This is difficult to review due to the reasons for my stay.
I have stayed at the Leicester Marriott over three Xmases (I live in Slovakia, though Irish).
There is nothing specifically stand-out wrong with Novotel, it is new and fresh, but my main bugbear was the room sofa. It's not practical, it's split in two and you cannot slump into it comfortably. It looks okay if you have a 30-year-old model sitting on it for PR reasons, but it is not comfy or functional. Some bigwig in senior management approved it - he/she should be fired on the grounds of bad taste/judgement.
This was a 3-day test to see if it would replace the 20-year-old Marriott, but also no. I was almost relieved to leave. It didn't feel 'homely' for a single person's Xmas stay.
One outstanding point was the waiter in charge on Dec 19. (Unfortunately no name, but he had the right balance of solicitude without going over-the-top like some Americans do. An asset to the hotel.)