We spent 3 lovely nights at the novotel st kilda. The hotel was located ideally overlooking the bay, and between 2 most interesting streets in St Kilda (Acland & Fitzroy)! We could walk to everywhere and exprience all the fun & actions in St Kilda. It was also very handy to go to the CBD by tram as there was a tram stop right in front of the hotel.

The best thing about the hotel was their staff, who were all friendly, approachable and efficient. Everyone said hello to us with a smile on their faces.

We heard from a staff member that the hotel is due to be refurbished from April 08. With the staff and the location this hotel already has, I'm sure the refurbishment will take the property up to the next level. We look forward to staying at the novotel st kilda again later this year.

In all my travels I would have to rate this hotel as the worst I have ever experienced. It's a real shame because it's in my hometown of Melbourne Aust. I stayed for the weekend with my husband to celebrate my b/day, worst b/day ever. The room was in desperate need of renovating, noisy neighbours, rusted taps & soap holder in the bathroom and the grout looked dirty. I did make a complain and the manager on duty was fantastic but she can only work with what she's got so we got upgraded to a deluxe bay view. Unfortunately the bay was on the side so to get a bayview you needed to squash your face against the window, the bathroom was worse and the mattress hadn't been replaced in at least 10-15 years. Cannot believe they can charge what they do for such bad bad accomodation.

We stayed at the 6-storey Novotel St.Kilda for 3 days/2 nights for a bit of a break from town during a recent warm spell in Melbourne. I was travelling with two 11 year-olds (my daughter and her friend) and we were looking for somewhere for a spoil, with a heated outdoor pool and things to do locally if the weather turned.
We spoke to the Novotel directly, a few days before we wanted the rooms. Hotel reception offered us a very good deal on the spot, with an upgrade to an Executive Suite overlooking the bay for the cost of a Deluxe Oceavview Spa Room, so we paid $339 per night for a spacious two room suite on the 4th floor, with king bed, kitchenette, little lounge area, fabulous ocean views and a great spa. They threw in the rollaway bed for free (usually $45 extra), and gave us early check-in and late checkout. Not a bad price considering the Australian Open was taking up a lot of beds that week in Melbourne. Moreover, the staff were especially friendly to the girls, and overall we felt they were always happy to oblige.
The pool was a lovely saltwater heated pool, not as large as some, but hardly ever busy, and in nice surrounds with blue sky and enough lounge chairs,and complimentary towels from the gym. We spent hours by the pool it was so pleasant and relaxing. After checking out on the last day, reception set us up by the pool for a few more hours, to enable us to enjoy a last leisurely swim - which we really appreciated.
The front bar faces the ocean, and if small and lacking a little in atmosphere, served drinks at very reasonable prices, similarly the room service prices eg. $6.50 for a mixed drink. The summer pudding was so good,we ordered it again!
The hotel is not cheap,but the Novotel's location is key. Right on the beach esplanade,and 5-10 minutes walk to locally famous Acland Street shops,cafes and cakes. A good bet was buying fish and chips from there to eat on the beach. The historic St.Kilda pier is also across the road from the hotel,with a lovely cafe at the kiosk right at the end for a breakfast or lunch in any weather.
We were really delighted with our stay and impressed with the friendliness of the staff.

Stayed in the deluxe spa bay-view room in Dec 07. Great views of St kilda beach as promised (though we had to pay extra for this), the spa bath was good, large enough for 2 people. The room was clean and pretty big, included a kitchenette, lounge area, tv. The hotel facilities such as the swimming pool and gym was average nothing special.