My favourite hotel in Wollongong is Novotel. The choice of which hotel to stay at can make a huge difference on your holiday experience. Novotel has a great location on the beach, great food and beverage, bars and restaurants. Clean, kid friendly. But mostly, one particular warm and friendly staff member: Trisha. I was lucky enough to check in to this hotel with this lovely attendant who understood my need for space, noise and privacy and she kindly changed my room allocation accordingly. That made all the difference. I've stayed at Novotel on several occasions and I'm now that I've found my favourite room, I'll happily book it a year in advance for my family holidays on the south coast.

Terrible experience !

Cockroach infestation ???
Staff at reception were far from premium customer service oriented

Paid high rate for a good room with breakfast included but they put us in budget room , and excluded breakfast , the room was dirty ,with blood Stains and so hard to sleep at night with the street noise , we suppose to have ocean view balcony but all we could was these trees , one second we smile with the sound of the ocean but next we feel upset with the loud cars or running mortorbikes and honks , it felt like we were staying in a cheap motel !

The carpet is so dirty my toddler feet got black within few min while unpacking

I think the other good reviews must be fake!

I got to say that our maid was a jewel, happy and always willing to help

Convenient location right off the beach. Walking distance to a range of restaurants and cafes. Rooms are clean, modern and well serviced. Carparking available with charging stations for EV. Great resort style for family and business events. Hope to visit again !

My wife and I went there for our wedding anniversary. We were pleasantly surprised to be upgraded to an ocean view room as well as a bottle of champagne on arrival. We have stayed at quite a few Novotels previously but found Wollongong's Novotel to be the best we have stayed in so far in terms of facilities

The hotel was very clean, the staff are really friendly and helpful and the buffet breakfast had a great assortment. The location is perfect for close access to the beach and parks and the view from our room was wonderful. The only downfall was the beds. They were extremely soft and we were sinking in to them. Other than that, we had a great stay.

Very disappointed with my stay. Waited 1 hour before accessing the room because of reservation double check. When we entered our room, there was a loud noise coming from the window. We went to ask the receptionist who told us it was only in your room which is weird. We could finally change our room after 2 hours and multiple complaint. Our new room only had 2 out of four lights working and half of the charging spots not working. The mattresses were too soft and our backs were hurting the next morning. The wifi was also not working so don't bother paying for it. The curtains don't fully close and woke us up at 6am during the holidays. Lastly, we waited more than 30 min to receive our main meal and 30 more for dessert in the hotel restaurant. For the price, I would not recommend.

We urgently needed a room when we decided not to stay in another accommodation and it was late evening after a very long drive.
Our booking was handled promptly on the phone by the Accor group and so we spent an evening and lovely late 11am checkout in the very clean ocean view room and sizeable very clean bathroom. What a treat! Staff were excellent and very patient with our tired selves. Stunning view, delightfully decent sized room, good wifi and complementary water by the bedside was also nice. Easy all round. Parking was an extra fee but it was worth it for us. We didn't breakfast there so can't comment on the food. The bed was truly amazingly comfy and the pillows were excellent for my very fussy neck. All round, highly recommended!

Stayed in the ocean view room for work. Very clean and quiet room. Panoramic view of the harbour is awesome. Breakfast is good. Car park is a bit tight (not much they can do about it though). Will book this again for holiday when I return.

We ended our last couple of nights on a month long road trip at Novotel Woolongong. The resort was beautiful, close to the beach, had several dining options and great facilities.
We had a very enjoyable and relaxing time. The staff were delightful, very friendly and extremely helpful.
We stayed in an ocean view, balcony room. The room was spacious, clean and tidy and the balcony had a lovely view of the beach. The mattress felt like we were sleeping on a cloud and with the sound of the ocean in the background we slept soundly.
We enjoyed our time there and highly recommend.

Stayed here around three weeks over the last two months in three different rooms while a close family member was passing away. Bar and restaurant were good, with the new menu being amazing at the main restaurant. Refresh of the lobby bar also good. Overall the rooms were lovely with great views and the front of house service was really accommodating and helpful. Beds were soft which my wife appreciated and the rooms were pretty quiet. Couple of negatives, lack of a minibar and needing to call down for anything you wanted was a pain, and, coffee/toiletries were not replaced on a daily basis meaning you had to call or catch someone in the hall if you wanted them replenished. Given the price this was a little disappointing. Bird life a definite plus, though don't feed them, we didn't but saw other rooms overwhelmed with ten plus cockatoos.

Would be a solid 4-star if not for the beds. I don't mind a soft bed, but it needs to be supportive. This was like sleeping in a hammock, sunk in the middle with feet and head elevated. Very uncomfortable and didn't sleep well at all. Breakfast is nice. Staff were nice. Some of the bars/facilities close before advertised. There is no mini bar - ordering minibar via room service defeats the purpose - seems like a win for the hotel, not the guest.

We stayed in the ocean view room and it was great, a large room and very clean. The bed was so comfortable. The North Bar has a wonderful setting and the staff were really lovely. The only thing that let our stay down was the breakfast buffet which was pretty average. Bain Marie food was just warm if not cold and kept running out, however it must be noted that they did have a full house that morning.

Would absolutely not recommend this hotel. Stunning location however hotel failed to advise us that an event would be occurring with music blaring until 2am.

We were on a 'holiday' before having our baby but ended up leaving more stressed. On top of that, when complained to management, both hotel staff said they would do something about it however when we spoke to the hotel manager Rohit, he was completely dismissive and tried to give us $25 off parking to keep us quiet. When both other staff members knew it was an issue.

If we had known, we wouldn't have paid $470 a night for the 'break.' Anywho, this will be further escalated! Poor service and customer focus, will be spreading this to everyone. As a consumer, we have rights to be informed of things within hotels control!

Me and my girlfriend booked room facing ocean view. Nice and clean bedroom. Beds were comfy to sleep. The most amazing part was view from the room. It was surreal. We also ordered to dinner to our room. Service was fast. Although, dinner was bit expensive but portion size was huge so it kinda justifies it. Overall, highly recommended.

An amazing hotel, in an amazing location. You could not get any closer to the beach if you tried.
I stayed here on a work visit in the middle of May and coming from the U.K the autumn temperatures of 20c were pretty much what I am used to for summer, so the days were excellent.
The room was very comfortable and clean, with excellent facilities, fridges, teas, coffees and water. Clean and fresh linen and towels.
The In-room dining was also great, food was delicious and arrived really quickly.
I did not try the bars and restaurants however they looked really good and were obviously very popular.

The hotel location is amazing too, lots of different bars and restaurants locally, along with supermarkets approximately 1 mile away.

If you're here for a vacation I would absolutely recommend checking out Wollongong Art Gallery and the Botanical Gardens - both amazing.

Needless to say, I will be staying here again on my next work trip to Wollongong.

Great location across from a great swimming beach and within close proximity to a number of great restaurants. Our room was clean and plenty big enough for more than my wife and I who stayed. The beds were super soft, maybe too soft for me, however perfect for my wife. Neither of us woke up sore though so all good. All-in-all we greatly enjoyed our stay and look forward to coming back.

Beautifully renovated! Stayed here many years ago - Wow, what an improvement. Great location, nice staff, gym, buffet breakfast. Huge bar with indoor and outdoor seating. Didn't swim in the pool but it looked clean. Rooms were fresh, super clean and beds very comfortable. Best hotel in Wollongong.

Great location, right on the beach. The restaurant has water views and we enjoyed the buffet breakfast as a family. The kids had fun in the pool and I got to relax in the sauna. The bar area also looked nice.

Having a very pleasant stay. Staff are wonderful, rooms are clean and appear freshly renovated (on the inside, walls outside look like they are overdue for a fresh coat of paint or two).

Only minor complaint is the gym. The HVAC is non existent in there and feels like a sauna. Smell is also not pleasant as it is a closed off room with no ventilation. Also the opening times are restricted to 6am to 8pm, which is reasonable by all counts but I can't see why. I understand there needs to be cleaning involved but surely it isn't happening all those other hours. Most of the time it's just sitting empty and unproductive. It's not like a staff member is posted outside to manually allow entry. Most people have dinner around the 6pm mark and shouldn't exercise within 2 hours anyway, so unless you have a super early dinner, don't expect an after-dinner session.

Positives: Beautiful new renovations to their bar/pool area.
Amazing wine list.
Parking was reasonable and you can drive in and out with plate recognition.
Had a lovely afternoon meal and a glass of wine in the bar.
Dinner in the restaurant was nice.
My room was very clean and the hotel overall is very clean.

Negatives: $522 for a night, no mini bar (they have a small shop they call a pantry that sells wine and snacks near the lobby), shampoo, conditioner and body wash for 1 person in the room, anything extra had to be called for at reception.
The air conditioning was ancient and the room was so hot I couldn't sleep.
At breakfast, the buffet was very poor. They had no scrambled eggs so I asked the chef how I could get an omelette and she said "you have to order with wait staff" who were nowhere to be seen. No cutlery on the table. Had to pay extra for a coffee that wasn't from a machine. I'm pretty sure they used Kraft singles for the cheese in my omelette.

Most of the staff I encountered during my stay were so lovely but this hotel was NOT was I was expecting for $500+ per night for a standard room with no view, no toiletries and no mini bar.
We stay in Sydney regularly and pay around the same for one night BUT the level of service and presentation is far higher than this.

I wouldn't be writing this review if I didn't pay so much for the room. Won't be staying here again.

Positives: Beautiful new renovations to their bar/pool area.
Amazing wine list.
Parking was reasonable and you can drive in and out with plate recognition.
Had a lovely afternoon meal and a glass of wine in the bar.
Dinner in the restaurant was nice.
My room was very clean and the hotel overall is very clean.

Negatives: $522 for a night, no mini bar (they have a small shop they call a pantry that sells wine and snacks near the lobby), shampoo, conditioner and body wash for 1 person in the room, anything extra had to be called for at reception.
The air conditioning was ancient and the room was so hot I couldn't sleep.
At breakfast, the buffet was very poor. They had no scrambled eggs so I asked the chef how I could get an omelette and she said "you have to order with wait staff" who were nowhere to be seen. No cutlery on the table. Had to pay extra for a coffee that wasn't from a machine. I'm pretty sure they used Kraft singles for the cheese in my omelette.

Most of the staff I encountered during my stay were so lovely but this hotel was NOT was I was expecting for $500+ per night for a standard room with no view, no toiletries and no mini bar.
We stay in Sydney regularly and pay around the same for one night BUT the level of service and presentation is far higher than this.

I wouldn't be writing this review if I didn't pay so much for the room. Won't be staying here again.

Excellent stay and accommodating for families, as my three old daughter had a blast..
Wonderful views of the ocean. The rooms were absolutely immaculate from the beds to shower to the foyer, everything was very clean.
The breakfast buffet was a treat. Also very welcoming and friendly staff particularly in the restaurant.
Highly recommended

My wife and I spent a couple of days here and we were very impressed with the service we received. Staff were very helpful and friendly. The room was fantastic and the views were amazing.

Lots to do within walking distance of the hotel too. Great food and cafes.

We'll definitely be returning.

Faultless stay for a few nights

Stayed for a couple of nights for work I cannot fault anything with this place.

I requested a room.move to a higher floor and was accommodated by the reception staff who were excellent throughout the stay.

The room was very good and all facilities in it were in good working order. The shower had great pressure and the bed and pillows were comfortable so.made for a good stay.

Had breakfast in the restaurant both mornings and there was good variety and quality of food.

Would definitely stay here again, location is awesome and if you get a beach view room the view can be fantastic.

Enjoyed a weekend here. Ocean view room. Comfy bed and overall pretty quiet at night considering there was a wedding going on. Parking is extra plus the height limit is only 1.9 metres so some 4wds won't fit (like mine). Overall good experience and would stay here again.

We stayed in an ocean view room. And it was worth it! The view of the water was so peaceful and seeing the sun rise as I woke up is just perfection. I love the beach, so being within close proximity was a major plus on location. Otherwise, it's a 17min walk to the town centre for shops and major eatery chains.

We were super lucky that we had 5 cockatoos come for a visit by the closed and sealed window.

The only downside was this time of year is a bit cold, so didn't make use of the pool, which was a tad small. And the spare sofa bed looked horribly soft and uncomfortable but we didn't need to use it anyway so that's fine.

The bar area is very nice and super spacious.

There are a number of cafes within 2min walk next door and they were great for brekkie.

Overall, service was attentive. Cleaners and shop staff within the hotel were super friendly. Would definitely come back again!

I've never stayed at the Hotel but I've been there a few times for the seafood buffet which has always been really good.

The buffet has a great range and the food is always fresh.

The staff are always there giving great service so you don't have to chase them like other venues.

Looking forward to going again soon.

A midweek Luxury Escape package. Check in was smooth, although $25 for parking per night was a surprise, so, after taking our luggage to our room we then parked outside on the streets. Hotel foyer and central North bar was impressive with a huge hanging diamond-shaped Chandelier. Cocktails ( El Diabolo and Gentleman's Club), Breakfast ,15% of meals(we had the Jamaican lamb curry and the Signature Seafood)and a tray of Baked Delights included.

I have been going to Novotel for many years. Have always had a great experience - staff are professional & approachable, location is just perfect across road from beach & atmosphere is great.
Currently there are renovations happening throughout hotel which is welcomed but I don't think it had any effect on our week staying there.
Staff are friendly & provide prompt service ... one of the workers - Jake - needs a mention due to his positive, friendly, professional nature & customer service focused approach.
Will continue to visit Novotel Wollongong & waiting to see how it all looks after renovation.

The location and facility deserve 4-5 stars, and most of the staff are friendly. However, they may need a bit more training to do their job properly. I had been provided wrong information a few times during my stay in the Easter.

Great hotel with amazing view and packages. Really friendly staff and helpful for visitors. Highly recommend for a quick getaway. Make sure you can wake up in time to see a beautiful sunrise! Plenty of beautiful scenery within walkable distance from this hotel.

I have visited this hotel with family every 2-3 years. The location is great. However I have not rated it high because of a few things.
1. The lobby area is going through renovations. The impression is that you have entered a construction zone rather than a relaxing place
2 we are a family of 5. 2 adults and 3 kids. There bed distribution is either 2 queens or 1 queen and a sofa bed. So one of the kids has to sleep in with the parents. The staff member we spoke to did not offer any options.
3 The kids room was not adjoining in fact there were half a dozen rooms in between. Upon requesting they were able to adjust the rooms for the next day.
4 on telephone during booking room breakfast was part of the deal however on arrival the receptionist informed us there was no breakfast included.
I have decided to cancel the rest of my stay with Novotel and move to another nearby accommodation.

Great hotel for a little getaway. Amazing location, right next to the beach. Nice little cafes and bakery's nearby. I cannot stress enough how unbelievably comfortable their beds are. When we left, I had to lie on the bed one more time. Lovely and friendly staff, with clean bathrooms. Amazing hotel, we will definitely be coming back.

We stayed here three years ago and was happy with our stay so this time when we were planning of visiting Wollongong, we choose Novotel without second thought. When arrived, found the hotel is going through renovation, some access are closed. Not big deal as the room itself is fine.However now it's 930 pm, music and screaming from the pub downstairs is way too loud. Seriously WAY TOO LOUD. The kids are unable to fall asleep, and I have no idea what time they are going to finish. So if you are thinking to come and stay with kids, you need to take this into account.

Good friendly staffs. Only downside when we stayed they were doing some renovations. couldn't use the pool so the kids were bit disappointed, luckily there are right on the beach.

Just finished a 2 day event. The staff were super friendly & helpful. The meeting room spacious. The real issue and word of warning is that post-covid you will have to pay $75 for 3 bread rolls, a small lettuce salad and cut up fruit for lunch. My advice - hire the room and skip the catering as you'll get much better value for money at the local shops.

I would like to express my views of my stay at Novotel Wollongong.After reading reviews written about Novotel we decided to venture elsewhere, look at other places and what we saw was not up to our expectations. So we thought lets look at Novotel. Well to our surprise we were more than impressed.The welcome and attention we received was very good. Our car was parked for us and we were taken to our room which we were extremely pleased with. The view was wonderful, the dining room was well placed with beautiful views. The food was tasty and a joy to eat, the staff we so attentive.If you want an enjoyable holiday i would highly recommend the Novotel Wollongong.Thank You & RegardsWalter Ryan

Front desk people are not friendly at all. They have the worst customer service i have ever witnessed in a hotel. The hotel car park is the narrowest I've ever been in. Pay $20 per night but good luck getting any spaces where you can park properly. I dented my SUV trying to squeeze into a spot. The carpets are damp and smells. Very disappointed after paying over $500 p/n.

As usual, a very comfortable stay. Current renovations will enhance this already pleasant hotel. Staff very friendly and professional, this is a reflection of effective management

We had one of the best stay, with a delicious, thick steak with vegetables, The view from our room seeing the waves coming in, and the beautiful sunset, At the night it was so magnificent to here the waves rolling in

Lovely place