Situated next door to Sky City Hamilton Casino complex, this Novotel faces towards the mighty Waikato River. From the deck and the river facing rooms, you have some interesting views across the Waikato.

Currently undergoing renovations, including additional rooms, there’s a little less room than usual out the front of the hotel, but this will change in time once renovations are complete.

From the time we checked in, to our final day staying onsite, staff were absolutely awesome. Courteous,helpful, but also responding to individuals and treating customers differently was definitely a huge plus. Most staff were non automated, willing to share a joke and assist in any way they could. That’s what makes the service all the more personalised and special.

Our room was clean tidy and roomy enough for two people on a short stay. We had four nights, two of which included Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Staff went to a lot of trouble to construct an a awesome edible Christmas display. The thought and effort they put into this was greatly appreciated by the guests staying on site. As soon as you stepped out of the lift to head to breakfast, this incredibly detailed display was directly in front of you. From the number of photos I saw being taken in front of this, I’m sure it’s been seen by many, worldwide,Breakfast each day was a diverse array of buffet foods, as is normal for Novotels. Chef was more than happy to prepare an omelette or eggs to your liking if required. We also enjoyed a couple of other meals, along with family, with the food always being high quality, some, like the banana split above, with great presentation.

A huge thank you to the staff, in particular the breakfast/lunch crew, working over Christmas. You guys absolutely made our visit very special. You are also the reason we shall return one day.

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