Pros: The lobby gave a good first impression, looking grand and spacious. The breakfast area was also large. It's about a 7-minute walk to Kangxin Highway Metro Station Exit 2. Compared to other hotels I've stayed in, they offer more shuttle services to Disneyland, as well as regular transfers to Pudong Airport, Hongqiao Airport, and even the Bund. The AC in the room was strong, and the mini-fridge was stocked daily with six complimentary bottles of water and drinks of various sizes. There were also three bottles of water on the vanity. Free congee was available in the evenings until 11 PM, and they provided free foot soak packets. Food deliveries could be brought directly to the room. The hotel also had amenities like claw machines for kids.
Cons: Everything else was a drawback, yes. And pretty significant ones at that.
Hygiene was poor. When I pulled back the duvet, there were two hairs on the sheets – one head hair and one curly body hair. Near the toilet, there was a faint smell of urine, with no hint of disinfectant, suggesting it wasn't sanitized between guests. I wiped the faucet handle of the sink with a wet wipe, and the underside revealed a significant amount of old grime. The floor around the shower stall was also dark and dirty.
Facilities were subpar. The overhead shower had low water pressure and a very dispersed stream, making for an unsatisfactory shower. The hot and cold water adjustment was also temperamental. The toilet model was quite old, likely not a siphon flush. When I pressed the flush button, a massive gush of water erupted, splashing a few droplets out. The TV screen was small, and to make matters worse, it was an old, non-smart system, so I couldn't find a way to cast to it and eventually gave up. Even with all the lights on, the room was dim.
Breakfast was disappointing. Despite the large restaurant and seemingly abundant food, my initial excitement faded when I realized most items were made from cheap ingredients. Even the fried eggs were tough. Reviews mentioned the small wontons were good, so I specifically ordered some, but they were indescribable. The fried noodles were mushy. Only the pancakes were decent, but the chicken sausage inside was, again, cheap. The mini cakes were also cheap. As a Platinum member of a certain program, I'd never stayed at a Novotel before, and this experience left a truly bad impression.
Service was poor. The front desk staff, whether when I called to inquire beforehand, during check-in, or the lady who cooked the wontons at breakfast, all had somewhat unfriendly attitudes. The worst was a tall, thin gentleman from the concierge. When I checked out, I wanted to send a package, and he simply told me to leave it on a cluttered table, with a hint of impatience. He didn't ask for my room number or phone number, just said to leave it there. I thought, what if other people also need to send packages? If they're all put together without room numbers, how will anyone know which is which? My package contained several thousand yuan worth of newly purchased Disney merchandise, so I nervously took photos for my records and called SF Express to urge them to pick it up as soon as possible. Overall, the experience really didn't meet the standards expected for a 650-yuan hotel.
The room was an upgraded category, but it wasn't very spacious. The window could be opened and had a screen, but there was a loud metro noise outside. Personally, I don't mind the metro noise at all, but those sensitive to noise should consider this.
I think if it were around 400 yuan, it might be acceptable, but the basic room type was 650 yuan when I stayed, and I thought to myself, there are just too many alternative hotels out there.
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