My previous stay at the Novotel London Canary Wharf was far from satisfactory. The hotel compensated me generously by offering two complimentary nights for two persons in executive suite breakfast included. At first I wasn’t willing to go back but decided to give this hotel another chance. Unfortunately, this stay wasn’t stress-free either and now I know it: I won’t return.

Booking

I made the reservation for extended weekend for my family directly from the hotel. I paid for one extra night in the suite and three nights in superior room. I informed that I’ll be staying in the superior room and my family members in the executive suite and that we’ll be arriving at 11am.

Check In

Welcome was warm. We were greeted with smile by a guest experience manager and our rooms were ready. However, I had to explain again who of us will be staying in the suite and who in the superior room and yet they made a mistake.

We received two welcome drink vouchers without need to ask and I was upgraded from superior to executive room after I asked which room they gave me. I made sure we all three get welcome drink and the answer was yes. Only after that they took the vouchers back and added the number of guests.

The guest experience manager reminded us that breakfast is included and when it was served. At this point she didn’t mention anything about the lounge and I didn’t ask about it because I already knew that there is one.

Room

My executive room looked similar than the deluxe room where I stayed last time but the executive room was on higher floor and it had a few extra amenities such as Nespresso machine, Nuxe bath products, and ”fully stocked” mini bar (later about that).

Water was complimentary and there was plenty of it: two big bottles of still and sparkling water. However, the brand (Kingsdown) was different to that in the mini bar menu (Hildon) which was confusing. Was it the complimentary water or not? (Front desk confirmed it was. They should print new price lists.)

There wasn’t any hotel manual or letter explaining hotel services, breakfast times (I had already forgotten what I was told while checking in) and other benefits like the lounge. I wasn’t able to find these on TV either. My family members who don’t stay at hotels often also noticed this.

The suite was spacious and divided to living and bedroom. The living room had huge couch, decent writing desk and bookcase. A comfortable double bed was dominating the other side of the room. The interior design of the suite was stylish, industrial, similar to public areas while the executive room was very basic yet functional.

The suite had toilet and bathroom with walk-in shower, the executive room came with bathtub. Soap coaster was missing so we had to use a paper cover from one of glasses.

Views from both rooms were amazing, facing the skyline of central London.

Walls of the suite had cracks and sloppy paint marks which reduced the ambiance and general quality. So did lightning. It was impossible to get mood lightning in the suite. There were several lights in the living room but one switch. It was all either on or off. Very annoying.

A pathetic welcome amenity, salty cookies, was brought to both rooms but a birthday card was delivered to me and not to my mom who had the birthday of which the hotel was aware.

Housekeeping

This is one thing where the hotel need to improve. I, for example, found hairs of previous guest or cleaner in the bathtub. Crisps that were mentioned in the mini bar menu were missing and two gin bottles were empty. The suite had opened ice tea bottle in its mini bar.

The suite had two bathrobes but only one pair of slippers. Coffee capsules and water weren’t replenished and all wet towels weren’t changed. One bathrobe was taken away the second day but not replaced with a new one. It took ages to get a clean one and one of us ended up going to spa without a bathrobe.

Rooms were very warm if not hot. The temperature remained below +30 degrees even though I had set it to +16 degrees. I woke up in the middle of the first night dripping wet. I reported this the next morning and a repairman came to check my room: the air conditioner was broken, it was fixed and the two other nights were much more tolerable.

When the A/C issue was solved then a cleaner decided to switch off the A/C by taken away the key card beside the door. It was annoying since the room was hot again when returning there in the evening.

Dining

We had dinner and breakfast at the hotel. Bokan 37 is an excellent restaurant in the evening but quite an opposite in the morning.

The breakfast wasn’t very well organized. In the first morning all three of us were welcomed, we were seated quickly and asked what we would like to drink. Soon after that another waiter came and repeated the same question.

A little later we requested some more coffee. After our mugs were refilled we went to get food. When returning to table we found out that our refilled coffee mugs, juices, cutleries, all were gone. The table had been prepared for new customers.

Next morning we were told that our room price included only two persons and the third one need to pay. I asked the headwaiter to call front desk and the issue was sorted out. Third morning came and now all of us was asked to pay since ”your room doesn’t include breakfast.” Again a phone call to reception solved the problem.

I was thinking if the hotel was doing all this for a purpose. (Front desk told later that the reservation was made for two persons only altough the reservation confirmation clearly stated three persons and bed and breakfast package.)

Food items were running out, food that was suppose to be hot was cold and the selection had been deteriorated from the previous stay. Fresh berries, for example, were gone.

Guests could order egg dishes from the kitchen if they wished to do so but one needed to know that. No-one told about it and there wasn’t any breakfast menu available. I gave feedback about this last time already but it seems they couldn’t care less.

Lounge

The lounge is a sad little place and I’m not surprised why it was dead most of the time. There were nine customers at best, including us, but most of the time just three or four people.

During my previous stay at this hotel I gave feedback to a lounge manager about the poor selection of snacks. He assured that he will make changes and improve the variety.

Well, he surely have made some changes but I wouldn’t call it as an improvement. The selection was even worse this time. Almost same snacks every night: one small gyoza per guest (served in two evenings), a tiny cup of cold melon soup per guest (served in two evenings), one deep fried prawn per guest (served in one evening) and handful of sweet popcorns (served every evening). If you asked nicely you were able to get another handful of popcorns. They didn’t serve any desserts anymore.

One bottle of red and white wine were kept visible, all other drinks (prosecco, beer and soft drinks) were in the fridge and you needed to request them. The service was attentive when the lounge was empty but when it was the busiest time a waiter was nowhere to be seen.

One afternoon they had put bread rolls and fruits on display in the lounge and I took some. I thought it was afternoon tea service, part of the improved services. While I was eating a waiter came to tell that snacks were meant for conference guests. How kind.

Later I was told by the guest experience manager that the lounge will be closed soon since not many people use it. Of course not if it’s not advertised anywhere and if the selection is so poor.

The general manager has recently changed here (didn’t met her). She came from Novotel London Blackfriars, the previous GM is currently managing Sofitel Sydney Wentworth.

Check Out

I requested late check-out and as usual my request was refused because the hotel was full. However, if I was willing to pay we could have kept our rooms longer. After negotiation they said we can have our rooms until 2pm. That didn’t help us much so we just decided to leave the place after breakfast.