Novotel Blois Centre Val de Loire Hotel in Blois

This property falls well short of a 4-star hotel experience. The location is not ideal, the exterior lacks appeal, and the interior feels dated and underwhelming. We stayed in a family room that was more comparable to a 2-star accommodation, with dirty walls, stained carpets, and mold in the bathroom that made for a very disappointing stay.

Breakfast simply continued the overall lackluster impression of the hotel. By 9:00 AM, there were no more crepes available, which could easily have been resolved considering it was done with a basic store-bought mix. The selection was mediocre, the dining area cramped, and overall, I’ve had better breakfast experiences at 3-star hotels.

There also needs to be much greater transparency regarding the city tax. When the booking confirmation clearly states that all taxes are paid and nothing is due at the hotel, it is extremely frustrating and unprofessional to be charged extra upon arrival. It’s not about the amount, it’s about the principle and the lack of clear communication. Situation that was later on fixed by the staff!

One more point worth mentioning: during check-in, the staff offered a Novotel bear keychain to the children in front of us, but skipped our children, seemingly because I had just voiced my complaint regarding the tax issue. That kind of behavior feels petty and impolite, especially from a hospitality perspective.

Overall, this was a very disappointing experience, and I would not recommend staying here.

_____________

My reply to your response:
The reservation was made directly through your website, so that excuse simply doesn’t hold up.
What’s truly unbelievable is that, despite numerous complaints from so many different guests about the same recurring issues, nothing has been improved. Instead of taking real accountability, you continue to respond with the same copy-paste message full of empty good intentions. It’s disappointing and unacceptable.

Our visit to the hotel was very disappointing as we had to wait an hour to check in time as the room was not ready despte us arriving after 15:00! When we initially complained, we were offered a drink of our choice and when we selected wine were told we could not have it as it was too expensive and we could have a soft drink only. The staff said it was not the hotels fault the room was not ready, which as the room are cleaned by the hotel staff I found this informationsurprising! There were also no supervisors or managers on duty at the weekend, and therefore, no one was able to resolve our complaint. The swimming pool, despite being small, was very popular, meaning there was no space even just to stand! The breakfast was ok, although none of the hot food was hot. The hotel does have a secure car park, which is an extra despite it being next to council car park, which did not charge whilst we were staying, which the hotel staff denied when asked. On a positive the hotel is easy walking distance to the city centre.

The reflection pictures on Ctrip are deceptive. This hotel is on a hillside, very far from the river. How is it possible to be reflected in the river? They must have photoshopped it in. The carpet is dirty. I paid for the room before checking in, but when I checked out, they said I still had 16 or so Euros to pay. It's ridiculous!