After 20-plus years coming to Milton Keynes and using the town as a sort-of "home base" for my broader travels in England, this was my first time staying at Novotel MK. For the most part, I had a very positive stay. The location was just on the edge of town...quieter than my usual MK Central hotel locations, and an easier drive in and out with ample on-site parking. But it was not a short or easy walk to the central shops and restaurants, something I'm used to...especially for stays longer than a night or two. However, the in-hotel restaurant had good food at reasonable rates. It also had a nice bar and lounge are, but drinks were on the more expensive side.
The staff throughout the hotel were very nice and helpful. The room was clean and comfortable. However, there was one area where the hotel fell short, in my opinion. The room did not have ANY dedicated mobile device USB or USB C charging ports. So, you only had one handy regular electrical outlet at the desk for use to charge your devices. I'm retired but am a writer, so I have my mobile phone, as well as my laptop, a tablet, and a smart watch. This is not uncommon these days, especially for a hotel that caters to a heavy weekday, traveling worker crowd. So, this lack of basic update—which I've thankfully had in all of my other hotel experiences in Milton Keynes, both in the more basic and more luxurious properties—is enough to question whether I'd return for anything more than a one-night stay.