Novotel Melbourne Airport

“Home away from home”

Location to the airport and the terminals was great. Having access to the complimentary hotel shuttle was great as we were travelling our elderly parents. The staff were warm and welcoming. The hotel is also conveniently situated near to bus stops, so if you wanted to go to the city there is a Sky … more

Location to the airport and the terminals was great. Having access to the complimentary hotel shuttle was great as we were travelling our elderly parents. The staff were warm and welcoming. The hotel is also conveniently situated near to bus stops, so if you wanted to go to the city there is a Sky bus that would take you to Melbourne City. The room was comfortable. Beds were super comfortable...we slept like babies. All in all a great experience!

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“Great for airport transfer accommodation”

A great transit hotel, easy check in process with airport transfer. Dinner off the bar menu was delicious. Hotel room was very nice also.

“Pillow Talk”

The Novotel offers an interesting “Pillow Talk” concept. There are four large lumbar cushions located in the room — three on the bed and one in the robe cupboard. Each cushion varies in density, with the idea being that you try them and then contact reception, who will deliver your preferred pillow… more

The Novotel offers an interesting “Pillow Talk” concept. There are four large lumbar cushions located in the room — three on the bed and one in the robe cupboard. Each cushion varies in density, with the idea being that you try them and then contact reception, who will deliver your preferred pillows to the room. This is explained in a small pamphlet beside the bed. Unfortunately, we didn’t follow the instructions. We had prior commitments, so after arriving late afternoon we simply dropped our suitcases in the room and headed back out, returning late in the evening. After about two hours of sleep, I woke with significant neck pain. I swapped to another lumbar cushion, only to wake again an hour later with an even sorer neck. At that point I got dressed and went down to reception, who were excellent about the situation. Staff promptly returned with two standard pillows for my wife and me, which we appreciated. Unfortunately, we also had an early start for an international flight the next morning, so sleep was already in short supply. Perhaps having two standard pillows already on the bed, with the “Pillow Talk” options available for those wanting to customise their sleep experience, might work better — especially for retired couples who don’t always read the instructions first 😊

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“One of the better airport hotels we've stayed at but poor breakfast experience”

The rooms here are genuinely excellent and well above what we expected from an airport property. Beautifully made bed, premium bedding, very comfortable mattress, and — crucially for a hotel this close to a runway — properly quiet and well isolated. The structural build quality is noticeably good: … more

The rooms here are genuinely excellent and well above what we expected from an airport property. Beautifully made bed, premium bedding, very comfortable mattress, and — crucially for a hotel this close to a runway — properly quiet and well isolated. The structural build quality is noticeably good: walls feel solid, windows are well-glazed, no echoing corridors. Our suite even came with a small telescope by the window, which was an unusually charming touch and turned the runway view into a small evening's entertainment of its own. For a one-night transit stop, the room was more than we needed; for a longer stopover, it would be a very pleasant base. Service was solid and professional throughout — nothing exceptional, but exactly what one expects from a well-run Novotel, which is the right level for the brand and the context. Check-in was efficient, the staff we interacted with were polite and knowledgeable, and check-out the next morning was genuinely smooth and quick. Facilities are a real strong point: the gym, the pool and the common areas are all well-conceived and well-maintained, though the lounge area did get notably crowded in the early evening pre-dinner window — worth knowing if you were hoping to have a quiet drink before bed. Two more honest notes. The food, in our experience, was below average — not bad, just unmemorable. For an airport hotel restaurant, this is more or less par for the course and we had factored it in, so no real complaint, but do not come here expecting a culinary surprise. The bigger frustration was breakfast: service was so slow that we ended up giving up and heading straight to the airport without finishing the meal we had paid for, which is a shame because the buffet itself looked good. For a hotel whose entire raison d'être is travellers on tight schedules, breakfast efficiency is the one operational metric that really has to be airtight, and on the morning we were there, it was not. A small practical note for anyone choosing this property over alternatives closer to the terminals: yes, it is on airport ground, but the walk to the terminal building is genuinely long. Allow more time than the booking pages suggest, and consider it a real walk rather than a step outside. None of this changes our positive overall view — for room quality alone, this is one of the better airport hotels we have stayed at — but the breakfast service is something the hotel should fix, and it would be a clear five-star stay if they did.

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