Novotel Saint Petersburg Centre

Amazing service, amazing food and very clean rooms! We were really impressed by the quality, provided by the hotel during our 2 days trip to St. Petersburg, it is worth the price. Specifically wanted to note the breakfast, which was much better than in the places around. Thank you.

I had a cramped, cluttered room. The window was blocked by a sofa, and you had to climb on it to curtain the windows or open the window. The view from the window was of some rusty roof and a scrap metal yard. There were two narrow beds in my room. When I asked the hotel staff to take out the sofa, I received a ridiculous refusal that "then it will not look like the photo on the website." The air conditioner worked poorly (outside temperature in St Pete was +30 C), it was hot even when I set it to +5 C. The closet in the hallway clearly did not fit into the dimensions of the room and blocked the passage. I asked to remove the interfering furniture or move me to another room, but my request was ignored, despite the fact that I have Diamond status in the Accor loyalty program.

Our group of 46 guests had the unfortunate experience of staying at this property for two nights. While the hotel itself boasts wonderful facilities and a prime location, the staff’s lack of hospitality completely overshadowed our stay. From indifferent and curt receptionists to inflexible managers, this was a textbook example of how not to run a hotel. Despite having sent our passports and visa copies well in advance via email, the staff refused to issue our room keys until they had physically verified each original document—a process that unnecessarily delayed us by over an hour. What they failed to inform us was that the elevators in the second block, where our rooms were assigned, were out of order. There was no guidance on how to reach our rooms, nor were there any porters available to assist with our luggage. This lack of communication and service persisted into the evening, with the night receptionist completely unaware of the elevator issue. On the second day, the elevator remained non-functional. When we addressed this with the management team, we were met with defensiveness rather than any meaningful resolution or even an apology. While a hotel's location and amenities contribute to its appeal, it is ultimately the service and hospitality of its staff that define the guest experience. Unfortunately, in this case, the unprofessional and unaccommodating attitude of the staff ensured that none of us would consider returning. On behalf of all 46 guests, I can confidently say this was one of the most inhospitable hotel experiences we have encountered.