Being the picky hotel visitor that I am, I look for a few main things in a business or personal stay that are consistent in either circumstance. The rooms should be clean, bed comfy, great warm shower pressure, free wifi, and coffee readily available in the morning. Some added bonuses include: a good restaurant, a gym, and a lobby I can hang out in.
And let's not leave out exceptional service.
Novotel covered the basis of all of my requirements and as a result my stay was perfect!
When I arrived at past 10pm during the week, as soon as I checked in, I headed straight for the shower. After a very long journey from Miami, driving through England into Wales and a business dinner, I was more than ready for a very nice relaxing shower and I was not disappointed!
Next up was the bed which I usually struggle with between the pillows being too wimpy and the light shining through the window treatments to the noise that comes from guests in the hotel hallways. In my 3 night stay, I slept like a baby every single night without a single interruption. This is nothing short of a miracle and my visit to Wales was made much nicer as a result of getting some sleep.
Then there was the complimentary morning breakfast buffet in a really adorable setting. They had the entire fix of breakfast items - granola galore, a fancy coffee machine that makes everything from lattes to cappuccinos, to an array of cheeses (brie anyone?), baguettes, croissants, and we haven't even discussed the eggs, sausages, bacon, hash browns or beans... Shall I go on? I think you get the gist. Now I know that all sounds like standard hotel buffet faire..but it was the much better version of all of the above. Nothing tasted like it was made last night to put it plainly.
The hotel is within walking distance to the center of the city which makes it very easy to enjoy a casual stroll to shops, experience a lovely meal with some drinks, and be able to walk back to the hotel afterwards.
We held a business meeting in the lobby bar and it was private, quiet, and easy to get business accomplished.
Check, check and check ...
I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone for both business and personal, and hope to visit again the next time I'm in Cardiff. read more