Novotel Tianjin Drum Tower

Great location! Drum Tower is right downstairs, and Ancient Culture Street is not far to the east. Dining and transportation are very convenient. The hotel's front desk service was excellent; the inherent warmth of Tianjin people really left a lasting impression. There are plenty of dining options nearby, including local cuisine and Western restaurants.

The hotel's location is absolutely fantastic, making it super convenient for getting around and sightseeing. We booked a deluxe twin room, and it was clean and tidy. The smart room control and screen mirroring features were very easy to use. The staff were friendly and responsive. The room was spacious, and the bedding was comfortable, making it perfect for families with kids. The hygiene and overall environment were top-notch, ensuring a comfortable stay. We'll definitely choose this place again next time we visit Tianjin! Highly recommend it for family travelers. There's also an amazing shaved ice place right behind the hotel!

I was quite satisfied with the room; the bathroom had a separate wet and dry area, and I could even hang clothes to dry. The issue with the pillows was also resolved promptly.

My recent stay was quite disappointing. The soundproofing in the room was noticeably poor, severely affecting my rest. The front desk repeatedly provided inaccurate information, making communication incredibly difficult and the resolution process very inefficient. 1. **Terrible Soundproofing**: I could clearly hear traffic noise and car horns from the street, vibrations from the adjacent room, and the sound of water flowing through the pipes. This constant disturbance at night severely impacted my sleep. 2. **Sliding Door to Room Type Couldn't Close, False 'Fully Booked' Information During Room Change**: The room layout shown during booking indicated a sliding door between the bedroom and living room that could be closed. However, the actual door was jammed (see image 1). When I called the front desk, they claimed the door “just couldn't be closed.” I pointed out that other guest reviews mentioned this door could be closed and requested someone to inspect and repair it. After waiting for several tens of minutes, the person who arrived was not from engineering and didn't have tools, stating they couldn't fix it. The front desk immediately responded that there was “no other solution for the night” and told us to “bear with it for one night” and that they would provide feedback to their manager after we checked out. Because the partition door couldn't close, combined with the hotel's already poor soundproofing, it affected sleep in both bedrooms. We requested a room change, but the front desk claimed the hotel was “fully booked for the night.” We then asked the front desk to contact the hotel manager. The manager resolved the issue, informing us about 5 minutes later that a vacant room of the same type was available for exchange, which contradicted the earlier “fully booked” claim. 3. **Insufficient Fire Masks (Lack of Safety Equipment and Awareness)**: Our family room for three people only had two fire masks (see image 2). I called the front desk to request an additional one, but they replied that there was “no extra stock for the night.” After several communications, one was delivered approximately several tens of minutes later, indicating there was actual stock, but their initial response was false. 4. **Other Disappointing Details**: The bathroom window was quite large and directly faced a high-rise residential building. Due to its design, the curtain could not be fully closed by pulling the cord, so we had to find our own way to ensure privacy in the bathroom (see image 3). The gap under the main door to the room was quite wide, requiring a firm pull to ensure it was securely locked; otherwise, it was easy to mistakenly think it was closed. There were other inconveniences, such as an insufficient number of cups and poor blackout curtains, which I won't go into detail about. Ultimately, we didn't get any rest until after midnight. I suggest improving front desk training; if every problem requires a manager to solve, efficiency will be extremely low.

The hotel's location is excellent, making it very convenient for a stroll along the river in the evening. The room size was just right, and it was well-equipped. There was also plenty of parking available in the underground garage. The breakfast was great, and I particularly enjoyed the coffee. The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. I highly recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Tianjin. As for downsides, there were two minor issues: the floor wasn't cleaned thoroughly during housekeeping, and the bathroom door didn't close properly. Other than that, everything was perfect.

1. There were several long hairs in the sink. 2. There was an empty bottle in the trash can. 3. The rinsing cup was placed under the counter. 4. The temperature knob on the showerhead was stuck.

I took my child to Tianjin for a two-day weekend trip. After a long search on Ctrip, I chose Novotel. It's quite close to Tianjin Station, about a 10-yuan taxi ride, and there are bus and subway stations nearby, as well as restaurants and malls. The location is pretty good. We arrived at the hotel around 11 am on Saturday to check in. We booked a family room, and luckily there was one available, so the front desk processed our check-in. Since our high-speed train back to Beijing was at around 4 pm on Sunday afternoon, I wanted a late check-out. They extended it from 12 pm to 2 pm for an additional 99 yuan and also gave us an extra breakfast. After checking in, we only received two sets of adult toiletries. I felt the hotel wasn't very kid-friendly, as they didn't provide children's toiletries. The children's play area was also barely worth mentioning. The room was divided into an inner and outer section, and the layout was decent. The cleanliness was also good. However, my child was stunned when they looked out the window – it was full of various air conditioner outdoor units (see pictures 1, 2, and 3). I've been booking hotels on Ctrip for many years, and usually, they don't arrange rooms on relatively low floors. I haven't stayed in a room with absolutely no view like this in years. I wonder if it was because we checked in a bit early that we were assigned this room. Since we were only staying for one night, we just went with it. As for the hotel's facilities, most things in the room were fine. However, the hotel elevators were incredibly slow, and I have no idea what brand they were. Even on a regular weekend when it's not that busy, we had to wait for ages every time. It's hard to imagine what it would be like during peak holiday seasons. Also, because our room was on the 3rd floor and the restaurant on the 2nd, there was always a smell of kitchen waste in the hallway, and the curtains let in a lot of light (picture 4). Now, about breakfast. In a city like Tianjin, where delicious food is everywhere, 98 yuan per person for breakfast felt genuinely overpriced. I can only say that it had everything you'd expect and was filling. When we checked in on Saturday, we extended our check-out to 2 pm on Sunday. When we came back from our outing on Sunday, around 1 pm, we found our room card had expired. I don't understand why, even though we paid extra for a late check-out upon arrival, the room card system still expired at 12 pm! We had to go all the way to the front desk to sort it out! Based on the above points, although the hotel has many advantages, if I go to Tianjin again, I probably wouldn't choose Novotel, as I didn't feel valued.

The room was clean and tidy, and it was convenient for dining and shopping nearby. The breakfast was good, and the front desk service was warm and attentive. The only downside was that the air conditioning vent blew directly onto the bed. It was too hot to sleep without the AC on, but it was unbearable with it blowing directly on me.