Novotel Constantine 3 stars

Family friendly

They knowingly overcharged us when we arrived (only a couple of pounds, but still!), checkin was slow, cigarette holes in furnishings, had to ask three times to get third bed, so not what you expect from Novotel. Location is great. (Breakfast might have been great but we didn't have it.)

The Novotel is horrific. The only positive is the lobby, which is decent. The experience nosedives from there. We arrived as a party of four with two rooms. Both rooms were utterly disgusting, an embarrassment for Accor. Floors were dirty, clearly un-vacuumed. Hair, lint, hair pins and dirt all visible on the carpet. Dead mosquitos and roaches on walls and doors. Stained sheets. Grey towels with hair on them. Mould in the bathroom. Hair on walls and floor. Non-functional safe. Balcony door with broken safety lock. And NO AIR-CONDITIONING. Balcony had no mosquito nets, and as there are mosquitos in the area this meant a sweaty night of sleep or eaten by mosquitos. The bed was hard, but not uncomfortable. The mattresses seemed relatively new. However there was just a sheet on the mattress, no liner so hygiene was a concern. We ate dinner at the hotel. Conflicting information was given that a drink is included, but we were charged for our sodas anyway. Food was generally ok, with the chicken actually really good. Breakfast was mediocre, with coffee dispensed from an ancient machine and servers ignoring hygiene entirely. One server handing out drinks was constantly coughing (open mouth). They cleared plates and left a bigger mess as half the contents spilled everywhere. They did not bother to clean up. I should add that two of our party had mild diarrhoea later in the day (after eating dinner/breakfast in the hotel). The hotel management cannot be trusted. When asked about the air conditioning we were told it broke (no information on when or why) and it would be fixed the next day. We were told this by three people on the night shift. We asked to check out the next day and get refund and were told ‘yes’. In the morning we went to reception. Their first response is that it is not possible to checkout as ‘they are not obligated to provide services’. In other words, non-working aircon is not a problem they take responsibility for. They did acknowledge the air conditioning was broken. I was also told that air conditioning worked at the ibis (which is in the same building, with each floor divided into two. One half invite and one half ibis). I lost my temper at this stance as well as that a cheap room in the same filthy hotel has air conditioning. I was then told to return at 9 am when general manager arrived and could make a decision. A few minutes later another member of our party spoke to a manager who said checkout/refund should not be a problem. At 9 I spoke to the same person (the manager) who then tells me that a technician is coming to fix it today, and he gives his word it will be fixed. No need for us to checkout. He then states it was never broken, just switched off! And the General Manager has just given approval to turn it on. Again, he says we do not need to check out! At this point I believe they have as much integrity as would fill a thimble. Liars and charlatans! After again insisting on a refund and arguing back and forth he eventually says ‘no problem’, at which I wonder why the debate was required. 35 minutes later we checkout and get a refund (which required forms, more paperwork and visiting the general manager’s office). The GM sits behind a big desk taking calls as if he was running an empire, not two lowly ranked and filthy hotels with terrible reviews and worse employees (receptionists seem to be the only persons trained to do their job)). He also wants to make sure I understand that AC is being turned on, not understanding the filth of the hotel and the multiple conflicting reasons given. We ended up paying twice as much and staying in the Marriott where we didn’t see any filth, roaches and the rooms are actually cleaned on a daily basis. We ate there several times- no stomach complaints!

Si ha is amazing! All are so kind. At the restaurant too! We only saw that they are cutting the flowers out side at the parking area, and putting plastic. So horrible and sad. We complained but nobody listen. We believe that earth needs us. 😣😣😣😣

Very professional. Attentive team, Quality and cleanliness of the rooms meet expectations.

This Novotel rather feels like an Ibis (which is next doors), very "budget". Our room 407 was pretty much standard, with 2 sgl beds and a desk. A bathroom with walk-in shower. There were no toiletries to be found, so I rang reception and they brought 2 measly tiny bottles. The room was clean, but corridors badly needed cleaning or new carpets. It is a sad reflection on "tourism in Constantine" that it ranks #1.