Novotel Vijayawada Varun Hotel Review
As Amravati is donning its new role of being the capital of Andhra Pradesh, Vijayawada which forms a major part of it is gearing up well to receive its guests. Vijayawada just got a classy luxury hotel, the Novotel Vijayawada Varun, worthy of this brand new capital of Andhra Pradesh. It will be completing its first successful year in December 2019 after major renovations in the hotel. Read on Novotel Vijayawada Varun Hotel Review.
(Prior to this I experienced Novotel hospitality in Ahmedabad in Gujarat – Novotel Ahmedabad Hotel.)
Huge poster of Prakassam Barrage on wall
Overall Appearance
Located on service road of NH16, it stands tall with 9 floors tallest among the several buildings in vicinity. No way can you miss it! They have an elaborate security check by courteous staff. The next striking feature as you enter is the luxurious lobby area, scattered with groups of stylish ergonomically designed furniture. I can easily spend hours curled up in one of the chairs there. I scanned the area sipping the soothing welcome drink (high temperature in Vijayawada ranges from 30.2 in winters and peaking at 40.2 in summers) while my check-in was being done.
The lobby can comfortably cater to large travel groups. Entire area looked modern, bright, aesthetically done interiors and clean. The bar, a small souvenir shop and Food Square easily accessible from here. Resisting all temptations I headed to my room in third floor.
Rooms in Novotel Vijayawada Varun
I stayed in a very tastefully furnished room. The room is spacious and thankfully not cluttered with too many furniture. Space enough for you to practice yoga! There is no balcony. However a huge window gave view of green mountains beyond the city limits. The wall had a huge poster of Prakasam Barrage, one of the highest rated must see attraction of Vijayawada which triggered my interest to see it in real.
A plush sofa in one corner to sink into where I dozed off couple of times reading a book before sinking into a range of pillows and under warm blanket in the bed next to it. In addition there was the mandatory flat-screen television flushed to wall and attractive table lamp. A Kondapally toy veena (musical instrument) enclosed in glass case placed on table, beside a plate full of fresh fruits and famous desserts of Vijayawada.
Stressed spelled backwards is DESSERTS and the staff of Novotel Vijayawada Varun presented a unique platter of them to de-stress us. The macaroons were special – Guntoor Chili Macaroon – with slight dose of spicy chilies in the chocolate. So were the granola bars which were lightly coated with red Guntoor chili powder. They were named Nalla Karam meaning very spicy hot.
I also loved the shampoo and bath gel.
Terrace
The hotel’s terrace is well designed and dotted with gym, spa, swimming pool, a walking track and restaurant (to be ready in couple of months). Fitness is a big feature for them and guests serious about losing calories they gain here will definitely find the place interesting and useful.
The spa has 5 quietly elegant treatment rooms and you have a good range of treatments to choose from both in 60min and 90min duration. This I recommend is a must include as an experience at Novotel Vijayawada Varun. For sunset lovers this is definitely one of the places to stay put during the twilight hours.
Restaurants and Bars
Food Exchange at lobby level that I mentioned before offers Asian and international cuisine. Both buffet and a-la-carte are available. There are 2 live counters catering to your varied choice of dishes. They have well designed menus for children, halal food, salt free dishes and vegetarians. But I highly recommend their local delicacies. Chef Vinay Kumar has done a wonderful job in creating fusion food with local ingredients.
Very soon they will have a restaurant in terrace. (Estimated date: Dec 2019.) This fusion food, very patiently and painstakingly created by their team of chefs, will be included in menu of their terrace restaurant. So, there is something exciting to look forward to!
Besides the Food Exchange they have Wugan – The Chinese Restaurant. The chef whipped up some exotic dishes during dinner here. Don’t miss the chef’s act at the Tepiniyaki counter. Open kitchens are latest rage for diners where not only you get to see what is getting cooked but also how it is getting cooked. It was immense pleasure watching Chef Mir performing jugglery with knives and spoons.
Gourmet Bar in lobby level of the hotel serves a wide selection of cocktails and drinks. A live band plays popular musical numbers. I treated myself to a mocktail – Neer thandai made with chilled coconut milk and nuts.
Mocktail – neer thandai
Other Amenities to Experience at Novotel Vijayawada Varun
The hotel also has one of the largest meeting spaces in the city. They have 3 meeting rooms – Amravati, V Convention and Krishna with maximum banquet capacity of 800. In addition to business meetings, families planning reunion, pre-wedding functions or large cocktail gatherings this can be an ideal venue.
Other amenities which may seem trivial yet essential for daily living available are: free wifi, free parking, webcorner, copy/print service, easy accessibility for guests with reduced mobility. Some paid facilities are: pick up and drop from airport, bicycle rentals, and services for children.
It is a 100% non smoking zone which a huge plus point in my opinion.
Best Choice for your Outdoor Family
While meetings and functions are great excuses to stay at Novotel Vijayawada Varun, it is not a disappointment for your outdoor family. Be it be spiritual tourism or with inclination to history, art and culture, this hotel is a great place to stay. Located close (31km) to International Vijayawada Airport, you can reach this hotel, dump your luggage and set off to explore Vijayawada.
Undavalli Caves Vijayawada
Prakassam Barrage Vijayawada
The two most popular temples you can visit are: Kanak Durga Temple (8.9km) and Sri Panaka Narasimha Swamy Temple in Mangalagiri (16km).
Connect with history of Vijayawada at Undavalli Caves (14km) and Kondapalli Fort (30km).
Also connect with locals making a living by making wooden dolls in Kondapalli village (25.8km) and weavers of Mangalagiri cotton fabrics (16.2km). On the way do stop to explore the Guntoor chili market flooded with heaps of dry red chilies (39.8km).
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I was in this hotel on invite to experience Novotel Vijayawada Varun. The opinions are completely mine.
I love that hotel!! The spacious layout is perfect, but that rooftop pool is the icing on the cake. What a view! Definitely writing this one down for future travels, thanks for the heads up.
I have stayed in a Novotel before and had a great experience. Love that you were de-stressed with desserts and the Guntoor Chili Macaroon sounds wonderful. The décor is great, and that pool is calling to me!
What an amazing place to stay! That Mocktail – neer thandai looks amazing too. ANd anywhere that has macaroons is a win for me!
This looks like an amazing place to stay! Right off the bat the lobby sets the bar high, that art work is cool! Plus the restaurant sounds delicious.
The hotel is lovely! I love the view from the pool/terrace, that would be the perfect place to relax after a long day of exploring! xo – Kam
I love hotels like Novotel Vijayawada Varun that have nice little touches like the macaroons in your room! Plus, I love the convenience of restaurants inside the hotel and location near so many cool attractions like the temples!
This is a gorgeous hotel though I didn’t know what country it was in until I read it on your pin. I haven’t traveled to India yet but I can see this would be a great place to stay. Love the luxury decor and the overall look of the Novotel. The plated food presentations are really pretty with so much attention to detail.
Novotel is a vey good chain of hotels and the one in Vijayawada Varun seems to confirm that. Lovely rooms, beautiful furnished and lots of amenities. The rooftop pool is definitely a great addition. Also, the fresh fruits and desserts make you feel pampered.
The Novotel Vijayawada Varun looks really nice. I love the fact that the room was simple and not full of furniture. My kind of room! Also, that swimming pool looks amazing. Will definitely take this place in mind if I’m ever in the area.
The rooftop pool is definitely a huge perk, views must be fantastic from there. Also, I’m a big foodie and this sounds like a great place under this point of view, with a great selection of restaurants. I also like little touches such as the fruits and desserts left in the room, they make all the difference 🙂
This is a lovely and luxurious hotel. Definitely another feather in the cap of Novotel. Can see that the hallmark of quality and elegance that Novotel hotels are known far is in abundance in Novotel Vijayawada Varun too. A great place for families for a staycation.
Very interesting to see Novotel are offering something different in India, as the ones I know in my part of the world are more of a plain but comfortable low to mid budget kind of offering. The decor of the rooms looks pretty comfortable, with some pretty cool touches, I love the big photo walls, for example. Also liking sound of that Guntoor chilli macaron, I’d love to try that. Pool terrace and views look stunning!
I love your review! I have a feeling like the terrace is where I’d want to spend most of my time! And Guntoor Chili Macaron? Oh my gosh, I would love to try that myself. Also any resort with great shampoos and bath gels are so hard to find! So glad you like them!
I’m not usually keen on all-inclusive deals, but you’ve convinced me to think again! It sounds like a great choice, and I’m a sunset lover so would be first on that terrace! The restaurant and bar choices sound great too.
I have never visited Amaravati and I didn’t know there are so many things to do around. The hotel looks absolutely amazing too and I sure wouldn’t mind spending a few days there. The interior looks very classy and the food seems amazing too. When I visit Amaravati, this hotel will surely be my go-to choice. Thanks for the lovely recommendation.
The hotel and rooms seem really nice — but I think my favorite addition is the wonderful plate of desserts they left for you! I would love to try a macaroon with some chili in it, seems like a unique flavor combo. I love a little spice in my cocktails, so I’m sure I would love it in desserts too. The infinity pool has a great view and the spa sounds delightful! Your mocktail seems like it would pair well with some of those sweet treats! It’s very courteous that the restaurant has menus for special diets as well!
What a unique and lovely place in which to stay while in Amravati. That dessert place, and the macaroons in particular, look scrumptious. The terrace with its gym and spa sound right up my alley. As for my significant other, the Gourmet Bar and ghee food are right up his alley!
I remember a short layover at Vijayawada on our struggle to reach Bangalore to Kolkata on Durga Puja. I had no idea that there are so many things to do in this city. Novotel looks like a perfect place to stay. The roof swimming pool is gorgeous. Would love to bite those macrons.
Looks Amazing. Loved your review of Novotel Vijayawada Varun.