You can't get a more bog standard, basic, tired, overpriced hotel than this. It is mediocre to the extreme. Talk about rip-off britain ;this sort of place personifies it. Breakfast ?12.50 extra, parking ?5 extra. Everything is milked for the last penny, and you get a very very ordinary room. Wi-fi never works. A scam. Avoid.

I stayed at the Novotel for a couple of nights in September 2007. It's very conveniently located - just at the edge of the city center, and easy to locate, on a major junction into town. However - having stayed at another hotel slightly higher up the rankings of Ipswich Hotels, I can't really say that much complementary about it. The rooms, at least the ones I stayed in on the 4th Floor, are generic and soulless - although pretty spacious. They have a Philips hotel TV system with wireless keyboard for internet access, minibar, safe, and coffee/tea facilities, although no iron. Internet is via wired from a port from the TV system for £10/day, or via Orange broadband for a standard WiFi tariff. The bed is pretty firm. The bathroom is a novel design, with sliding doors opening out onto the bedroom, while the toilet is separate and by the entrance - but the moulded plastic fittings and sink, and generic Accor toiletries, don't impress. I didn't try the restaurant, and there is no gym or other facilities - although I found out later there's an excellent gym, free to guests, across the road. Breakfast is a moderately expensive £12, and while I would be satisfied with paying £70-80 here, it's impressive that they can charge £120 a night when there are a couple of other nearby hotels a world apart, for not much more. Also, don't read too much into the 4-star status, as there's not a whole lot to set it aside from a 3* 'Travel Tavern'. Considering I stayed for the same price at Hintlesham Hall, where I enjoyed free WiFi, and a perfectly-cooked smoked salmon and scrambled egg breakfast in a dining room looking onto a croquet lawn, all-included in the identical room rate, I would only recommend the Novotel for it's convenient location, and if there's nowhere else to stay. Also, a local tip: I've been told that the restaurants around the corner in St Peter's Street, particularly the Ghandi Indian Restaurant, are excellent. The Golden Dragon Chinese Restaurant on the other side of the hotel, I would not recommend, unless the two key qualities you look for in takeaway food are 'slow' and 'chewy',

Stopped at the hotel for 1 night while in Ipswich on business. The hotel is in a good location. Ipswich is only a small town, and the hotel is almost in the centre. Its near all the majory offices (well the only two I saw; Willis and Axa!) I checked in around 5.45pm and was greeted by a young member of staff who was extremely helpful. The room was of the usual Novotel standard, basic but comfortable. The bed was really comfy, and pillows were great. The bathrooms are a little small and could be improved. I was too tired to head to the restaurant so I just ordered room service. The food took around 30 minutes to arrive, and was hot and very nice, not many places you can say that about! I had the buffet breakfast in the morning which was of a good standard. Check out waqs quick and easy. I would recommend this hotel if you are in Ipswich for one night or two. The only drawback is: 1. No air conditioning. 2. As no air con, I had to leave the window open all night, with a main road opposite, was quite noisy. 3. Cant have a cooked breakfast in your room.

A typical city centre Novotel Totally lacking in character but with fairly comfortable rooms with tea, coffee and the inevitable plastic cups which make the place look cheap. Breakfast was just about OK but the eggs were tasteless and the bacon & sausages were cheap quality. OK if you can't find anywhere else to stay.

A decent hotel in centre of Ipswich. Stayed 3 nights on a convention in Room 303. Room was clean and had a comfortable double bed, and a sofa bed. Good flat panel TV but a liitle complicated to operate. Good bath and shower, the toilet was in a separate room from the bathroom, which was a good idea. If you have a room overlooking the car park, you can be disturbed by noise from smokers who are stood outside, especially on a Saturday night - so if you are a light sleeper, it is a good idea to close the window! The housekeeping, however, was less than satisfactory. On the first day the bed did not appear to have been made up properly, and on the second day, only one of the two cups had been replaced with a clean one, leaving us with only one cup, and the little packet of biscuits were not replenished. Food and drink - the breakfast was excellent, with plenty of choice of full English and cold buffet. Bar meals and drinks, however, were expensive - if you like real ale, you are better off taking a 15min walk to the Lord Nelson in the centre of Ipswich - much cheaper! There was a £5.00 per day charge to use the car park, which was not overly large, and got pretty full on a weekend. Other hotels in the area don't make such a charge, apparently. Reasonable value for money and general Novotel standard. We paid £64.00 for two people per night which included breakfast.