I had a three night stay at the Novotel in April 2015 (room 1252). In terms of location, it is well placed for the big RAI conference centre, which is a 10-15 minute walk away, but this is otherwise a pretty desolate spot. It is 10km south of the heart of the city, though there is a handy number 4 tram stop very near the hotel, which takes you into the centre of Amsterdam (including Rembrant Square, Dam Square and the central station) in about 20 minutes, and runs roughly every ten minutes. There is also the RAI railway station less than five minutes walk away. As a tourist it would not be an ideal spot. From long experience I have found trams a very convenient way to get about in Dutch cities. Taxis in the Netherlands are quite expensive and the drivers have a tendency to be grumpy if you ask for a destination that they deem insufficiently lucrative for them; typically anything less than a 100km journey results in a chorus of groans and muttering, whereas trams are reliable and don't whine.
The Novotel fulfils its function as a business hotel, though there are a few things to be aware of. The mattress was distinctly firm, and although I normally have no issues when travelling I did get minor backache each night, so if you have a delicate back then you should bear this in mind. The shower...I had a three night stay at the Novotel in April 2015 (room 1252). In terms of location, it is well placed for the big RAI conference centre, which is a 10-15 minute walk away, but this is otherwise a pretty desolate spot. It is 10km south of the heart of the city, though there is a handy number 4 tram stop very near the hotel, which takes you into the centre of Amsterdam (including Rembrant Square, Dam Square and the central station) in about 20 minutes, and runs roughly every ten minutes. There is also the RAI railway station less than five minutes walk away. As a tourist it would not be an ideal spot. From long experience I have found trams a very convenient way to get about in Dutch cities. Taxis in the Netherlands are quite expensive and the drivers have a tendency to be grumpy if you ask for a destination that they deem insufficiently lucrative for them; typically anything less than a 100km journey results in a chorus of groans and muttering, whereas trams are reliable and don't whine.
The Novotel fulfils its function as a business hotel, though there are a few things to be aware of. The mattress was distinctly firm, and although I normally have no issues when travelling I did get minor backache each night, so if you have a delicate back then you should bear this in mind. The shower initially appeared not to work, the usual "pull up the metal slot" to redirect the water flow from bath to shower simply cutting off the water. When I inquired I was told that you need to twist the shower head too, and that "loads of guests have the same problem". If so, why not explain when you check in or have a little sign in the bathroom or, and here is an idea, is tall a showerhead that does not require a knack for engineering puzzles?
The hotel seems to be distinctly light on lifts, so at peak times, which appeared to be pretty much every hour of the day or night, there were lengthy waits for the lift, which then stopped on virtually every floor on the way up or down due to the long gaps that occurred. Other than that the hotel was fine, with a decent breakfast buffet, very helpful staff and free albeit hardly racy wifi. More
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