Novotel Marne-la-Vallée Collégien — Hotel in Torcy

We have stayed at Novotel Collégien twice now, and sadly both experiences were bad enough that we will never return. From the moment we arrived this time, we were greeted with an unfriendly and unprofessional welcome. The receptionist, clearly remembering us from our previous stay (where we had issues), greeted me rudely with “I already know who you are” – almost snapping at me before I’d even spoken. Not exactly the warm start you expect when returning to a hotel.

During our last visit, the shower was unsanitary and clogged with what looked like human waste. To make up for that, this time we were “upgraded” to an Executive Room. Unfortunately, the upgrade felt more like a downgrade. The sink didn’t drain properly, and the shower only had a handheld head — no rain shower like in the standard room. To make it worse, the handheld was full of limescale, the rubber nozzles were old and cracked, and the water spray was uneven. Definitely not what you expect from a so-called Executive Room.

Breakfast itself offers a good selection, but hygiene is clearly not enforced. I personally saw other guests using their hands to take food and even sneezing directly over it, while the breakfast manager stood right there and did nothing. That was pretty disturbing and unacceptable.

After this second bad experience, we were offered a 40% refund, which I eventually received — but getting it was an ordeal. First, I was told the hotel’s credit card wasn’t working and they were waiting for a new one. Then I was told I’d have to wait until August 10th before they could process the refund, with a SEPA transfer not being an option, even though a refund by credit card would have been faster. So I had to wait until they finally got the card.

Things got even more uncomfortable when the hotel manager personally called me about a review they claimed I had posted — which I hadn’t. On the call, the tone felt almost like a threat: “If that review is yours, I can’t pay you.” I had nothing to do with it, but the implication seemed clear — they were looking for a way out of paying me.

After more than a week of frustrating back-and-forth, I finally received the refund. But the entire process left me feeling like I was being pressured not to share my honest experience. It felt like they wanted to “pay me to shut up.”

Well, here’s the truth: Two stays, two failures — poor service, poor maintenance, and questionable professionalism. I’m writing this so other travelers know exactly what they might be walking into. I hope that when they read this review — and they will — they understand there’s no need to contact me about it. I was kind enough not to attach the photos and videos I have, which would only add to the bad press this review...

Follow-up to my previous review:

Since I cannot reply directly to the hotel’s response, I am posting this clarification.

The hotel’s reply accused me of “exaggerating” and suggested my review was motivated only by disappointment at not receiving a larger compensation. This is absolutely false. Yes, I once asked by email whether they would consider a higher compensation — but they never even answered that question. They ignored it completely in all following communication. My review was written because of the reality of two bad stays, not because of money.

Let’s be clear: the problems I described were real. The rude and unprofessional welcome, the filthy shower drain from my first stay, the limescale-covered and cracked showerhead from my second, the sink that would not drain, the unhygienic breakfast setup, and the endless delays in receiving a refund — all of it happened exactly as I wrote. And to remove any doubt, in this review I have attached a photo of the shower drain from my first stay, a photo of the showerhead from the second, and a video of the sink failing to drain. That is not exaggeration, that is proof.

What’s worse, the hotel failed to mention something very important: in one of their emails, the manager openly wrote to me — “I would prefer that you don’t make any review because currently we need only 9 or 10 to not be impacted.” That is not customer care. That is an attempt to silence criticism. Combined with the frustrating delays in refunding me, it made the so-called “compensation” feel less like an apology and more like a buy-off. That kind of behavior is completely unacceptable for any hotel, especially one carrying the Novotel name.

I stand fully by every word of my original review. Nothing was exaggerated, nothing was invented, and the hotel’s attempt to discredit me only confirms how poorly they deal with complaints.

This hotel has a lot of work to do before it can claim to deliver the quality expected of Novotel. They must seriously invest in staff training — not just to be more professional, but to actually treat guests with kindness, respect, and basic courtesy. Their breakfast service needs urgent attention: hygiene must be enforced, and staff need to know how to properly manage the dining area, including preventing people who shouldn’t be there from walking in unchecked. Until these problems are addressed, future guests should be prepared for an experience that risks being both disappointing and frustrating.

Two stays, two failures — and now, one more warning to travelers: think very carefully before...

The hotel is located in the middle of an industrial park, hemmed in by a motorway and industrial units and there isn’t much else nearby. We used it as a base for Disneyland and Paris. It may work well if you are driving directly to Disneyland, but it is less convenient if you are relying on public transport. Unfortunately, there are no decent restaurants or shops within walking distance of the hotel.||We took the RER A from Torcy into Disneyland, which was quick and easy, but required a 10-minute drive to the station for the free parking. The fare (€2.50) is probably the cheapest thing you’ll spend during a day at Disney. If you’re planning to use the RER-A to get to Disney, I would recommend choosing accommodation closer to Bussy-Saint-Georges (next stop on the line) where there is a choice of shops and restaurants.||As for the hotel itself, it was a standard Novotel—comfortable, though not exceptional. There’s a small outdoor swimming pool and an enclosed terrace with plenty of seating. Breakfast was well stocked, even when busy there was always enough space to sit. Staff were very friendly, the rooms, pool and hotel in general were clean. Secure parking is available. The rooms were a bit small and there is limited choice of TV channels.||Overall: A decent stay with friendly service and good facilities, but the location is very isolated. Best suited for guests with a car; if you’re planning to rely on the train, you’ll be better off staying closer to...