Novotel Blois Centre Val de Loire — Hotel in Blois

This property falls well short of a 4-star hotel experience. The location is not ideal, the exterior lacks appeal, and the interior feels dated and underwhelming. We stayed in a family room that was more comparable to a 2-star accommodation, with dirty walls, stained carpets, and mold in the bathroom that made for a very disappointing stay.

Breakfast simply continued the overall lackluster impression of the hotel. By 9:00 AM, there were no more crepes available, which could easily have been resolved considering it was done with a basic store-bought mix. The selection was mediocre, the dining area cramped, and overall, I’ve had better breakfast experiences at 3-star hotels.

There also needs to be much greater transparency regarding the city tax. When the booking confirmation clearly states that all taxes are paid and nothing is due at the hotel, it is extremely frustrating and unprofessional to be charged extra upon arrival. It’s not about the amount, it’s about the principle and the lack of clear communication. Situation that was later on fixed by the staff!

One more point worth mentioning: during check-in, the staff offered a Novotel bear keychain to the children in front of us, but skipped our children, seemingly because I had just voiced my complaint regarding the tax issue. That kind of behavior feels petty and impolite, especially from a hospitality perspective.

Overall, this was a very disappointing experience, and I would not recommend staying here.

My reply to your response: The reservation was made directly through your website, so that excuse simply doesn’t hold up. What’s truly unbelievable is that, despite numerous complaints from so many different guests about the same recurring issues, nothing has been improved. Instead of taking real accountability, you continue to respond with the same copy-paste message full of empty good intentions. It’s disappointing and...

We stayed here for a few nights during very hot weather and were grateful for the air conditioning in the rooms and for the swimming pool which was small but a perfect temperature to cool off in. The hotel is just on the edge of town, a very pleasant 15 minute walk to the centre and if the climb back up the hill is a challenge there is a free. ‘Navette’ bus that does a circuit of the city centre and stops just outside the hotel. ||All the staff were very friendly and helpful, from the reception staff to the bar staff and the cleaning team. We always got a smile and a ‘Bonjour’ ||I’d love to be able to give a higher score as I did like the hotel but there were a few issues. Firstly the mattress was made of foam and very squishy so we didn’t sleep well at all. ||Secondly, breakfast was a bit of a stressful experience- the buffet area is too small and poorly laid out so guests are falling over each other trying to get to the food and it’s a bit of a bun fight. The breakfast room itself is hot and noisy but you do have the option of taking your breakfast out to the garden which we did each morning as it was a much calmer place to eat and to start the day. ||Finally, on a couple of occasions we came back to the room at about 3pm to find it had still not been cleaned so we had to ask for clean towels etc. this is no criticism of the cleaning staff as they were working flat out but they obviously need to employ more cleaners to manage...

The room and the hotel overall is very clean and smells nice. Rooms are spacious and have all required. Breakfast offers a wide choice and good quality of products. The outdoor swimming pool outside is small but serves its purpose. What's to change is some of the staff at reception: waited 45 minutes at reception despite arriving at 3pm (check in time). Offered twice a cup of tea or coffee for the long wait but never had any. Not all staff speaks English which makes communication very frustrating. Asked to speak to the General Manager but was told there wasn't one. We were told we would have had a 1 day free parking due to the inconvenience at check in but never had it. The attitude towards the client is just not right, there isn't enough politeness and care towards the client who is paying for the stay and expects a certain standard for a 4 star hotel. I booked 3 rooms with my account, one for us (a couple with dogs) and 2 double for my relatives with 18ys old sons. There were no rooms close to one another but we would have expected to have at least 2 on the same level. We were told we should have specified this in the booking process with a tone that we didn't...