Novotel Basel City: modern and family-friendly near the station
A 2014 building with 145 rooms of at least 24 square metres, 13 minutes from Basel SBB station: the practical choice for families and anyone who wants space rather than Old Town charm.
Our verdict
The Novotel is not a hotel for romantics but for families and business travellers. The 2014 building has 145 rooms of at least 24 square metres, more than most Old Town hotels.
Rooms and facilities
The rooms are modern, and the family rooms have a sofa bed. According to Accor, children up to 15 stay and eat breakfast free; the breakfast buffet usually costs extra for adults.
There is a gym, a lobby bar and a car park.
Location and walking times
The hotel is south of the tracks on Grosspeterstrasse, 13 minutes on foot from Basel SBB station. Barfüsserplatz is 18 minutes away, Marktplatz 22 and the Messe 28 minutes, so for the fair you take the tram.
Our advice
Rooms facing the junction and the tracks hear the traffic, so ask for the courtyard side. For Art Basel a double room cost three times as much as in November when we checked: book early or outside fair week.
The official page does not confirm that the BaselCard is included automatically, so ask at check-in.
Check rooms at Novotel Basel City: the link opens the hotel on Booking.com for a weekend about four weeks ahead, change the dates to suit your stay. During the big fairs and Fasnacht, booking early is the safest option.
See availability on Booking.com →Partner link: booking through this link supports our editorial team at no extra cost to you.Read next: Where to stay in Basel? The districts compared, with prices and visitor tax and Art Basel hotels in Basel: prices, booking deadlines and alternatives in the region.
Sources: the establishment's website, Basel Tourismus, Google Maps (address, reviews, October 2026), Google Hotels (prices checked on 23 October 2026), timetables from transport.opendata.ch, walking times calculated on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Novotel Basel City suitable for families?
How far is the Novotel from Basel SBB station?
Corinne Schaub
Corinne spent six years on the front desk of a hotel near the Badischer Bahnhof, answering the same questions about trams, zones and the border every day. She writes the pages she would have liked to hand to her guests. She checks every fare with the operator, never in a guidebook.
