Algarve, which earned him this statue. The town today is one of the least built up in the Algarve, probably because it does not actually have its own beach. To the west, there are alot of smaller beaches, and not much building...

Yeahmate 03.03.2001 · Read review
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Review of Lagos (Portugal)