Novotel Sydney Brighton Beach

The hotel is newly renovated, looks gorgeous and even smells nice. There are great amenities available and the staff were all very lovely. Parking is a bit steep at $45 on top of your stay but that’s Sydney I guess. Our one complaint, like many others I see is the noise. It’s not even the hotels fault, the noise I am complaining about is the traffic on The Grand Pde, the street the hotel is on. There were hoons revving their cars and doing burnouts most of the night and it was so so loud. If the hotel has been renovated I don’t know why better sound proofing on the glass to outside wasn’t included because it really impacted our stay.

I have just returned from a 5 week stay, at the newly refurbished hotel, The Brighton in Brighton Le-Sands, Sydney. It is not far from the Airport, which is very useful. Up to October 2025, it was The Novotel. It is now under new ownership. I have stayed there twice before, when it was The Novotel. From those stays, I knew exactly what to ask for this time. I wanted, and got a quiet room at the back of the hotel. In the past, the outside pool and events area, was very noisy at times, often until late at night. Hence my request to be as far away as possible from that area. My choice proved to be the best I could have made. If you intend to stay at this hotel, look for a room on the 6th Floor between Rooms 601 to 608. You won't have beach views, but you can see those the minute you walk out of the hotel. The beach is across the road. The room was basic. A bedroom and a bathroom with shower and bath. The room was spacious enough for me on my own. I can divide the hotel into two, distinct divisions. THE GOOD and THE BAD. THE GOOD From the time I booked into the hotel in mid-2025, I was in communication with one of the best people you could wish to meet. Nothing was too much for her. No matter what I asked for, there were no issues at all. The Reception staff were an absolute delight. Professional and friendly. Again, nothing was too much for them. A cheery good morning or evening, from them, made you feel at home. The room was comfortable and kept clean on a daily basis. The only complaint, was that housekeeping was often carried out late into the evening. This could be quite annoying when you wanted to relax after a long, hard day. As always, there were inconsiderate people in rooms above and beside my room. That is always the downside of any hotel stay. However, it was reasonably quiet. THE BAD The hotel is supposedly newly refurbished, but that is not completely true. The front reception area, with flashy stairs leading up to an open entertainments floor, is new. Also the indoor/outdoor swimming pools are new. On other floors, the hotel can still look a bit shabby. A lot still needs to be smartened up, to actually say the hotel has been refurbished. There are a lot of weddings, parties and work events, held in the newer areas. A lot of attention is given to these new areas. They are obviously the main, money making part of the business. This is where the hotel falls down on good hotel standards. Everybody deserves the same sort of consideration. From the time you step out of the lifts, you are bombarded with loud music. Over 5 weeks, I only heard gentle music twice. As you walk into the main reception area, the music gets louder. You would think you were at a heavy metal pop concert. It is an assault on your ears. I had great pity for the hard-working reception staff, trying to concentrate in those conditions. You couldn't hear yourself think when trying to speak to them. When there was a wedding, or any other event, the noise was ridiculous. The music continues outside the hotel, where there are speakers inserted into the building entrance area. The most shocking day was when I had gone over to the beach , and I could still hear the music from the hotel. No hotel I have ever stayed in, anywhere in the world, played music that loud. As a matter of fact, I have never heard anything like it before. People stay in hotels for many reasons. Mostly it is for a holiday or business. I don't want to go to a hotel and think I have gone to a nightclub. Maybe this is what the new owners think is a pleasant experience for its customers? I can say that it isn't. I was not the only guest who commented on the noise. It became a topic of conversation in the lifts on some days, as you waited for the doors to open to yet another blast of music. As I said, my room at the back of the hotel was mostly quiet. If I had been allocated a room at the front - particularly, above the entertainment floors - I would have left for another hotel. Don't dismiss this hotel because it is immediately across the road from a nice beach, which runs for many kilometres. It is only a short bus ride to Rockdale Station, where you can get a train to anywhere you want. However do your research carefully. If you want a nice quiet stay, make sure you know exactly what you want, and be clear about your specific needs. Would I go back again. Yes, but I know exactly what I want.

The room was clean. The view was spectacular. The staff were extremely helpful and accommodating. Overall This was the nicest place my husband and I have ever stayed.