The Novotel Brescia 2 is a modern three star hotel with swimming pool and family rooms that can sleep up to four.
The Novotel Brescia 2 is a comfortable, mid-scale hotel in the suburbs of Brescia in Northern Italy. Although the hotel still use the Novotel design and furniture of a few generations ago, rooms are comfortable with furnishing in good condition. Free in-room wifi is fast while two iMacs are available for guest use in the lobby. The hotel has a swimming pool, small exercise room, and free parking.
The Novotel Brescia 2 Hotel in Lombardy, Italy
The Novotel Brescia 2 is located in the modern suburbs of Brescia to the south of the railway line. The hotel is a typical Novotel establishment – a bit sterile and devoid of character but thoroughly modern, clean, and comfortable.
The lobby and bar is in the current modern bright Novotel color scheme but bedrooms still use the older, white furniture from a few years ago. As with most Novotels in Europe, iMacs with internet connections are available for guest use in the lobby.
The Novotel aims mostly at business travelers, allowing for some fantastic bargains over weekends and during holidays for leisure travelers. The family rooms can sleep four with children eating breakfast for free if eating with parents.
An outdoor swimming pool and lawn with a children’s play area in front of the restaurant. Weather depending, the pool is open from May to mid-October.
The restaurant serves the current Novotel Italian menu, which is standard for Novotel hotels in Italy. The food is fair but not adventurous or dishes necessarily from the specific region. The breakfast buffet spread is extensive and much better in quality and variety compared to other Novotel hotels in the region.
Bedrooms in the Novotel Brescia 2 Hotel
Standard bedrooms in the Novotel Brescia 2 use the furnishings from a previous Novotel design generation. Furniture is thus white rather than the natural, light wood colors that is currently preferred.
However, furnishings are in good condition and truth be told, this older design is of much more practical use, especially if a family of four shares the room. Ample storage space and drawers are available.
The beds for children are equally the more comfortable two beds rather than a double sofa fold out. The mattress of the main double bed is very hard but surprisingly comfortable over a night.
The bathroom is similarly of an older generation, which ironically seems easier to keep clean than the more recent Novotel designs. A proper bathroom door, which does not light up the whole room if used in the middle of the night, is particularly appreciated. As usual, Novotel supplies ample toiletries and towels for a family of four.
Rooms have a kettle with coffee and tea supplies, a minibar fridge, mini safe, and television with the English and non-Italian channels mostly news or sport. Free wifi in the bedrooms had a strong signal and reasonably fast speed – ask for the free login codes at reception.
Location of the Novotel Brescia 2
The Novotel Brescia 2 is in a modern suburb to the south of railway line. (The 2 in the name indicates the newer part of Brescia rather than a second Novotel hotel.) Walking to the station will probably take around 10 minutes with the old town center not much further away. Useful maps of the city are available from reception.
Free parking is available in front of the hotel with paid parking behind security gates available but seemingly of interest only to guests on expense accounts. The neighborhood in no way looks unsafe.
A supermarket is directly across the road from the hotel. Above the supermarket – separate entrance at night – is a large “blue lagoon” restaurant. It has a huge menu with a very large selection of pastas and pizzas (and claims that the original restaurant made and named the Pizza Margherita). It seems to do a roaring trade in take-away pizzas too.
Brescia is a lovely city with a pretty historic old town center, which is a pleasant surprise after the modern and industrial suburbs. In contrast to nearby Lake Garda and Verona, Brescia sees far fewer tourists with sights not feeling overrun by day-trippers. The old town with Venetian influences, a lovely round old cathedral, Roman ruins, and a castle is interesting to explore.
Brescia’s local history museum – Museo della Citta – is considered one of the most important history museums in Northern Italy and a pleasure to visit. The Mille Miglia Museum on the famous car road races from Brescia to Rome and back is a short drive from the hotel – savings package deals with admission tickets and hotel accommodations are often available.
Novotel Brescia 2 , Via Pietro Nenni 22, 25124 Brescia, Italy, Tel +39 030 22 86 811. On advance bookings during a quiet period, expect to pay around €70 per night for a double or family room. Breakfast booked, and paid, in advance can be significantly cheaper than the standard €14 per person. (I121030)
