Property: Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour
Status: Explorer+ Gold
Room booked: Superior room, 1 king, Darling Harbour View
Room upgraded/type: No
Early check in/late out: Yes. Asked for 11:30am granted.
Welcome drink: Yes, but not used in the end
Welcome amenity: 2 bottles of sparkling water and 3 chocolates
Recommend: Not sure
Property: Sofitel Wentworth Sydney
Status: Explorer+ Gold
Room booked: Junior Suite, King Bed, Club Millesime
Room upgraded/type: Yes - Prestige Suite, King Bed, Club Millesime
Early check in/late out: Yes . Asked for 11:30am granted. See below for checking
Welcome drink: Yes, Redeemed for anything on the menu in the lounge
Welcome amenity: 1 bottle of Debortoli Red, and 5 chocolates.
Recommend: Yes - but be wary of Club evening drinks
A tale of two Sydney Sofitels in Sydney.
Had to attend a conference on Thursday at the Sofitel Darling Harbour, and being a holiday in Brisbane on Wednesday, made a 4 night break out of it flying in at leisure and using 2 Stay plus - moving between the two properties to do so. Some specific requirements meant some things worked in, and others were a bit of a miss.
Due to the conference activities Club access at Darling Harbour was not worth the (considerable) price - so booked without. Was a stay plus booking, and added breakfast. Quirk is that even when selecting breakfast on the booking, it is not included for the stay plus night This is a bit of a cheap gotcha, but not a concern in this case, as the breakfast not included morning coincides with the conference - which was providing breakfast anyway.
No upgrade offered, even though rooms available - not too concerned, as arrived in the afternoon, off for a walk and then dinner, and conference all day the next day,, so not too concerned with the size of the room, and we had booked the view.
The plan was conference Thursday, remote work Friday, then a weekend. Would be working (x 2 people) from a room - so the idea was to book the Junior suite at the Wentworth for the space, and the booking offered a guaranteed 10am check in for $200 - which we took - taking the early check in gamble away, so not testing that benefit As meetings turned out, had one from 10::00 - 11:00 after some earlier ones, so asked on the morning at Darling Harbour for 11:15 checkout. which was eventually granted as 11:30.
Arrived at Sofitel Wentworth about 11:30 - so be given the Prestige Suite all ready to go.
Observations on the Club lounge at the Wentworth for a Friday and Saturday afternoon and evening. Afternoon tea on both days well organised, plenty of food, and attentive tea and barista coffee etc. no problem. On the other hand, canapes and evening drinks - a complete shambles. Food very unappealing and not replenished. Not enough tables and waits for them - but the service a real disaster. No one approaching the table, so approach the bar - to be rudely told that if we had a table, they would not serve me, and wait for some one to take an order from the table. Had to grab someone, who stated that the table was not in their section, but obliged. Chatting later, she said that she was agency (not staff), they had 4 or 5 people there, and there was only one person at the bar to do all the drinks - and not keeping up. The drinks are Ok - when you can get them, but was not a great experience. Breakfast and afternoon tea - great, evening drinks, not worth it.
