Sometimes you just need a hotel that does the job. Something without the bells and whistles that adorn pretty much every hotel in the UAE. Step forward Novotel in Abu Dhabi.

Novotel is part of the Accor Hotel group and there are around 400 of them worldwide. They’re known for being fuss-free and reliable. My stay wasn’t one that required 7-star luxury, I needed somewhere to put down my head before taking part in a gruelling triathlon. I had to be in Abu Dhabi for one night, and I opted for Novotel because it was affordable, relatively near where I needed to be the next day and it had all the essential facilities you would like. 

Here are five reasons I would recommend it…

1. Contemporary design…

There is something about hotel corridors. It says a lot about a hotel. Does the floor creak? Is it dusty and giving off a cold feeling? Are there desperate excuses for paintings on the wall? Are the walls paper thin? Corridors on the way to the room say as much about the hotel as the room itself for me. The corridors in in Novotel had such a warm feeling to them, contemporary wooden doors, soft lights on the room numbers and cosy carpets.  

Recommended

7 reasons to book into this MOE hotelA hotel that lets you WhatsApp the staff rather than having to call…Got a layover in Abu Dhabi.. this place ticks all the boxes

2. Choice Cut – Great Value Steak…

Abu Dhabi has some very well known and well-regarded steak houses, from Marco Pierre Whites to 50, to 50. Choice Cut, the own brand restaurant, at Novotel doesn’t have the same reputation but I wondered why? 

It has the same product: immaculately sourced and cooked prime steak from the US Angus to the Australian Wagyu, and it serves it at 30% less pain to your pocket. So, I wonder, do we eat out for the quality of the food, or the location the food is being served in? 

I don’t have the answer to this question. All I can say is that it was a delicious meal, the meat came with two thick slices of foie-gras on top, with caramelised potatoes and a side of creamy spinach. I was very satisfied.

For those who would like a drink after the meal, there’s a Brazilian themed bar that has a resident DJ every Wednesday and it’s a great spot to catch live football. 

3.  Spa Facilities…

You wouldn’t be going for retreat here, but tired after a trip or wanting to relax before a race, this is just what the doctor ordered. The outdoor pool, sauna, Jacuzzi and steam room are a welcome addition for your stay. 

4. Early to rise breakfast…

Breakfast starts at 6:30am, I was out the door at 5:30am and had assumed I wouldn’t get breakfast, so hoped that a service station would be open enroute, only to my surprise there was a stand in the lobby for an early risers breakfast, with fresh coffee and fruit.

5. Great service…

Hotels are all about good service, no matter what size. While rushing out the door, I left my energy drinks, that I’d prepared the previous evening, in the room fridge. Running late for the race, I called from the car, and the concierge had them waiting at the door of the hotel as I sped back in my car. 

I’m not the only one who has positive things to say, check out the reviews on Facebook.

The important bits.. 

So you get the idea. If you’ve got a late meeting in Abu Dhabi, or need to be there very early the next morning, Novotel Al Bustan is the place for you. 

Steaks range from 180 AED to 350 AED, and rooms are from 295 AED

Now read: 7 reasons to book into this MOE hotel