Novotel Toronto Centre

While our room was great the doggy doo-doo in the halls was not! After once reporting dog feces outside the elevator one night to a staff member, we woke up to it the next morning to find it all over the carpet outside our door. What gives? I again reported it, this time to the front desk, and not even an apology! Totally ruined what would have been an otherwise lovely stay and I'm sure the hotel would have known who on our floor would have had a dog (let's put it this way - not a small dog!)

After reading the recent reviews on Trip Advisor, I was really concerned about our stay there. However, it turned out to be wonderful - almost like we were in a different hotel from the previous raters. Highlights:

- excellent service - they accomodated every request very quickly

- no problem with garage

- our room was on the 8th floor & was lovely. The room had very functional lighting & desk space, as opposed to other places where the rooms have been stylish, but not good if you want to read or work on the computer. We appreciated the safety deposit box in the room, which was large enough for our laptop. Free internet access was terrific. The room was very clean. The bed was comfortable.

- the buffet breakfast is terrific & was even better because it was included in our Tourism Toronto package.

- location outstanding. We never moved our car since we could walk so many places & only had to take the subway to AGO. Many good restaurants in immediate area.

- we avoided the construction noise by requesting a room on the south side of the hotel.

We stayed here for 3 nights as the third leg of our honeymoon and found the hotel to more than live up to our expectations.

We were upgraded to a "Superior" room with a glorious super-kingsize bed, large bathroom (with electric blind!) and all the usual facilities. The room was spacious, clean and comfortable.

The hotel is ideally located for sightseeing Toronto City Centre and a perfect base for seeing the surrounding area of the Lakes. Budget Car Hire is a 5 minute walk away as is the train station which has a covered walkway directly to the CN Tower.

Very pleased with the Novotel and would stay here again.

I had the pleasure of staying at the Novotel Toronto Centre for 11 nights in November and had no complaints whatsoever. The staff were all very helpful. The housekeepers were great and worked around my schedule, the concierge was excellent with helping me find the places I needed to go to and suggesting activities to occupy my spare time.

The hotel itself is centrally located in downtown Toronto with everywhere you might want to go in walking distance or just a quick subway ride away. There are several very nice restaurants and pubs very close to the hotel as well, making dining choices varied on many nights.

The room was tastefully decorated and had more then enough space in it for me. Although I only used the pool, hot tub and exercise room sparingly, they were more then adequate for my needs.

I would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone travelling to Toronto as the staff are great and helpful, the facilities are more then adequate and the location cannot be beat.

My husband & I were in town for a ballgame, some good food and fun! The hotel was in walking distance to the ballgame and great places to eat. We were able to walk around and get back with no trouble at all. It was very clean and quiet! The buffet was well worth the price. It had everything on it. The rooms are very modern, so there was not a lot of drawer space, but I hung most of my things and it worked out. The bathroom was huge and very clean. I would recommend this hotel. Enjoy!

This hotel was more then excellent, I cant describe how good this hotel was, this was by far the best hotel I have ever stayed at. the staff at this hotel was Phenomenal and would do everything possable to make sure we were comfortable. The rooms were very clean and well put togeather. the restaurant was very good and breakfast was also excellent. The hotel was right in downtown toronto, a block away from the Hockey Hall Of Fame and about four blocks from the CN Tower and the Rogers Centre. I would recommend this hotel to anyone going to Toronto, and I would 100% stay at this hotel again.

We stayed at this hotel last weekend to go and see a BlueJay game. I must say this was a great experience! We didn't hear any noise like other travellers complain about. The hotel was close to the expressway, train station and pubs and we didn't notice it! The room was great, the beds a bit too firm. Beautifull bathroom. And VERY clean. The breakfast we had booked with our room was absolutely the best buffet we've ever had in a hotel! Fresh raisin and walnut bread, lots of warm things to choose from and too many pastries. I wanted them ALL!

The locatione is great. Rogers centre, Eaton centre and the St. Lauwrence market all with in walking distance.

We will return here!

Not only did I get an amazing deal, the accommodations far exceeded my expectations. Bright, modernist and newly renovated, the room was immaculate. The cozy bed w/down comforter tempted me to sleep in all day, but since the location was within walking distance from several great restaurants, the Air Canada Centre, Hockey Museum and many other attractions, it was easy to resist that urge. The workout room had ellipticals with flat screens, weights and ample equipment, with a spacious pool, hot tub and sauna nearby. Overall, a five star hotel experience for the price of a one star. Without hesitation, go enjoy yourself at the Novotel - it rocks.

very good hotel and great location. It is right in the centre and only few minute walk from main attractions! I recommend taking breakfast at the Rich Trees.. 4 min walk from the hotel and such a fresh food for a reasonnable price!

Hotel has a top floor swimming pool with a fantastic view on Toronto! Don't miss it! The gym is also the largest I have seen in Novotel and well equipped.

Visited here in September 2001 - sorry for the delay in the revue Ha! Ha!

This hotel is ideally situated for yonge st. shopping and all the downtown amenities are within walking distance ie shops,harbour area for island trips,cn tower,stadium and pubs etc.

The hotel itself is of a high standard and rooms, food etc are top class. There is a penthouse-type jacussi and pool and steam room etc. free for residents and there are eateries and pubs across the road with live music and excellent food. They also do daily coach trips to Niagara and surrounding districts.

Great acommodations.Staff very helpful.Arrived early and had luggage stored away until room was ready.Wonderful dining in hotel restaurant.Close to Air Canada Center,Hall Of Fame,and lots of dining & clubs within walking distance.Greeting staff very obliging in providing directions to requested venues.Hotel host excellent atitude even went outside to hail Taxi cab for us to go to hockey game at Ricoh Center.

We booked this hotel via Expedia for a 6 night visit to Toronto. The room we had was a good size, clean and well maintained and the bathroom even had a small bath. Overall i thought the hotel, which is very handy for downtown Toronto and CN Tower/Rogers Centre was excellent value and would use again if for some reason i was in Toronto. There is (as other posters have noted) some building work taking place opposite the hotel, we had a room on the far side of the hotel away from the building work so it did not effect us, but it might be a problem if you did have a room nearer the building work.

The Hotel also has free wifi, which was really handy as i had my ipod touch with me and i could check out the weather forcast when deciding what to do on each day of our trip!

We went to a concert at the Air Canada Centre. This hotel was maybe 2 - 3 blocks away, so it was within walking distance. Parking is a bit of a nightmare and it will cost you. Parking is underground. We used the underground machine and then told the front desk. I had to run back down and get the ticket off the dashboard for proof, then run the ticket back down to our car.

Checking in took a while, but she was extremely patient and friendly with us and her computer.

The room was clean, quiet, and easy to find.

The restaurant was a bit overpriced so we just had burgers for 8 Canadian dollars.

The Hotel is centrally located in Toronto with easy access to many of the local sites. Wonderful customer service and the room was spotless. In town for a business conference at the Hotel. Staff were friendly and responded to all questions or requests I had. The ability to make the elevator work was a little abnoxious. Room card was required to make the elevator work (but probably good for security). If your into large pillows, you may want to bring your own. The pillows at the hotel are tiny. But, overall a great experience. Would visit the Novotel in the future.

My husband stayed here for business on Apr 28th. I decided to take the trip out of town with him, and our 2 year old son to sleep in, go swimming and have some fun. First thing in the am we were woken up due to extremely loud construction. went to the pool at 10am and the hot tub was under construction, it completely terrified my son as it was very loud. We put our sons milk in the mini fridge, and we had to have the maid check that we didnt take anything, because soon as you move anything in it you are billed automatically. The hotel itself is completely fine as in cleanliness, value, and location, but just a heads up to those who are considering staying there right now while they are drilling, or jack hammering all over the place! Its definately not quiet starting at about 8 am! Also when I mentioned my concerns to the girl working the front desk, she completely acted clueless and surprised, nothing was done to compensate or rectify the situation.

my friend and i were going to see a concert at the ACC and booked this hotel which is really close about 10min walk max. right across the street from union station which was really good since we went to toronto on the GO bus. pool is really small but there was never anyone there. the hot tub was under construction which was a disappointment. becareful with the mini bar, if you even move anything you will get charged if you need a fridge just ask and they will bring one up for you. there is a convience store right beside the hotel main entrance so get snacks there. room service:some stuff is reasonable, eg hamburger with fires $13. but for a bag of microwave popcorn and a pop was $9. a coke from the minifrige was $3.75. staff was very polite we arrived at 1pm and were not expecting to be able to get into our room but no problem not really busy season and this hotel seems to be out of the way of the main ones. i would recommend this hotel and i would stay in it again. price was the cheapest i could find in walking distance to ACC. there is construction right now and sign says from 8-6pm. i read the other reviews and i thought that people we just complaining about the noise but it is crazy lound. we only were bothered by it from 4-630pm and the next morning we were in the room unitl check out and hadn't heard a thing yet.

Just outside the main hustle and bustle ideal base ideally situated,excellent breakfasts to suit all tastes,healthy or cooked both excellent.

Problem with conformation made booking via telephone but booked onto smoking floor with one bed instead of two,little bit of difficulty honouring our booking but did eventually,could have done without it after a long flight but when sorted no problems,make sure you get written conformation before arriving

We had tickets to the Maple Leaf vs Senators game Jan 3/09. We chose the Novotel because it is a short walk to the Air Canada Centre.

We had a room on the 7th floor with a comfortable king sized bed. It was not a huge room but ok for the 2 of us. The room, including the bathroom, was very clean and modern and everything worked great.

The people at the front desk were great. The only negative about the hotel was the parking. When we booked we were told it was included in the price but we were charged $20. The parking is underground and it is so tight! I'm glad we have a smaller vehicle. We had to wait for someone to leave before we could park. My husband had to help guide that vehicle out so he didn't hit anything, then I had to do the same to get ours parked. I come from a small town where parking is not an issue, so I find that a bit stressful, but once we were parked we could walk everywhere we had to go so that was good.

Other than the parking, our stay at the Novotel was great, the Maple Leafs beat the Senators, and we really enjoyed our time in Toronto! I would definitely stay at the Novotel again!

My wife and I have stayed a few times in Toronto but this was our first visit to this hotel.

We were not disappointed - handy location near to the main railway station and within easy walking distance to most tourist/sports venues.

The reception, dining and customer relations staff were pleasant and helpful (no problems experienced as described in other reviews).

Rooms were not overly large (I booked one with two queen beds for an extra bit of space) but were clean, warm and well maintained each day.

Pubs/eating places/directly across the road (no noise however) and the famous building work adjacent to the hotel is now progressing into yet another condo so do not expect any kind of lovely view (again building noise was not in the least intrusive even although our room faced the structure).

Good value for money at the rate we got - you can do a lot worse than this very reasonable hotel.

This was my third stay and matched up to the previous visits despite the significant construction work taking place across from the main entrance. The reception staff were very helpful and room was functional and clean. The swimming pool area looked slightly tired but nevertheless for the rate paid I was pleased to make use of it after a long day of sight seeing and on all occasions had it totally to myself. The hotel's main plus is its location being within a few minutes easy walking distance to buses, train, ferries, shops and the CNTower/Rogers Centre - ideal. It is not an upmarket place but very functional and I left feeling I had got value for money.

We stayed at this hotel In April for a week. I chose this hotel because of the reviews and how close it was to attractions. This hotel is a great base to see Toronto. We were able to walk everywhere, the only time we used the underground is when we went to the Zoo. Did not eat in the hotel but there are plenty of places near by to eat. We got a taxi from the airport it think it was about 48 dollars. Would recommend this hotel to anyone, it was comfy, clean and a good size. They also had many good facilities, and the staff were frinedly to.

We were pleased with this hotel, but felt that it was a little overpriced. The hotel appeared to be trying to be a little higher-class than it really was. The staff was not super friendly and seemed put out when we asked for information and directions. Our room was nice, but had a bit of an odd smell and needed to be vacuumed much better. We could hear every word that was said in the room next to us, which was only a problem at 2AM when the "girls" returned from their night on the town. The location is great. We attended at concert at the Sony Centre, which is literally across the street. I would probably stay here again, but not at $250 per night.

We booked our 4 night stay from the UK and paid upfront for the deal. Fortunately we were in Toronto 4 weeks earlier and checked out the hotel as there was heavy construction work being carried out opposite the hotel entrance. We managed to arrange to be allocated a room away from this and on a high floor, which was great as we did not experience any outside noise much at all. We were happy with our room and the breakfast buffet in the restaurant had an amazing choice. The staff in the restaurant were very helpful. We also enjoyed a couple of evening meals in the restaurant. The hotel was in a good location, just one block from Yonge Street and 2 blocks from a subway station. We would certainly consider staying there again.

Good location, comfortable and very friendly service, particularly in the restaurant.

I stayed at the Novotel with my 65-lb. senior dog and it was a very positive experience. The Novotel truly was pet friendly, and Charlie was given a doggie gift bag upon check in. The housekeeping staff was very friendly with our dog and he was allowed to ride the elevators and stroll through the lobby as if he were canine royalty. There are two or three grassy park-like areas nearby, too, for walking your pooch. Highly recommended hotel for folks who travel with their dogs.

The hotel was good. I only stayed for a night. It's a couple blocks from Union Station and the Subway line. I had a fairly large room with minimum European decor. This is a perfect place to stay if you’re going to be out and about all day.

One downside, there is construction going on directly across the street (the streets are close in this area). The banging and noise began exactly at 7:30 a.m. I think this is something they should make there guests aware of upon booking or checking-in. Had I had a longer stay, I would have asked to be moved immediately.

Other than that, it was a good hotel if you get a good deal. Don't overpay though.

Loved our stay here. Basically there was a large group of 10 guys out to party and have a good time from the UK. The staff had no problem giving us rooms next to each other which we preferred. As we could jump in and out of each others rooms if we needed anything. A short walk up to the Eaton Centre and Yonge street. Directly across the road there are a couple of nice restaurants and bars. I liked the bar which has world beers. Coming from the UK, I was estatic that they had a lovely cold pint of Kronenbourg 1664. Quite pricey tho as most beers are imports. If you take a right coming out of the hotel and then the next left, you'l find 'the keg' steakhouse'. This is a fantastic place to eat, so many steaks and options. Enjoyed our stay here. Only problem was that as we were in and out of our rooms alot the doors did make a large sound when being left to close. Thats the only 'negative' thing I have to say. It didn't matter to us but perhaps other guests may not have liked it. Overall a very good place to stay and on the 1st floor they also have one pc so you can check online etc.

The hotel was fine, a little in need of a makeover perhaps, but in a nice way.... kinda Art Deco Faded Grandeur. It was clean and comfortable.

The location is ok, near theatre land and St Lawrence market (worth a visit) Easy walk to the railway station but BEWARE - if you need a cab to the station you may have problems. The rather unhelpful frontdesk staff refused to call us a cab, said they wouldnt do such a short trip and advised us to walk... Great fun, with 3 suitcases and 2 sets of skis!

The rest of the staff were nice though, the restaurant was surprisingly good.

The room was spacious, comfortable, nice big beds, good bathroom, coffe making, free wifi, excellent room service.

But beware the mini bar - real rip off prices.

So over all, a couple of problems but still good value hotel.

This hotel is close to where the airport coach drops you (Union Station) and so has easy access to the subway. There is an impressive lobby but rooms although spacious seem rather dull. They do however have everything you would need, and have spacious bathrooms too.

The hotel has a decent sized pool and a well equiped gym that hardly ever got busy.

Within a few minutes you can be in the centre of the shops but good restaurants seemed to be a few blocks further. The CN Tower is only a few blocks away, along with the Hippo Tours and the stadium.

Breakfast was average at the hotel (buffet style) but you can easily walk to some great breakfast places.

Stayed here for three nights on a work trip. The staff was helpful and the location was ideal. Short walk to Convention center and close to a lot of restaurants and bars. The room was great. We arrived very late at night and the restaurant stayed open late so we could eat. I would stay here again if the price was right.

As so many of the reviews here state, not the greatest hotel in the area for the star level.

Pros - beautiful med. sized lobby, great location near great pubs and ACC, free wifi

Cons - rooms quite dirty, bathrooms had mold on the ceilings, found glass shards unvacuumed on our carpet, unshampooed rug smelled of a spilled cup of coffee, alarm clock was not working, toilet had to be "flicked" in order to stop making a noise, construction next door, underground and across the alley sounded like it was right in the room next door ( I'm not EXAGGERATING here) and went on from 8am sharp until 6pm.)

We pricelined so did well on price but even at that cheap rate, I'd pay more and stay elsewhere.

I must say, it had the potential to be a good hotel but needs major TLC. The rooms look new but just unkept.

This hotel is in a great location in downtown Toronto with restaurants, bars, stadiums, theater, etc. all nearby. Staff is well trained and rooms are well appointed. They absolutely need to get a valet service going!! The hotel parking is a disaster!! The single worst parking set up I have seen in 25 years of travelling and I travel 100 times per year. Get the valet set up tomorrow. I mean it............. Do it!.............Am I being clear?? Other than that, it is reasonably priced, has a restaurant and bar, a pantry and all the other amenities you could want on a business trip. I would stay here again, but not until they establish a valet service.

Overall, not a bad hotel to stay at. Some of the attractive features included free wireless internet (unusual in an upper scale hotel), efficient front desk service, and a good location near the waterfront with plenty of lively eating and drinking spots nearby. The bathroom fixtures were very new, and the bed cover was an attractive off-white. The bed itself was quite comfy. I had one meal at the Cafe Nicole in the hotel lobby, and the service and food was above average.

However, the Novotel does have its challenges. Some of the irritating feartures of the hotel:

1. I had a horribly dirty carpet in my room.

2. The toilet seat would not stay up, creating a risk of surprise strikes against sensitive body parts.

3. The view from my 3rd floor window was a....wall. I'm sure some prison cells have better views.

4. No newspaper delivered to my room in the morning, and none available at the front desk. Apparently you need to pay more for an Executive Room to get a newspaper.

The Novotel is a viable option in downtown Toronto, especially if your are not expecting 5-star surroundings.

I found just about everything others have said here about this hotel to be true. When I checked in for my prepaid reservation, I asked specifically for a nonsmoking room, and asked if I might have one near the back to avoid the construction noise from across the street. They said they didn't have any nonsmoking rooms available in the back at the time, but I was welcome to check back in the next morning and see if there was one I could move into. I accepted a nonsmoking room facing the front for the night, but was relieved to find that the construction noise wasn't that bad in my room and it didn't start until about 8:30 am anyway. I told them I'd decided to stick with the room they gave me to start with. It had NO smoky odor or evidence that anyone had ever smoked there, so I was fine with it.

Some of the common areas of the hotel are kind of shabby, but the remodeled rooms are very pleasant and clean, if indeed European minimalist in decor, and the bathrooms are quite big. I enjoyed the free Internet access at the computers downstairs until my second evening there, when for some reason the traffic on them became so slow that even trying to access a Web site took more than a half hour. I don't know what happened, but I didn't really use their Internet service any more after that.

Location of the place is great--an easy walk to and from Union Station (from which you can reach just about every other place you want to go) and plenty of attractions and restaurants around.

It's true, however, that you are best off not even touching the minibar or the water bottles atop it, lest you find unexpected charges on your bill. When I checked in, even though my stay was prepaid, they insisted on putting a $50 deposit on my debit card for "incidentals." I told them there would be no "incidentals," but they insisted anyway. When I got into my room (having already read about their sensor system here and intending to touch nothing in the room containing food or drink), I saw that of several water bottles sitting on a sensor pad in the room, one was already empty. Two days later, a bottle was missing and there was an empty bottle still there. The only conclusion I could draw was that the housekeeper cleaning my room was drinking the water on the assumption that I would be billed for it. I called the front desk and asked if any incidental charges had been added to my bill for water, and said I'd noticed empty and moved bottles in my room that I hadn't touched. Sure enough, they had added charges for the water to my bill! Fortunately they agreed to remove them right away without insisting I prove I hadn't drunk the water myself, and when I checked out, they removed the deposit and didn't try to bill me for anything else.

I hate to sound like a big meanie who would deny the housekeepers an opportunity for a little refreshment, but if they need to enjoy some water and a break while cleaning the rooms (and I can't blame them if they do!), why isn't the hotel paying for it? Why should the guests have to foot the bill by being charged for water the housekeeping staff drank? (I also wanted to make sure nothing was coming out of the minibar that I didn't know about but was being charged for.) There's really no need to pay hotel prices for drinks or snacks, not with a convenience store right next to the place.

A tip: Assuming you're traveling alone and you brought a digital phone or phone with a camera, take a picture of the water bottles in your room as soon as you check in the room (it'll be time stamped). If they've already been drunk from, that will prove it. As for the rest of your visit, the hotel will have to believe you if you say water you didn't drink begins disappearing, but they believed me, so call the front desk right away if it happens and ask them to notify you of anything extra charged to your bill. If they're billing you for anything you didn't use, tell them right away.

To sum up: This is a nice hotel at a decent price, but if you want to keep it that way, touch none of the refreshments in your room, and tell the front desk if anyone else does!

Our room was average- VERY CLEAN, nothing fancy. This hotel was quiet and probably more suited towards business travelers. The hotel was nice overall, but I was disappointed in the services for families. No play areas or arcade for the kids. If you are staying in Toronto to go sightseeing and roam around all day like we did, you won't be disappointed. The pool and spa were a little grungy, but they were open until 11pm. The fitness center was very nice- we didn't use it, though. The restaurant's breakfast buffet was a super deal- kids under 16 ate free and the food and coffee were great!

The construction across the street from our room was definitely a negative, as were the gleaming neon lights from the Old Spaghetti Factory's sign. However, it is a 5 minute walk to the St. Lawrence Market and many, many bars and restaurants .

It was located at the southermost point of Yonge Street off the beaten path. Quick walk to Yonge Street and subways, but not close to the mall. I actually preferred that because it was quieter at night.

We stayed here because we got a great deal through Priceline.com, but I don't think I would choose to stay here.

We stayed at the Novotel for two nights in January. We booked a standard room with two Queen beds and we asked for a rollaway. When we arrived we were told they had no rollaways and that the room would not accomodate one anyway. When we got to the room we saw why. One queen bed and a day bed. Had I know this ahead of time, I may not have booked this hotel. There were five of us - 2 adults and 3 kids. We were coming off a week long trip in Ottawa, so by the time we put our luggage in the room there was barely room for us. Luckily we had our days totally planned out so we wouldn't spend too much time in the room. The best part of the hotel was it's location. We were within walking distance of the places we wanted to visit. It was only a ten minute walk to catch the Maple Leafs game at the Air Canada Centre. Five minutes to the Hockey Hall of Fame where we spent the whole day. We are from California, so walking around town while it is snowing was fun for us. Back to the hotel for a late night swim...or not. The pool area was basic at best. The chlorine smell was enough to change your mind about going in. We only stayed for a few minutes then went back to our tiny room. I will say the hotel restaurant was nice. The server we had took really good care of us. The hotel itself was not bad, just not great for a family as large as ours. I feel that we were mislead during our reservation of the room.

I gave it 3 stars, but I'd actually rate it 3 1/2 stars if it were an option.

The Novotel is a solid if unspectacular place to stay in a good location in a great city.

The hotel is in an older building in the south end of downtown Toronto, about two blocks east of Union Station, near the lively St. Lawrence Market area. The lobby is understated and pretty, and the front-desk staff very courteous and efficient.

My room, which featured two queen beds, was comfortable and more than adequate in size. It was modern, with a European feel to it (Think Scandinavian modern minimalism in the furnishings.) The mini-bar was well stocked with goodies, at the usual extortionate prices. The furniture was spartan, with no chair at the workdesk. (Though you could easily move one of the chairs next to the window over.) The beds featured duvets and abundant pillows, but were a bit firm for my taste.

The Euro feel extended to the large and well-equipped bathrooms, which featured nice toiletries and great-smelling soap. The shower had a removable nozzle (A big plus with me.)

I didn't use room service or eat in the hotel restaurant. Eating in-house in the multicultural dining wonderland of Toronto is a crime!

The location is on the Esplanade, about a block east of Yonge street. The immediate stretch is quiet at night, but a bar/restaurant district is just to the east, and the sound of construction cranes putting up condo buildings is a constant during the day. The Union Station TTC station is two blocks away, with access to the subway and the Harborfront streetcar line. Toronto's transit system is one of the best anywhere.

Overall, a good stay in a solid hotel. And for $60 per night on Priceline, a great value.

After an initial bad impression, this hotel redeemed itself to me.

I had booked a room at a very good price through Hotwire for three nights and had requested a non-smoking room the day I reserved the room. I received an email reply from the hotel saying that my request had been "noted". Upon check-in at about 3pm, the charming front desk representative tried dilligently to upsell me to a deluxe room for $30 more per night for a total of $90 additional, plus tax. I declined the invitation and then was told that all they had available for me was a smoking room unless I upgraded. He explained that requests are not guarantees and said that he did not expect any non-smoking rooms to become available during my three day stay (unless I paid for a deluxe room). I went to the room and it reeked of stale cigarettes and the windows could not be opened. I phoned and visited the front desk again and they put an air purifier in the room (which seemed to mask the cigarette smell with a perfume smell). I left two messages for the manager on-duty who I was told was in an all-day meeting. In the process, one of the front desk staff representatives told me that the shortage of non-smoking rooms is an ongoing issue. I suspect that if I had been a full-paying customer or a frequent guest of the Accor chain I would have been upgraded to a deluxe non-smoking room without having to pay extra.

In any event, at 10pm, they located a standard non-smoking room for me and switched me to it. From that moment on, my stay was fine. The standard room was clean and roomy and, although the beds aren't the world's finest, I had no trouble sleeping. Free, but slow, wireless internet access in all rooms was a big plus. Printing from the room to the front desk for 25 cents a page was advertised, but was not working, so the front desk staff had me email my documents to them and they printed them for me that way. It worked. The location is great; I especially enjoyed the proximity to the St. Lawrence Market. They granted my request for a late check-out with no questions asked.

Bottom Line: If a non-smoking room is not a concern for you, I would recommend the hotel without reservation. If you need a non-smoking room, be forewarned that you may be asked to pay extra for it -- or need to be persistent.

The room was spacious and nicely decorated, however the beds were extremely uncomfortable! The location cannot be beat, especially if you plan on visiting the Hockey Hall of Fame or attending an event at the Air Canada Center. The restaurant inside the hotel has decent food and the room service was quick. The area around the hotel is very quite, clean and appeared to be safe. I would definitely stay at the Novotel again when visiting Toronto.

We have never stayed at Toronto Novotel before and wanted to try it out for a weekend. We always use the Novotel in Manhattan which is quite nice. However Toronto Novotel is getting old and needs some updates and good soundproofing.

The room we were given was tired, wall material was peeling off and one light didn't work. There was a lot of dust under the beds... the place felt dingy and "unloved"

I dont't think they are doing a good job, especially for the prices they are charging.

We could hear the trains which was very unpleasant.

For the price the Westin Harbor Castle is a much better choice.

We've had so many issues, where to begin?

We chose Novotel Toronto because it wasn't too expensive and was conveniently located.

When we first came in, their automatic doors were out of order so I struggled to get in.

As we took the elevator we noticed that it wasn't going anywhere, they forgot to tell us that we had to insert our room key.

We found hairs on the bathroom floor which weren't ours. The rest of the room was clean enough and well decorated. The view from our room sucked, it looked over a building in construction.

When we got to the pool, we were disappointed. It was a lot smaller than it appeared on their website. It was clean and all just a lot smaller than pools in other hotel we've visited.

As we went to our car, we notice that they had given us a parking ticket even though we had registered the car. When we explained the situation to the front desk, the employee said that they must have made a mistake and that she would take care of it. When we asked her name, she refused and gave us the hotel's phone number.

When we got back to our room, we got bombarded by construction noises. It was so loud that my partner and I couldn't even hear ourselves speak. We called the frontdesk to know what the fuss was about and they said that they were undergoing construction in the underground parking and told us to be comprehensive. When I asked him why we were not informed, he simply said that we should be patient. I asked him when the renovations should be completed he asked us when we were planning on leaving the hotel. I replied the next day and he said that it shouldn't bother us all that much then. I insisted and he said not before at least a month. What really annoyed me was the fact that he was borderline arrogant.

Once we came back we realized that we got charged 40$ for parking and nobody ever mentionned it.

Should you be looking for a peaceful hotel with courteous client service then think twice before making reservations at the Novotel.

Wonderful hotel, great location, reasonable price, BUT the parking garage experience ruined it for us. Vehicle vandalized, window smashed, ransacked, stole license plates. Spent 6 hr in hotel lobby waiting for police report and new window for vehicle. Hotel staff were not supportive and never offered us even a water bottle in those 6 hr. Talking to others revealed that this theft is an ongoing problem. Hotel did credit the $20 parking fee. We suggest you spend your money at hotels with surveillance cameras in parking area.

I stayed at the hotel during Caribana with my mother and children. To say that the photos on the 'net overblew how well this hotel is would be an understatement. To start with, my first impression of the hotel was a bit disappointing. The front check in person was a bit full of himself and acted as though he was doing me a favor by "allowing" me to stay in their hotel. I thought, well it is a busy weekend and maybe he was tired from the activity as we were checking in about 3pm. When we arrived to the floor of our hotel room I could smell cigarettes, odd because I was told I would be on a non-smoking floor. The hallway was dimly lit and once in the room I was shocked at the relative cramped space and the view of the construction and restaurant outside of my window was disheartening. It was not centrally located to the parade route as I was told and was again put off by the staffs lack of knowledge. The concierge, questionable at best if that is what she was, had a bad attitude towards certain tourists and gave me the impression that this hotel was not as "cosmopolitan" as it appeared in the advertisements. She acted as though I was invisible and did not offer anymore knowledge than what I could have picked up in the brochures provided in the lobby. I originally chose this hotel because I felt it was a nice place to stay for my children and mother but in hindsight would have chosen one of the more popular hotel chains and may have gotten what I expected. The price was neither here nor there but I would definitely rethink before staying at this location again. Maybe for a weekend tryst this hotel is suitable but anything beyond that would not be reccomended.

Through an online booking site, I pre-paid for a standard, 2 Queen Bed room.

On arrival, there was one person manning the Front Desk, and a line up of 7 or 8 people waiting to check in. Front Desk advised me that there were no 2 Queen Bed rooms remaining. It felt like I was in a Seinfeld episode, as I questioned the front desk : how could there be no more 2 Queen Bed rooms left when I made my reservation 3 months ago and pre-paid for them? Although he wasn't rude, he was altogether unhelpful. I was given a room with a double bed and a pull-out couch. I've slept on bunk beds more comfortable than that pull-out. I put my make-up bag on the counter and accidentally knocked over the 2 water bottles on sensors. Next thing I know, I see 2 water bottles on my bill which the Front Desk did not mention on checkout; I noticed it when I had to specifically request the hotel receipt. Again at check-out, another line of 7 or 8 people waiting with one person manning the Front Desk. I was shocked that there was no in-room Checkout system in place.

Since we had to stay in a substandard room, I asked for free parking [one night = $20]. (Note: This was not offered and Front Desk was waving me away without further attempt to rectify the situation). My request was refused and I was given a free continental breakfast, which I turned down since there are much better places to eat nearby.

I used to live in Toronto and for a tourist, it may be okay, particularly if you are on a budget and don't mind a bit of walking. It's close to St. Lawrence Market, the ACC, CN Tower, Skydome (now Rogers Centre) and the Hummingbird Theatre. In the summer, it's about a 10 minute walk to the Lakeshore and Union Station {subway, train and GO station}. Being that I am originally from Toronto, I am disappointed and embarrassed of such pettiness displayed. I would hate for a traveler to get the wrong impression that Novotel exemplifies typical Canadian / Toronto customer service.

I would consider this a budget hotel, for to the poor customer service and limited facilities. Another reviewer got it right, when he/she said this location is trying to be more upscale than it is. The photos are more impressive than they are in in-person. If you are looking at paying over $170 a night, I'd suggest finding another hotel.

This was a second stay or a "second chance" for this property. My first stay was less than spectacular, my most recent stay pretty much assured that I will not return to this property. From check in (I was accused for not having a reservation, despite proof) to common area cleanliness (there was a dirty glass left by the 3rd floor elevators Friday and still not picked up upon departure Sunday) room cleanliness (carpets are filthy and surface tops have stains) and an insanely confusing underground parking lot. Having stayed at hotels across the city, this is perhaps one of the most disappointing properties.

This is a decent hotel, reasonably well located in Toronto for downtown activities, however, upon check-in despite reserving a room with two doubles/queens for three people, the clerk tried to sell us on a room with one bed and a trundle. After repeated insistence that this was unacceptable for us, he asked us to take a look at the room. Not only was the 2nd bed too small and uncomfortable for our teenage son, but the room itself was tiny. We returned to the desk and the clerk tried to get us to take the room by offering us free breakfasts, then finally acquiesced and gave us a very nice, spacious room with two beds of the size needed. We were satisfied with our stay after that, but it's too bad a good stay at a decent hotel got off on the wrong foot because a clerk was trying to "do the right thing for the hotel," as he put it. I'm not sure how you can do the right thing for the hotel if you're disappointing and irritating a guest, but that's what happened. Also, construction was underway across the street so you might want to check on the status of that before making your reservations.

The hotel seemed to be trying to present itself as an upscale, European atmosphere - but really it just meant that they overcharged and were rude.

The highlight was carrying sleeping children down 5 flights of stairs at 3am due to a fire alarm. There were several other people walking down with us and it took us about 15 minutes to find the well obscured fire exits. They did very little to help us and never made any attempt to improve our stay after we spent 30 minutes in the street with our kids.

When checking out the clerk asked how my stay was and I said... "ok, I guess... average?" fairly sarcastically to which no response was made.

Anyway... it was close to HHOF which is why we chose it. It was good for that.

On the bad side:

Parking is almost $20 per day. The beds are horrendously uncomfortable. The housekeeping staff ignores the "Do Not Disturb" sign. Room decor is outdated and furniture is very worn.

Their "Novation" concept definitely needs work.

I booked a discount package deal (two nights plus buffet breakfast each morning) through the hotel's own website and when we got there, they claimed to not have our reservation in the computer. Luckily, I had my confirmation email and they had to give us the discounted rate I had booked (through their own website!). Apparently, when packages change they simply delete the old reservations for the packages that have ended out of their system. Don't try to check in without your confirmation number! We also did not get the breakfast we were expecting :(

Oh, and worst of all - they cheated us (nearly $20) on a currency exchange. We had no idea until we were out and about on the town (will admit we should have done some research first, but who would have thought the hotel would be so underhanded?) Exchange your money at a bank or at the border - don't do it at this hotel!

The best thing about this hotel is the location. It is very nicely located and is within walking distance of just about everything you would want in downtown Toronto.

We reserved a king bed and were given a queen smoking room. It took some pleading for them to honor our reservation. They ended up kicking someone off their reservation to give us the room we reserved. The rooms were very creepy and filthy. Despite online details about updated rooms with modern touches, the rooms were smelly and decrepid. Parking was a rip off and our SUV did not fit in the nearby lot. Morning coffee in the lobby was $2. The resturant prices were beyond astronomical and we chose to eat all our meals elsewhere. Other than their pet-friendly policy ($35 non-refundable fee) I am not sure why anyone would stay here.

Our stay was a brief 2 night stay but even that proved too much. Reception staff and door men polite and courteous. Reception area and general hotel vicinity appear acceptable. Handy having a store to the immediate left of the entry with a supermarket right around the corner. We were shown to our first room and the corridor immediately smelt "damp" with a horrendous perfume which was no doubt used by the hotel in an attempt to mask the damp odour. Our first room reeked of cigarette smoke (it was a non-smoking room). The hotel was kind enough to move us to another room which smelt damp. Internet access is free which was one highlight of the hotel. The bathroom and room were clean. Beds were not very comfortable and had clearly seen better days. We won't be returning.

Arrived at the hotel for 2 nights. I pre-booked on expedia and reserved a non-smoking room. After arriving at the hotel, I was told that the non-smoking room which I had reserved was not available and that they had to put me on a smoking floor. I was not happy about this and I was not given any other option than to stay in a smoking room. After walking into the room, I was disgusted to see that the room had a horrible stench to it. Not only that, the carpets were stained all over the room and there were cigarette burns in the carpet.

I immediately returned to the front desk where they moved me to another room. This room was almost equally as bad as it too had cigarette burns in the carpets and stains on the floor. That night, I ended up sleeping in that room fully clothed as I was disgusted and uncomfortable with my sleeping arrangements. Hotel staff tried to be as accomodating as possible, but in the end, it is the room that ruined my whole stay.