It’s known as the luxury jewel in the Accor crown, and the Sofitel Darling Harbour has been ruling over Darling Harbour for eight years now. We last reviewed the hotel when it opened, then the restaurant and spa. It’s been years since we returned. Has the jewel retained its sparkle?
The Arrival
From the moment I step through the circular revolving doors, it announces itself, beautiful flowers, grand high ceilings, polished floors, and that unmistakable ‘you’re somewhere special’ energy that good hotels nail.
The reception is busy. I wait in line. When it’s my time at the counter, I am personally escorted to the lift and swiped up to the heavens (aka the Milleseme Lounge) to check in. Bonjour!!!! “Would you like a glass of bubbles?” We go through the formalities, she forgets my wine, but with some prompting I receive a glass! Afternoon tea has just started and I enjoy a scone with whipped chantilly cream and strawberry jam.
The Hotel
The Sofitel spreads itself across multiple floors like it’s showing off. Level three delivers Atelier and the Champagne Bar. Level four brings the pool and gym. And then there’s Club Millésime on level 35, where the views turn the rest of Darling Harbour into a postcard.
Junior Suite 2711: Our home base
I check into suite 2711 and immediately settle in. Like Goldilocks, I checked into a lovely corner club room earlier, but the previous guest had been smoking. Within 30 minutes I was upgraded and moved to our new home. While it doesn’t have the drama of the flyover-facing views, it has something better: quiet and more space. Which, for me, equals happiness.
It’s beautifully appointed. I love the walk in robe, with space for two bags. The bathroom runs the full length of the suite, with double basins and a standalone bath overlooking the water. I briefly consider cancelling all plans and becoming aquatic. I have a few business calls and take them from the desk, rather than decadently on a lounger with my feet up.
It’s got everything for happiness, block out blinds, complimentary water, double doors to the toilet (big yay), so privacy and romance can co-exist.
Club Millésime, Level 35: The star of the show
It’s like getting the keys to Qantas International first class lounge…I am entering very glamorous private club I didn’t technically earn my way into, but will happily pretend I did.
Club Millésime is a big part of the reason I’d come back. This experience sets apart other hotel stays, even those with club lounges. It has imperial views across the harbour stretching out in every direction; it does make you feel special. Refined without being stuffy, intimate without being cramped. There are more children than expected early on, though miost are sensibly dispatched to bed as the evening session progresses.
The evening buffet has all the expected salads, cheese, charcuterie etc, but what steps it up a level are the cooked canapes. We have chicken liver parfait on brioche toast which is so delicious I sneak a few into my mouth rather than on the plate. Confit duck bao buns are upstaged by the garlic butter prawns (one per petit four dish) which disappear early, turning them into the rarest luxury item in the room.
It’s got a great vibe. Credit to the bar staff, they are wandering around like celebrities sharing their wine gifts with pride,”Want a top up? Would you like to try the rose? Let me get you another glass.”. I opt for the NV Veuve Ambal Blanc de Blancs from Burgundy and am treated like a princess.
Mr G has just arrived and I go ‘get him’ as the queues downstairs at reception are long. Within moments he has a glass of pinot gris in hand and the busy week of work just falls away.
Atelier Restaurant at dinner: Two hatted finesse
Now, Sofitel is very proud of Atelier. Executive Chef Sam Moore has led the team which has just taken out its second hat for the forth year running (AFG awards, not SMH, everyone calm down).
The room is stunning; columns, mosaics, soft lighting, succulents, copper tables, wooden floors. The little marketplace-style nooks with stripy roofs give the whole space an eclectic, buzzy warmth. There’s a huge wine barrel in the corner near an impressive wine wall. Royal red and blue velvet chairs, long benches, and wooden seating create a mix-and-match effect. Which feels un-designed. It’s a beautiful room to linger in with great views.
The soft lighting dims a little further, the energy settles, and the floor starts to absorb the lights of its environment as Sydney eases into the night. Gabrielle is our server for the evening, sharp, knowledgeable, attentive, and amusingly not a fan of her tartan outfit which we laugh and back her up on. New uniforms ahoy!
We start with a glass of Debussy Reverie Chardonnay from the Loire Valley and an El Desperado Pinot Noir from SA. Sadly we don’t have time to detour to the Champagne Bar. For entrees, I opt for the grilled octopus over coal ($28). Small pieces are tender, smoky, sitting beautifully alongside Ricardo’s farm tomatoes, capsicum and fennel ($28). Mr G goes the O’Donnell Black Angus Beef Tartare ($28) with confit egg, sauce rémoulade and croutons, and he’s immediately quiet which in Mr G’s world means it’s really, really good. It’s a more refined and balanced tartare, paring back the Worcestershire sauce.
Upon Gabrielle’s recommendation, my pan-seared blue cod ($50) arrives with mixed caviar beurre blanc, prawn mousse, and pearl kale. It’s delicate, elegant and the cod is beautifully cooked. The hero is Mr G’s dry-aged Moorabool corn-fed duck breast ($50). The fig tartlet and lavender-lifted jus are clever without trying too hard. We add some duck fat potatoes to keep with the French theme.
Sleep quality
I am not a good sleeper. I suffer from the ‘first night effect’ which keeps us humans on high alert. After so much hotel reviewing you would think I would have mastered the art of snooze. Nope.
We return from dinner and little white mats are adorned with his n’ hers ultra cushy slippers on each side of the bed which give me an extra 4cm in height. I have a lavender spray for the linens. Sofitel takes sleep seriously and when you have less than 24hrs in a hotel (2pm – 10am) sleep is a big part of a one night stay.
The Sofitel MyBed is their signature sleep experience it’s been running since 2003. It is a balanced mattress with a plush down feather topper, dressed in silky Egyptian cotton sheets and a light, cosy duvet. It’s layers upon layers of comfort which makes me seriously consider not leaving the room.
Then there’s the pillow menu, with eight options. Do I choose the square cloud of soft feathers, or commit to posture V support or memory foam like an adult? I order a few and conduct extensive testing. It’s like wine tasting, except horizontal and in pyjamas.
No traffic. No neighbours. No flushing. No corridor chaos. Just blissful, suspicious silence. WOW. Goodnight Sydney.
Atelier: Produce focused breakfast that deserves the hype
Breakfast is my big surprise. This isn’t your standard hotel buffet. The details matter here. Pace Farm eggs are scrambled in-house and finished with crème fraîche. The meat comes from Northern Rivers producers, with a proper Cumberland sausage scented with parsley and sage, plus a free-range chicken version lifted with thyme and ginger. The pork belly is cured and naturally wood-smoked. Jones Farm supplies roasted Andean Sunrise potatoes with garlic and rosemary, Ricardo’s tomatoes arrive dressed with EVOO, saltbush and mountain pepper, and there’s sunny Highland corn finished with lemon myrtle and dukkah.
And because it’s a French brand, the bread and pastry game is on another level. As a club member I can dine at the club lounge or downstairs. Upstairs for me! I order an eggs royale and put my knife into a perfectly cooked poached egg cooked a la mode! The only thing missing is an addition of a bucks fizz for breakie.
The Pool: Infinity and beyond
At 10am on a sunny day, there isn’t a spare sunbed on level four. The pool is sparkling and gorgeous, but it’s chock-a-block with kids, mums and dads. This is less ‘lap swimming’ and more sit, soak and be seen. The lounges are covered in blue and white striped towels. Thoughtful touches like free sunscreen is genuinely welcomed when it’s another scorching 30-degree Sydney day. The view is dominated by the W Hotel behind us, which looms like a ship and of course the new skyscraper building to our right which is a construction site with great views for their workers.
What are we Addicted to? Club Millésime along with the quality of food and complimentary wines on offer. Atelier is genuinely one of the best hotel restaurants in Sydney, not simply for dinner either. And Junior Suite 2711 is exactly the kind of room I would come back to after feeling completely restored. Pool. Gym, location what more can you ask for?
What do we need to be more Addicted? I was really surprised by what a great staycation this is. It’s world class and I didn’t get to try the Champagne Bar or Spa! We did have a merry go round of swipe card issues.There is a certain amount of vulnerability when you are in your bathrobe and can’t get back into your room and have to go into a busy reception, rather than the club area.
Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour 1 Darling Drive, Darling Harbour Mon–Sun: breakfast and dinner sofitelsydney.com.au