Novotel Hotel Ahmedabad from Accor group

We spent a night at Novotel Ahmedabad for the Tata Nano #TheChosenOnes event. While few other bloggers who arrived early/left late could spend more time in the event, I could spent very little time at the hotel. Knowing that lots of bloggers are staying, hotel management also squeezed in a quick bloggers meet as well.



Below are some observations/notes about Novotel Ahmadabad.

Good things:
Unlike the Radison Blu Greater Noida (because of difference in location it may not be right comparison, but since I stayed in these two hotels back to back, can't help but highlight similarity/differences) which I'd checked out previous day, Novotel Ahmadabad is located at nice location. There're malls, shops and eateries within walking distance from Novotel Ahmedabad. So if you feel hotel food expensive, you can simply walk out, have stomach full of good food for 50- 100 Rs. (Dinner Buffet at Novotel costs about Rs 1100)

Novotel reception has a display of current room rents and prices for other services. So you don't have to ask for price, feel embraced that it is too expensive. You can look from a distance and decide your strategy!.

I am told weekend rates are cheaper than week day rates. Weekday best rate was around Rs 8000. (Corporate rates could be lower). Because most of the customers are business travelers they prefer to go back on Friday night, so weekend availability is higher.

Above: Business area at Level 1
Below: Bloggers Meet

Other observations

Corridors didn't have any place to sit or phone to call, unlike Radisson Blu

There're little less than 200 rooms, most of them superior rooms and few types of suits. The cheapest of rooms are branded Superior rooms, to give false impression to guests that they are staying in luxury. (Tactic used in all hotels).

There was no toothpaste in the room- we were told guests seldom needed one. But when they don't bring one, thinking hotel will anyway have it, they will be disappointed. During our bloggers' meet couple of ideas were discussed, but finally it was identified that keeping a display that suggests guests can call house keeping if they need toothpaste was most viable

Compared to Radisson Blu, room size was smaller. Radisson Blu offered a full size writing table, sofa etc, which were not to be seen in Novotel. Doors of bathroom and wardrobe have a unique lock mechanism.

Radisson doesn't supply a copy of newspaper to room. Novotel does.

I couldn't check out the pool at Novotel or any other facilities. Breakfast was nice- lots of vegetarian options.

Novotel is part of Accor group, which also runs Ibis, Formula 1, Mercure, Sofitel and other brands. I asked if it is not difficult to run multiple brands. I was told each of these brands have specific target customers and offers different kind of services. Forumla One is the cheapest, no service offering (similar to Ginger) while Sofitel is on the super luxury side targeting elite of the elite customers. In many cities, you can find Ibis and Novotel next to each other, in same campus. (Chennai and Bangalore for example)

I am told they do profile the guests to capture their requirements and preferences. For repeat guests, staff know what and how they like their things.

On the day of check out, even though we were clearly told that food and beverages will be paid for by Tata motors, we were asked to pay for dinner and coffee. I had to show guest instruction letter and staff took few minutes to run around, check and finally confirm that we needn't pay anything.