Novotel Queenstown Lakeside

We stayed on the ground floor (previously have had an Alpine Room). Some of the rooms clearly have shower curtains which ours did. I feel that these are a thing of the past and unhygienic and need to be replaced with glass doors. The carpet could also do with replacing - just looking a little tired compared to the Alpine rooms.

Beautiful hotel, staff were friendly. Parking out the front of the hotel, although if you arrive late in the day, it may be full, so you may need to hunt around for a spot. We only had the breakfast but great variety and great location to go for lunch / dinner else where.

Location and room on the bottom floor with access to courtyard/garden was excellent (only like 50?metres from lake front). Valet parking and the guys who look after the luggage were awesome. We arrived early but were able to roam around the town while they parked the car for us and looked after our luggage until room was ready. By the time we returned our room was ready with the luggage already there.

The breakfast buffet was so disappointing. Not at all what is expected for such a hotel. Absolutely horrible food in terms of taste and presentation. Unclean and not up to standard. Everything was cheap quality or old and wilted from the previous day (or week). I can understand now why there was hardly anybody eating there. I am surprised I didn’t get food poisoning, it was that bad. Also got a fright when housekeeper let herself into our room while we were taking a nap, half naked. She probably got a fright too.

We checked in a day later than we had booked, due to a cancelled AirNZ flight (due to bad turbulence), the day before. Our Lakeside Room with two double beds, as booked, were exactly that. We were in a room that had all that we needed, directly opposite the lake, it was gorgeous. We could sit outside, admire the view and watch people passing by (on the brief occasions were weren't out and about). The beds were comfortable and the room was quiet. We had no problem in checking in fairly quickly (having caught the reasonably priced SuperShuttle bus from the airport), to meet our wine tasting bus tour. It was also no hassle in leaving our bags, at the concierge desk, when we checked out, so that we could spend the day without carrying our bags around - great service, at no charge. My friend visiting from Ireland and myself, were blown away by Queenstown and the beauty of the surrounding areas, and the hotel helped in that regard. The only slight blemish was that we did have to pay for the two nights we had booked, as our cancelled flight the day before warranted a late cancellation with the hotel. However, as readily offered by the hotel, we obtained an insurance letter so that we could make a claim on our travel insurance (with AirNZ), for reimbursement of 1 of the 2 nights we had booked, and did not get the benefit of, due to the cancelled flight the previous day. However, it all worked out perfectly. A great location to stay at; you are right in amongst all of the shops, cafes, restaurants, bars with gorgeous views; easy access to everything Queenstown has to offer. Easy walking to and from the gondola to go up to the Skyline lookout facility, where we had a nice lunch at the cafe. Highly recommend it as a great place to stay, in a fantastic location - and super comfy beds!

Having to claim one night's accommodation back; which was not the fault of the hotel really.

Have stayed here often in different rooms, location is perfect, staff are great, valet parking is super handy!

There are some things that I now feel require upgrading & I have mentioned these in previous reviews, especially given the cost of the rooms. Our handbasin (Room 357) has a massive crack in it so should be replaced. There was no table and chairs on the balcony - pretty sure on the 4th floor we have had them? Also the days of shower curtains are long gone they are unhygienic & stick to you. Half shower doors attached to the wall would work 100%. When you are paying over $400 a night, shower curtains are not really acceptable any more.

Fantastic location, in town and right across the road from the end of the lake. Very handy for shops, cafes, restaurants and and water-based tourist activities. Lucky to receive a complimentary upgrade from a standard room to a mountain view room - 419 - which also had lake views from the balcony. Breakfast was included in the package and was great value; lots of choice and food was good quality. Room was clean and there was a plentiful supply of free toiletries (restocked daily). The room had an air-conditioning unit, a fridge and huge modern tv.

The hotel website said Parking was available at the premises but failed to mention there was a cost of $25/day (or $20/24hours at the Wilson underground carpark a couple of streets away). On-street parking outside the hotel was $4/hour.

The location of this hotel is perfect! On this trip we didn't want to be hiring a car, and we didn't need to at all because everything you need is in easy walking distance. Love the outdoor courtyard, with direct lake access, beautiful in Summer. I stayed with 2 teenage kids, the room worked well for us. Comfy pillows and beds. Nice alpine views. The staff and cleaning team were all friendly and said hello whenever we saw them, very professional. Super easy to book activities and taxi's through the front desk concierge team. Overall a great hotel and we will be staying again.

Nothing

The staff were amazing. So helpful and nothing was too much for them. Breakfast was super yummy and huge variety. The spa was really nice and clean. The beds were sooooo comfy. The shampoo was so good. It was just a really good experience. Will definitely stay again. Oh and we got to the hotel earlier than check in and our room was already ready which was so amazing because we were very early. I hurt my leg on day 2 and the staff got me some ice which was amazing and even on our last day the amazing lady at the front desk checked on me to ask how it was. The staff really made this experience amazing.

Our room didn't get serviced on the 2nd day which was a little bit frustrating just because we left our towels on the floor and by the time we got back that day there wasn't much time for them to dry on the towel rail. However when we went for a spa I mentioned it to the hotel staff who got us new towels delivered to our room while we were in the spa so it wasn't a big deal. We just loved how amazing the cleaners were on the first day we were excited to come back to freshly made bed and towels but it wasn't but legit didn't matter, still had an amazing stay. Oh maybe the TV should be able to go a little louder. We did struggle a little to hear our movies

The location is great. Close to the lake and all the shops and restaurants in central Queenstown. It's about a 15 minute walk up to the gondola. We were fortunate to get valet parking. There was a good selection at the buffet breakfast and it's open until 11 a.m. on weekends. The beds were very comfortable. Checkout was at 11 a.m. which was great.

The bathroom was on the small side and there was very little space to put your toiletries. The room also had a mini bar which we prefer not to have, ever since a hotel in Auckland charged us for drinks we hadn't had! I now take photos as evidence!

Beautiful scenery from the outside as it’s near the lake (in front of it) and streets where bus/shuttles pick you up for tours/experiences. It’s also just walking distance to the skyline and eateries. Hotel had good breakfast options - fixed for continental and the asian (albeit 2-3 options) changes. Rooms were serviced well throughout our stay. They can also arrange tours but we didn’t avail as we already booked it beforehand. Luggage can be left at the hotel if you arrive early and they’ll bring it to your room once it’s ready. Rooms were decent size too.

Toilet looks a little outdated but it’s not much of an issue. Price was a little high for my liking but it was also the ski season so it’s understandable that prices will be higher.