Hotel Review: Sofitel Auckland

The Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour is supposed to be one of the best hotels in the biggest city in New Zealand. The hotel is located by the water in a rather calm business area. As you’ll read in this review, my high expectations were totally met.

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If you are looking for a hotel in Auckland, there is no way you won’t see the Sofitel Auckland in your searches. The property is one of the best rated hotels in the city and that’s for a reason: The hotel offers spacious and luxurious guest rooms in a very nice location.

In addition, the hotel market in Auckland isn’t that great, so the Sofitel really stands out. Upon pulling up at the hotel after taking an Uber from the airport, where we arrived with our LATAM flight from Sydney, we were greeted by the bellmenwho took care of our luggage. The check-in was equally friendly and prompt. Not a bad start!

Luxury Atrium Room at Sofitel Auckland

On behalf of my Le Club Accor Gold status, I was upgraded to a Luxury Atrium Room. This category offers more spacious rooms with a view of the very special atrium of the hotel.

While the view on the water is quite nice on the one hand, it’s equally uncomfortable as you can see what happens in several rooms (and so everyone can also see you).

That aside, I really liked the Luxury Atrium Room at the Sofitel Auckland.

The pictures might not do it justice, but the room was actually quite bright (during the day, while the pictures were taking during the day), had large and lots of windows and felt very cozy. Upon entering, there’s an entrance area with a little desk with the coffee machine and the minibar.

Further into the L-shaped room, there’s a sofa with a little coffee table. Right next to is a working desk with a comfortable, yet no ergonomic chair facing the atrium.

In-between this area and the comfortable and stylish King Bed there’s quite a lot of room, which is only occupied by another desk with a flat-screen television on it.

What I really liked about the Luxury Atrium Room at the Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour is that the room comes with a stunning design. The mix of dark and golden colors with some bright influences matches very well and feels utterly luxurious.

Bathroom of the Luxury Atrium Room

The Luxury Atrium Room comes with a spacious bathroom, which (luckily) doesn’t face the atrium. While there is no daylight, the bathroom still feels very luxurious.

Upon entering, you are facing the sink, which lacks some storage space. Yet, to the left there’s an amazing deep-soaking tub, which also comes with enough space to put your things.

To the right of the bathroom, there’s a little compartment with the toilet (not totally seperated though) and the walk-in shower, which comes with a handheld and a rainshower device.

While decent in theory, the shower head and thus the pressure wasn’t in the best condition anymore. Anyways, I really liked the bathroom of the Luxury Atrium Room.

Gym & Pool at the Sofitel Auckland

Something great about the Sofitel Auckland is that it not only offers a well-equipped gym, but also a full-service Spa. This includes not only treatments, a sauna and a steam bath, but also a pool. Sadly, that sounds a little bit better in theory than in praxis. The gym is weirdly located right next to the hotel and doesn’t come with too much daylight.

At the same time, there’s decent and modern equipment for all kinds of training, so that’s a plus. The pool of the Sofitel Auckland isn’t a highlight either. First of all, it’s quite narrow. Secondly, it looks like it needs a renovation as there are weird wight dots all over the black floor and walls of the pool (it’s not mould, but it looks weird).

The best thing about this area of the Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour might actually be the spacious jacuzzi. In addition, there are some loungers, which might quickly fill up during the evening hours.

Breakfast at the Sofitel Auckland

While we didn’t have the chance to try the dinner at the Sofitel Auckland, we at least made us of the breakfast. And oh boy, this is an area where the Sofitel Auckland definitely shines.

Breakfast is served in the small restaurant right by the water, making it a very atmospheric place to sit. While there’s a small buffet in the corner of the restaurant, you can also order several dishes from the menu.

The buffet as such looks very nice and comes with a very good choice of fruits, mueslis, cold cuts, rolls, pastries, sweet options and much more. I also ordered some pancakes, which were phenomenal.

Actually, all the food was of great quality and utterly tasty.

Bottom line Sofitel Auckland

Even with the sale rate I booked, the Sofitel Auckland is not really a cheap hotel to stay in the city. The location is very good for business, but not ideal for touristic purposes. In addition, it’s a little weird that you can see what’s happening in other rooms when staying in an Atrium View Room.

Nevertheless, I found the Sofitel Auckland to be a very good hotel. The staff is very friendly and charming, the rooms are beautifully furnished and feel luxurious and the breakfast is amazing. The Spa is a nice area, but in need of a refresh. If the Sofitel is not too expensive, I’d definitely recommend staying there when in Auckland!

Book your stay at Sofitel Auckland now:

• Hotels.com
• Priceline
• Expedia

 

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