We stayed at the Novotel Bristol Centre for one night over the weekend, as part of a weekend exploring Bristol and the local area. Fortunately there was a winter sale on, making the Novotel affordable for us. We booked a Queen Superior room, and had asked nicely in the booking notes for a quiet room as I am a light sleeper. On arrival the reservation staff realised they had already issued all their rooms at the back of the hotel - so we were kindly offered an upgrade to an Executive room to give us a quiet room. This was greatly appreciated.

From arrival the staff were friendly and courteous, the hotel immaculately presented, and the room equally immaculate. Facing to the back on the fourth floor it was extremely quiet with only some minor noise from other guests in the hallway being heard.

My only quibble would be once again the beds in the Novotel are very firm, and are supplied only with a heavy duvet and no top sheet - which meant a disturbed night's sleep for both my partner and myself, as we were both too warm under the duvet and too cool without it, and quite uncomfortable on such a firm surface. Personal taste, I know, but be aware if you are someone like myself with bad hips who needs a softer bed to sleep well.

We found the location excellent - away from heavy traffic over the weekend, with a Tesco Express just a half block away, as well as a couple of delightful little pubs and the Temple Church within a few hundred metres (the church's leaning tower is well worth a look - amazing building). If you're not a happy walker, however, I would recommend taking your car or a bus if you want to explore around the harbour area. Oh, and beware when driving in Bristol - there are a LOT of one way streets, and gps doesn't always know which ones you can turn into and which ones you can't.

Back to the hotel, though. We had included the breakfast buffet in our booking as it was also on special - and found it an excellent, straightforward full english option with well cooked food and a good selection - just right for setting us up for another day of exploring. The restaurant staff were universally delightful - friendly, happy and helpful without being too much.

Checkout was a two minute stop at the desk, and we were away. All in all a pleasant stay in a hotel that is well staffed, well managed, and excellent value if you can get a good deal on room price.

This hotel is about a good 20 minutes walk from the shops and bars. Saying its around 10-15 minutes is a bit ambitious especially in heels!!

Aside from that it was easy to get to with sufficient parking.

The gym was freezing cold and the showers and steam room were not working. Reception dealt with this well by offering a discount on the parking fee.

The room was a good size but the bathroom is tiny. The other thing that annoyed me was that there was very little storage space, just the wardrobe. I guess it really caters to short stayers.

I use Accor hotels reasonably frequently, mostly Mercure and Novotel, and every so often you get a pleasant suprise, which rreminds you why you sue them. Not only was this a very pleasant hotel with really nice staff I got an upgrade to Exec room, which provided an additional level of comfort, fee wi-fi, a little more space and a free drink in the Bar.

Many thanks - much appreciated.