Hotel Review: Novotel Singapore on Stevens

CONTENT: Yiew Kai Jie / Andrew Kho
IMAGES: Novotel Singapore on Stevens

Highly commended for being the Best Hotel Development and winner of the Best Hotel Architectural Design at the 2017 PropertyGuru Awards, Novotel Singapore on Stevens is a perfect example of turning a property into a multi-purpose integrated complex. The complex aside from Novotel features another well renowned hotel brand and a row of popular Asian restaurants for those who wants a taste of Singapore but wouldn’t want to go far.

The Location
Singapore’s shopping district Orchard Road and Singapore Botanic Gardens are among the places travellers or visitors could visit within minutes from the property. Located along Stevens road, Novotel on Stevens is nestled on a quiet property making your stay here very serene, not to mention that within the integrated complex are popular restaurants such as Blue Lotus, PappaRich, FiSK Seafoodbar & Market and Long Beach Seafood Restaurant, all of them are popular restaurants tourists and locals would go to when it comes to great local Asian cuisine.

If you insist on exploring further outside the complex, hop on to the property’s shuttle service to explore Orchard Road which is complimentary to all in-house guests.

The Rooms
Don’t expect a luxurious or huge rooms here as Novotel is known to be a more of a casual friendly family and business hotel with the basic hotel amenities and facilities.

The Superior Room which is around 23sqm features an earthy tones with vibrant colours which makes you feel relaxed. Despite the size, the room is quite modest and spacious for any discerning travellers. The room has a sizeable working table for those who needs to get things done and a side table and chair as well.

WiFi is complimentary and Novotel’s very own eco-friendly room amenities which is part of the green efforts of AccorHotels. Each room also comes with a basic mini bar which come with soft-drinks, beer, juice and snacks.

The Amenities
Surprisingly, the hotel features a club lounge wherein you can choose to enjoy your breakfast, all day refreshments, happy hour drinks and light bites from 6:00pm-8:00pm as well as complimentary use of the meeting room. For those wanting to get tanned or want a dip in the pool, the property has an infinity pool, lap pool and a kids pool. Health buffs can visit their 24-hour InBalance gym and an outdoor tennis court. Novotel on Stevens also has nine meeting spaces and ballroom suitable for any events or occasions.

The Dining Experience
Novotel has three main dining outlets that includes- L’Aperitif Tapas Bar that serves signature cocktails as well as European and Asian tapas, Food Exchange that focuses on featuring Thai, Indian and Singapore cuisine in open concept kitchens where guests are treated to a feast as chefs prepare their food right in front of their very eyes and lastly the Novotel Infinity Pool Bar that serves refreshing cocktails and pool-side snacks.

For guests who are looking for a nightcap or prefer to dance to the rhythm of the night, Winestone is a Mediterranean restaurant, late-night bar and wine retail store all in one location that aims to bring quality wines to the table at an affordable price. (Starting from S$10 for a glass, S$48 for a bottle). For the eager wine connoisseurs who can’t drink wine without pairing it with something, the signature Winestone Express platter (S$22) includes a mixture of cold cuts, cheeses, olives, bread along with a specially selected glass of wine. Winestone is the ONLY restaurant and bar on Stevens Road that operates till 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.

As we mentioned, Novotel also has a Premier Lounge on the 10th floor that acts as a meeting place for guests to take their business meetings or catch-up with their friends with a majestic view! The lounge’s happy hour starts from 6pm to 8pm, and offers some small bites such as sushi and mini burger sliders to ensure that guests are well-fed while enjoying their drinks. While there was nothing special about the house liquors, guests should request for a glass of the Château Taussin Bordeaux 2016 , a delicious red wine that goes well with most of the food items on the menu and has a smooth, savoury aftertaste!

Breakfast at Novotel takes place at Food Exchange on Level 2, where hungry guests can indulge in a wide variety of breakfast delights, ranging from Oriental, Indian to classic Western favourites! While some western items such as the omelette station and wide variety of bread fared well, some of their other cuisines did not keep up with their standards. Their curry was not properly heated meaning that one has to endure room temperature curry while dipping their prata into it, making the prata taste cold and overlystarchy. Additionally, their oriental offerings such as noodles or porridge were slightly bland and could have been improved in terms of flavour. Overall, the wide variety of other food items including desserts, coffee and tea redeemed the breakfast service and we firmly believe that improvements to their food will be made as time passes by.

The Verdict
Novotel Singapore on Stevens is a perfect hotel for travellers visiting Singapore who wants to stay close to the central areas of the shopping district, comfortability and wants an modern upscale brand of hotel yet not too heavy on their budget.The hotel has adequate space complete with various facilities and amenities, not to mention the well designed lobby which is just welcoming each and everyone. Having a club lounge is always an added factor and not to mention the property is surrounded by some well known restaurants in Singapore, which means you don’t have to go far to enjoy them.

Novotel Singapore on Stevens is located at: 28 Stevens Road, Singapore 257878