Greenwich is one of the most historic parts of London, famous not just for the Maritime Museum with the Queens House, but also for the Royal Observatory and Greenwich Meridian (0º), the Royal Naval College and Dreadnought Sailors Hospital and as the last resting place of the Cutty Sark, a remnant of the clipper ships that raced to bring new crop tea to the UK from China. Historic institutional architecture is complemented by acres of Georgian houses and spectacular views from Blackheath across the whole of London.

Greenwich railway station is a characteristic piece of Victorian railway architecture, prettily restored and now serving not just the main rail line into the central London termini but now also the Dockland Light Railway. Adjacent to the station (not just close by but sharing the forecourt) is the new Novotel Greenwich. With a secure underground car park this hotel is ideally located for business or tourist traffic, and as the Maritime Museum is the designated site of some of the events for the 2012 Olympics (the Equestrian events will be in the grounds to the Museum) the high occupancy rates it enjoys look well set to continue.

Described by the operator as a ‘New Generation’ Novotel, the hotel has 151 bedrooms as well as conferencing, meeting rooms and a gym and fitness centre. Bedrooms are predominantly non-smoking and are described as Novation rooms. The award of the prize of ‘Hotel Group of the Year 2005/06’ in the UK raises expectations of a high standard of everything within the hotel and this anticipation is not disappointed by the predominantly French team providing service. Indeed the standards of service and food here seemed to be of a level that visitors to France would have enjoyed fifteen years ago but rarely find in that beautiful country now (an observation that the staff, interestingly, agreed with).

Design is neat, and has a clean simple feel in both bedroom and bathroom.

Bedroom design allows for a separate toilet and bathroom, and the traditional entrance area has been skillfully redesigned to accomodate this change plus the TCMF and wardrobe

From the outside the building is an unremarkable piece of modern construction, albeit in materials not unsympathetic to the railway station next door, and the roof line sets back in sympathy as well. The interior is more unusual in layout, with an almost open plan space containing the reception, lounge, bar and restaurant separated only by a line of screens made up of coloured glass and timber. This is comfortable for the majority of the dining area, works reasonably for the bar but is less comfortable as a lounge and reception zone. It does mean that the staff at the reception desk can oversee the whole area, with the exception of a small part of the restaurant, providing a good level of security.

The entrance area is double height, which is perhaps what contributes to the slightly uncomfortable feeling, because, apart from one corner where the route to the meeting rooms cuts across the space, there is no mezzanine, nor a sense that the space does much other than provide a double storey window at the front of the building. It might have made the space more interesting perhaps to have a mezzanine area here as a more relaxed lounge area to supplement the popular bar. Hard surfaces also make for a busy clatter and a carpeted mezzanine area would have been a restful alternative.