Last weekend, we packed some stuff and drove to Fujairah. Novotel Hotel was our host for two nights, which is located at the heart of the city and just a few minutes away from the city mall. You can search for Hotel Novotel Fujairah on your google maps for easy navigation.

Daddy C mentioned that Novotel/Ibis hotel’s caters mostly to business travelers. I didn’t do any research on what the hotel has to offer for our family of four, Daddy was sure though that if they have a swimming pool then him and the kids will be happy.

We were greeted by happy staff as soon as we got off the car. I know it’s there job to be pleasant to us, we are after all their client. One can feel when the greeting is genuine or not, the warm smile and firm handshake that welcomed us was a good sign we will enjoy our stay.

Ms. Lyn at the reception informed us that they are still preparing our room, we arrived early. She then told the kids that they can have fun in the kids play area or make use of the computer while we wait.

Our room.

We were given an Excutive Room at the 23rd floor, we can see cargo planes and the Hajjar mountains from our balcony window.

Once you enter the room you have the bed, sofa and desk to your right . We asked for an extra bed for our 7 years old Kuya V which was placed on the foot of the king size bed beside the balcony glass door, that was locked for safety.

To your left is a area to place your luggage bag, mini refrigerator, safe, complimentary water & coffee, cabinet and entrance to toilet & bath.

I absolutely love the T&B because both kids can take a bath at the same time, one in the shower and the other in the bathtub.

We were only staying for the weekend and knew that we will use the room to freshen up and sleep, the space did not bother us at all. I would suggest that you book the Superior Suite if you have much older kids or expecting guest’s as it has a separate living room.

Room rates starts from 534 Dhs for the Executive room and are inclusive of taxes and breakfast for 2 adults and 2 kids (under 7 years old).

The hotel offers different ammenities to keep the family busy.

Amwaj Pool & Bar

We didn’t waste time and changed to our swimming clothes as soon as we got our things. They have two temperatured controlled pools for the adults and kids.

If you don’t fancy swimming, you can order food from the bar and enjoy the view of the Hajjar mountains.

Kids Corner

I was surprise that they have a dedicated kids corner located behind the City Cafe at the lobby. Equipped with soft mats, wooden blocks and Xbox to keep the LittleOnes entertained. This is an ideal setup when you have an important meeting and the kids needed to tag along.

Mac Station & WiFi Access

We were pleased to know that wireless internet is free all throughout the hotel (rooms, restaurants, lobby and meeting rooms) and there is no limit to how many devices you can connect. Almost everyone now (even LittleOnes) have gadget’s that make use of internet so this is really a plus. Oh did I mention that the connection was fast as well!

Behind Kuya V was a huge touchscreen tablet, him and Dad spent time playing with it while waiting for us.

Fitness Centre

We were not able to bring proper gym clothes during our stay and was not able to use the fitness centre. I love the cealing that allows natural light to come in and clear view of the skyline. Located on the same floor as the Amwaj Pool.

Restaurants

We arrived Thursday afternoon and ordered food from the Amwaj Pool & Bar – we had chicken panini, beef burger and ice cream. I can’t remember the exact cost  but both panini and burger cost less than 50 DHS, affordable for a hotel food and serving was enough to satisfy one person.

We had Mexican food for dinner at Il Centro Pasta Grill located at Ibis lobby, there’s a walk way from Novotel to the adjacent hotel. I was looking forward for some guacamole and nachos that night but sadly it was not available.

LittleOne’s were enjoyed looking at the Chef preparing their grilled chicken, calamari and pizza at the live cooking station. I had second helpings of the beef and okra stew.

Friday Brunch was also at Il Centro with a DJ playing good music.

There were several choices of meat and vegetable dishes. Dessert was also really good, if I had enough space and not worry about my waist after I would try each of them.

We absolutely love the live cooking station at Il Centro, our brunch favorites were cauliflower with truffle oil and grilled seafood. We have to try their pasta on our next visit as they only cook dish when you order and one can customize what goes in the pasta.

Friday was at Flavours restaurant located at the Novotel lobby, it was Taste of India themed night.

We were out the whole afternoon exploring Fujairah, the kids called for room service food while we waited for dinner time. Tired LittleMiss fell asleep after snack, she was comfortably sleeping in the restaurant sofa while we enjoyed dinner.

Kuya V’s favorite that night was Murag Malai with Papad and the banana fritter. The staff asked if I wanted to pack food for the LittleMiss who was sleeping in the couch, so sweet of them.

Butter chicken was not available that nights since they had it in the menu a few weeks back, they try to change the menu every week. The Dal Makhani, Lamb chops masala and Bhindi Masala was really good paired with Tandai drink that nuetralized the spicy notes of the dish.

Our favorite dining option was Il Centro’s International Friday Brunch and Flavour’s Taste of India.

Verdict

All throughout our stay we were greeted with friendly staff that went out of their way to make sure that we had a lovely stay. We notice the same attitude towards other guests as well. They remembered our names  and the kids felt really special even our very shy LittleMiss. I was eavesdropping at City Cafe while the kids played, one guest took a seat reading newspaper and was served with some tea “Oh you remembered!” the staff then asked if he’d like the usual cake or try a new one.

I liked how the hotel go out of their way in promoting tourism in Fujairah. They arranged an afternoon for us to go around the emirate and visit some of UAE’s historical places, more about that on the next posts.

We had a relaxing and fun weekend stay at Novotel Fujairah that was full of new discorveries. Take advantage of the kids pring break, we suggest that you drive to Fujairah and explore what the emirate has to offer.

Highly recommend that you stay at the budget & family friendly Novotel Hotel Fujairah.

For more details on Novotel Hotel Fujairah and special deals, visit their website or get in touch with them onfacebook, instagram and twitter.

 

Disclaimer: We were invited to stay for the weekend at Novotel Hotel Fujairah but all opinions are my own.