Good with one niggle

I have stayed at this hotel several times.

I would agree with all the positives listed by other reviewers but my 'niggle' is that the toilet is completely separate to the bathroom, and there is no sink in the small toilet room. Thus you have to walk through the rest of the room to get to the 'bathroom' to wash one's hands, itself a little unhygenic.

This problem is worse when sharing a room with another. I have been left in the unsatisfactory position of being unable to wash my hands immediately after using the toilet for a "number 2". Meanwhile you have to be wary of what you touch in the room.

A nice hotel, but a poor design feature.

Leaky shower!

Stayed here on a short weekend break. Booked online via the Novotel website.

Initially had difficulty finding it as we lost our orientation at London Bridge Underground, but this was fine as we got to see some of the Thames waterfront around Southwark.

Check-in was fine, although the receptionist was interrupted by a couple of phone calls.

Our room was a 'Superior' with queen sized bed and sofabed. First impressions were great, modern, and functional (mainly to suit the business traveller).

However, there were problems in the bathroom. The shower unit had an odd design, which meant that water seeped through gaps in the door onto the floor, and the shower basin caught water which added to the problem when exiting the shower. We had to use a couple of towels to soak up the water.

We tried to use the shower head in the bath, only to discover that the washer had not been tightened correctly, so water gushed out at the point of connection between the hose and the tap.

No replacement of shower gel and shampoo, even though it was clear we were nearly out of shampoo.

We also discovered that the duvet cover was not as clean as it looked.

A shame, as Novotel as a brand seems to have a decent reputation.

Excellent friendly hotel

Just had a wonderful stay at this hotel, staff were very friendly and courteous towards ourselves and our children. There was a Playstation 2 in reception which the children thought was great!

The rooms were fine very clean and the bath and shower were great. Room service was very quick and the breakfast in the morning was fantastic which was full English or continental.

The hotel was only a short walk from London Bridge station and in a quiet area.

I would thoroughly recommend this hotel especially if you are travelling with children and thought it was great value for money.

Excellent value for money

The Novotel London City South is a modern hotel on the Southbank of London, in Southwark (full adress 53-61 Southwark Bridge Road). Stayed there for three nights in May. It's fantastic value for money, especially considering the general bad quality (and cost) of hotels in London. It's basically a 4-star hotel with budget hotel rates!

The rooms are relatively roomy, superclean (and fresh!) with a queen-size bed, a small sofa, a toilet and a stylish bathroom with shower and bath, plus all the room facilities you need: air conditioning, a safe, tv, ironing board etc etc. The room interior may be a bit too bland for some - you won't find fancy princess beds, designer interior or other luxury hotel features here. Nevertheless, modern.

The (mostly non-British staff's) service varied between friendly and remotely formal.

The only "negative" thing (I use quotes because this is really not that big of an issue) I can come up with is the location. Because it's located outside downtown (it's across Thames, near London Bridge), getting to Oxford Circus or Piccadilly Circus for example takes some time. The fastest way is to use the tube, which takes about 15 mins. The two tube stations, Elephant & Cross and Southwark are both about another 10-15 min walk from the hotel. Or you can cross the river and continue from there, or use the buses. Near London Bridge there is a marketplace, a few restaurants; near the hotel, a few mini-marts and pubs.

Because the Novotel is located outside the busiest centers, it's very quiet and peaceful and suitable for families. If it weren't for the few occasional police car sirens sounding off somewhere, you probably wouldn't even know you're in a big city metropolis...

If the location suits you, the Novotel London City South is terrific value for money.

Big city gem

By booking online we got a terrific hotel and ended up with the best out of three we stayed in in London and Paris. The modern design of the room means that it seems larger than it is and it is very attractive -- plus we got Walker shortbreads left in the room every day. The location is terrific -- walking distance to all the South Bank attractions.

Awesome hotel

I booked this hotel at their own website after finding a great deal. The hotel is prodominately used by business people during the week so they have a fantastic offer on the weekend called the great getaway deal. We paid 89 pounds a night for 3 of us with full buffet breakfast. This would have to be the cleanest hotel i have ever stayed in. The rooms were of a good size and very modern. The bathrooms were luxurious and so very clean. The shower is to die for, I have never experienced such a wonderful shower and I have never seen a bath so deep, a great way to relax after a long day sightseeing. The staff were extemely helpful and friendly. The breakfast was delicious with a good selection of food. The location of the hotel is ideal for the traveller. It is within walking distance to many of the attractions of London and with it being just off the river front it was lovely to be able to go wonder on a night. Also a few steps from the hotel is the bus stop for the sightseeing bus which we found to be very good. All in all our stay at the novotel city south was a definate highlight of our round the world trip and I cannot reccomend it enough to anyone wanting to spend a few days in London.

WOW! Such a great hotel for such a great price!!

I stayed in the Marriott at Canary Wharf on business for 5 days before checking in to the Novotel London City South hotel for the vacation portion of my trip.

I was very impressed with Novotel. It was clean, the same size as my Marriott room, and had all the same amenities at less than half the cost!! The room had a safe, a mini bar, a separate bath and bathroom, as well as in-room Internet (5 pounds=1 hour) just like at the Marriott (10 pounds = 15 minutes). The hotel also had a fitness room and shoe polishing machines on every floor -- nice touch. The difference between the two hotels? You get a chocolate on your pillow at the Marriott, as well as nicer bed covers. Is it worth the price differrence? I paid 80 USD a night for the Novotel through Priceline.com. The Marriott room was 320 USD a night. The location of the Novotel is okay, it is within walking distance to the London Dungeon, and very close to the Tower of London, St. Pauls Cathedral and the Tate Museum of Modern Art. The tube to the Jubilee and North lines is just 3 blocks away, very convenient. The room was very quiet as it was facing the courtyard/parkinglot section of the hotel. I'd say the only downside of the hotel is that it takes around 20-30 minutes to get to the Westminster touristy areas. All in all, this hotel has definitely exceeded my expectations, and far surpasses any 3 star hotel I've stayed at in Europe.

Great Location, Great Family Hotel

Stayed here for the weekend and it proved a really success for our family. Location, south of the river, is great if you want a quiet stay but within easy access of the sights. It is a couple of minutes walk to the embankment and 5 mins from the tube / London Bridge.

Welcome was friendly and efficient and reception staff were able to help answer all our queries. Rooms had everything you would want and expect of this standard hotel. Bedrooms were great - bathrooms really stylish with the best hotel shower ever.

Didn't try the breakfast as we got a discounted rate for room only. Had no problem finding places to eat. Worth walking both ways along the river to find your favourite. Hotel did try and charge me for breakfast but once queried it was removed immediately.

Bar was ok. Restaurant was quiet served bistro syle food that was good.

This was a very good standard of hotel that clearly catered for families and we would definitely recommend it to anyone staying in London.

One tip - make sure you get clear directions from the tube to the hotel. London Bridge tube station has several exits and our first attempt to walk back to the hotel took longer than it should have!

A great place

We stayed 3 nights and loved it. The location is perfect - a few steps from the embankment near the Tate Modern. Rooms are big, well designed and tasteful. Breakfast terrific. Minor problems were the shower glass door failed to keep the water inside the recess at times and the aircon dripped onto the bathroom floor which they tried but failed to rectify twice - although they cleaned up and replaced towels promptly at each complaint. Good beds. There is a great $$ deal if you stay 2+ nights incl breakfast. The staff were extremely helpful, making bookings, giving advice etc.

A Great Hotel

This new generation Novotel is by far my favourite hotel in London. Friendly staff, very clean, modern, superb beds and bathrooms. I have stayed here 12 times over the past 12 months and enjoyed every visit. Parking is expensive though at between £15-20 per day and internet access a little steep at £16 per day.