Sydney Hilton vs Sofitel Darling Harbour - How do they measure up?

1. Location

Sofitel is right on the Light Rail, close to ferry wharves; but Hilton is more central - Queen Victoria Building, Pitt Street Mall, Town Hall metro station .

Sofitel has the views (if you pay extra for a Darling Harbour facing room)

Sofitel Darling Harbour

Hilton's central location - some rooms have harbour views

2. Club Lounge Access
 Sofitel's top floor Club Millesime is spectacular but the food and beverage offered during "Evening Canapes" is disappointing compared to Hilton's Executive Lounge.

Club Millesime Evening drinks 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Hilton's evening canapes - prawns, salads, hot dishes, antipasto

Hilton lounge - fresh bread

Hilton's executive lounge - afternoon tea

Generous 'top ups' in the bar (unlike Sofitel)

Hilton's lounge during evening drinks (6 p.m. - 8 p.m.)

Hilton has several sections in their lounge, feels more intimate

3. Breakfast

Hilton's Glass restaurant. Breakfast. Incredible range of buffet dishes plus a la carte. Sofitel's breakfast looks meagre by comparison.

4. Rooms
Sofitel's rooms are over furnished and seem cramped. The lighting system is poorly designed, no indirect lighting. The night light is more dazzling. Many rooms have the bed right up against the open planned bathroom.

Sofitel King Room

Hilton's "Relaxation Room" is spacious and well designed.

5. Swimming Pool/Gym
Sofitel's (infinity) pool is outdoor and barely heated. There are pleasant views across Darling Harbour/Cockle Bay. The gym is on the same level.
Hilton shares a huge gym and lap pool with Fitness First in the Basement level. There are poolside saunas, steam rooms and jacuzzi. Mornings can get busy with the before-work crowd.

Verdict: Hilton wins in all categories.

The only positive with Sofitel's lounge is the 'no kids under 12 years' policy during evening drinks period.

Sofitel Melbourne on Collins - room renovations, at last

Finally, this 1980's five star hotel is getting major room renovations. Goodbye shower over the bath, faded, worn upholstery and dated television cabinets. Rooms facing north (not bay view rooms) seem to be the first to be getting the treatment. There have been 'soft' renovations over the years and the 50th (top floor suites) were renovated over 10 years ago. With St Regis and Shangri-La hotels coming to Melbourne soon, the renovations are crucial.

Prestige Suite

Which is the best Sofitel in Sydney? Sofitel Wentworth vs Sofitel Darling Harbour

Sofitel Darling Harbour was opened late in 2017. The Wentworth was opened late 1966. It is basically style over substance with these two Sofitels.
Although the new Sofitel is architecturally impressive, Sofitel Wentworth is the classier establishment - better service, food/beverage and location.

Sofitel Darling Harbour 
PROS

• 35 storeys (although floor 13 and 14 left out)
• 50 metres from the Light Rail stop (Convention Centre)
• 5 minute walk to public ferry terminal (Pyrmont)
• Infinity pool with views over Darling Harbour

CONS

• If your room faces north or east (meaning the view rooms, at an extra cost), it is very hot. We stayed in winter, also. The air conditioning temperature is set too high and is motion-activated, stay still for 60 minutes - it switches off. Hence you can wake up to a sauna in your room.
• Low floors (10 or below) can have views of car parks and surrounding buildings (south or east facing rooms).
• Lighting system in the room is 'all or nothing'. There is no indirect lighting. The overly bright nightlight in the bathroom would keep any person (sleeping on the bathroom side of the bed) awake, unless he/she wears a blindfold.
• If you are staying in the club lounge (Club Millesime is $150 extra, unless you have Accor Platinum status), expect tiny pours of wine by the staff (almost wine tasting size). If a beer is poured for you, the stubby isn't even emptied, so you get 3/4 of a glass. Go figure.

Sofitel Wentworth

PROS

• Exceptional service, better trained staff.
• 5 minute walk from Circular Quay (ferry, train, light rail, Opera House, The Rocks)
• 5 minute walk to Botanical Gardens
• 10 minute walk to Pitt Street Mall
• Club Sofitel staff pour a wine or a beer as you would yourself at home. Better range of evening cocktails/canapes.
• Quality of food superior to Sofitel Darling Harbour, in restaurant as well as in the club.
• First 3 levels of rooms facing courtyard have opening doors (Juliet balcony) - a boon for smokers.

CONS

• No spectacular views
• Because it is a 60's hotel, shower over bath in standard rooms (most of hotel rooms).
• Standard rooms are small (under 30 sq metres).

N-E view from Club lounge on level 35 (Sofitel Darling Harbour). The vaulted ceiling is spectacular.

The view is dazzling (automatic blinds are activated to shield some of the sun).

Club Sofitel at the Wentworth (Level 5)

Afternoon tea at the Wentworth (Club Sofitel)

New Sofitel City Centre, Singapore - Review

Accor's newest hotel in Singapore opened in October 2017. Singapore now has three Sofitels: the funky, boutique style Sofitel So; Sofitel Sentosa (resort style) and now the 20 floor Sofitel City Centre, sitting half in the business district and half in Chinatown.

PROS
* The hotel is located above Tanjong Pagar MRT (which has direct access to Changi Airport rail line).
* Interesting locale - heritage area
* Adjoining huge Virgin Active Gym

CONS
* Lacks the wow-factor that Sofitel is renowned for.
* Small Club Lounge, seems cramped. Self-serve wine gizmo dispenses room temperature white wine???
* Many of the staff are overly friendly rather than professional.

Magnificently restored shophouses, 2 minutes walk from the hotel

Expansive pool/spa area. Rooftop 30 metre infinity pool. Limited shaded areas.

Old meets new

Opt for the Chinatown shophouses view (rather than pool/skyscaper view), no direct sunlight in your room throughout the day.

Barrel-aged cocktails in 1864 Bar

Racines restaurant

Every room gets a Smartphone with free calls and data. Great for ordering sightseeing tickets at discounted prices.

Club Lounge (Club Millesime) adjoints the pool area. The lounge is quite small compared to other hotel lounges.

Afternoon Tea at Club Millesime

Australia's best hotel club lounge?

Sofitel Melbourne On Collins has the best club lounge experience in Australia in our humble opinion. Forget The Langham, Pullman hotels or the Crystal Room in Crown - the views, choice of food and beverage are better at Club Sofitel. 

Good old Melbourne Sofitel still has the option of serve-yourself drinks (beer, cider, wine and premium spirits or staff will bring your preferred tipple to you (between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m.). Evening canapes is more like a 3 course meal: 2 or 3 hot dishes, seafood (usually king prawns and/or oysters), gourmet salads, sushi, cheeses, bread, antipasto, desserts and a chocolate/Turkish Delight/nougat platter to finish.

A light lunch and afternoon tea (Le Gouter) is also complimentary. Breakfast is an elaborate affair with a full buffet as well as a la carte menu (no extra charge).

Staff are friendly and efficient without being cloying.

The lounge is on the 35th floor (hotel rooms are from level 36 to 50) with sweeping views of the city.

Sydney and Brisbane Sofitel are great, but Melbourne's club ticks more boxes.

Visit the gym after all this indulgence. Pamper yourself with the high tech massage chairs.

View from reception desk

Light lunch, dessert to follow - views toward Parliament House

Some of evening food options 

A range of premium spirits available

Lunch buffet

Chicken and king prawn salad - is this a 'light lunch' (as described by Sofitel)?

Gas fireplace

The club is L-shaped with separate rooms for meetings/reading/games. Shower facilities available

A la carte breakfast - Poached egg on wilted spinach and field mushroom, truffle sauce and rosti potato

Delicious lunch treats

Is the paper book dead? Or just creatively reused? Books become visual art

The ultimate example of style over substance? Or is it stunning visual art?

Entry staircase

A closer look at "Reader's Digest" 

With the use of e-readers, hard cover and paperback books are now being used as decorating items.

We found this wall of pre-loved books in Melbourne's QT hotel foyer. The feature was created by Sydney artists Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro. Their "Reader's Digest" combines books 5.5 metres of books, glue and MDF. Some might say the best place for Jeffrey Archer is to be tightly wedged into a wall cavity.

The Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit doesn't bother using real books. It uses giant mock ups for its decor in the club lounge.

Mercure Canberra - Best value accommodation in town?

Built in the late 1920's to coincide with the building of the (provisional) Parliament House, this historic hotel has lots going for it.

• Great location - 10 mins walk to the Canberra Centre (downtown shopping mall), bars, restaurants, Canberra Theatre, 5 mins walk to the Australian War Memorial and the start of trail to Mount Ainslie.
• Cheap on-site parking ($10 a night)
• Great food (choice of two restaurants - up market or bistro).
• Public bar and bottle shop.
• Clubby decor - open fires, wing chairs, couches in public areas, with quirky touches like a 30's radio unit, old telephone switchboard, huge fish tanks in the corridors.

Central courtyard

Cheap pub food in the beer garden - Lamb shanks, Chicken Kiev

This was our last stop on a road trip which included upscale Accor properties (Sofitel, Pullman, M Gallery), so this 3 star hotel is punching well under its weight.

Snorkelling on the cheap in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia

In the past I have thought Nusa Dua was overrated, soulless and bursting with same-same 5 star resorts. And some people like that stuff. A big surprise however was the not bad solo snorkelling opportunities from your resort.
I stayed at the Sofitel (near Nusa Dua Beach Hotel). Here are my tips:

• Snorkel and mask, of course. I use sunblock and wear a t-shirt.
• Bring reef shoes for wading out past the breakers (when low tide) or flippers (high tide)
• Aim to snorkel at high tide (usually middle of the day - check tide times online) to avoid trampling out for 100-200 metres at low tide. Sea urchins can spoil your holiday.
• Getting back to shallow water is easy, just catch a wave (body surf).
• Observe where glass bottom boats are anchored (for the best coral and fish). Usually only one or two craft, never crowded.