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Australia is one of those bucket list destinations. The country is vast and every state seems to offer something exciting. During our last trip there, we drove from Perth to Melbourne, stopping in Adelaide (and elsewhere!) on the way. In Adelaide we had a memorable Suite stay at the wonderful Sofitel Adelaide. Find out all the details in this in-depth review article.

Australia road trip

Exploring new places is something I enjoy a lot and Australia is a perfect destination on that account. I’ve been to the country before and we travelled by car for the biggest part of that trip. But a real road trip in Australia is done with a camper van of course. And that’s exactly what this trip was about. We toured Western Australia and it was amazing, even despite the rainy weather.

Our trip brought us to the city of Adelaide, which is mostly known for its world class vineyards – a great reason to visit this area of course.

After living in a campervan for a while we were looking for something more luxurious. In Adelaide, the Sofitel is the place to go for luxury.

The 5 star Sofitel Adelaide

The Sofitel Adelaide is centrally located in the city centre. It’s a lively neighbourhood where most of the city’s bars, restaurants and clubs are concentrated. Both during the day and in the evening you can go here for a snack, drink or even a dance if you like. The Central Market – another tourist spot – is also in close proximity to the hotel.

The train station is about a 10-minute walk from the hotel, and the airport is just under 15 minutes away by rental car or taxi. You can also take the bus to/from the airport. It takes about 20 minutes and conveniently departs right in front of the hotel.

Check out our YouTube channel, where you can find a nice video review of the Sofitel Adelaide. Did you know that you can watch many more reviews, InsideLooks and trip reports on our YouTube channel? We frequently post new videos, so follow our channel to make sure you don’t miss out!

Suite Upgrade at the Sofitel Adelaide

The room was booked about a month before I arrived in Adelaide. As an ALL Accor Platinum member I was happy to use my ‘Suite Upgrade certificate’ at this hotel. Accor ALL Platinum members get two upgrade certificates per year. You can also earn additional upgrades when staying more often at Accor properties.

The booking process works slightly different when you use a certificate. First, you need to log on to the Accor hotel booking website and indicate that you want to use your certificate. Then, you can select the suite you would like to book. The website will show the price as if it’s a regular room. I booked a Junior Suite with access to the Club Millésime lounge. The regular nightly rate for this suite is $AUD 645. With the certificate it is $AUD 295. This rate includes breakfast for two people.

Welcome at Sofitel Adelaide

It was about 1 PM when we arrived at the Sofitel Adelaide. Unfortunately, the room wasn’t ready yet, but there was good news too –  we had been upgraded from the Junior Suite to a Prestige Suite!

Because the room was not ready, we were offered the chance to wait at the Club Millésime – the hotel lounge on the 10th floor. You can have a beautiful view of the city while enjoying a snack and a drink. Later in this review about the Sofitel Adelaide I will share my experience with Club Millésime at this hotel.

The Prestige Suite

Sofitel Adelaide has 251 rooms and suites on 24 floors, including accessible rooms. The ‘standard’ room is a Deluxe Room. The Superior Room is slightly bigger and has more amenities. There’s also a Presidential Suite, as well as the Junior Suites and Prestige Suites. The Prestige Suite offers three separate areas spanning a total size of 57 m2.

Living Room

The first room you enter is the spacious living room. It has a beautiful view of the city and the Gulf of St. Vincent. There is a large corner sofa with coffee tables and a dinner table with chairs. Opposite the sofa, a big TV is built into the wall. The tv offers both local and international channels. The audio and video quality are good and you can also stream from your own device if you want.

We received a nice welcome note and gift in the living room. The gift consisted of a chocolate bar, a bowl of nuts and a bottle of Australian red wine.

On the side of the living room there is a small cupboard with a range of food and drinks. Here you can also find the minibar, kettle and a Nespresso coffee machine. Mind that there is a price tag for anything from the minibar. Nespresso coffee, tea and bottled water are free of charge. You can ask housekeeping to restock if needed.

The living room also has a separate washroom that is accessible from the hallway. The washroom features a toilet, sink and big mirror. The room is decorated in white marble.

Bedroom

When you go through the sliding doors from the living room, you enter the bedroom of the Prestige Suite at the Sofitel Adelaide. This part of the Suite is slightly smaller than the living room, but has plenty of space for two guests. The space is divided into the main bedroom and a walk-in wardrobe. The sliding doors can be closed for extra privacy.

The comfortable king size bed is at the centre of the room. The mattress is fantastic and the sheets actually feel wonderful. The bedding at the Sofitel is of a very good quality, which you may expect of course given the nightly rate.

There are bedside tables with reading lights on both sides of the bed. The hotel installed sufficient power sockets in the wall, which is convenient for charging your mobile devices. You can find a control panel for the lighting, which can also be operated with a special tablet that is on one of the bedside tables.

Just like in the living room, you have a good view of the city here. Opposite the bed there is a TV neatly mounted into the wall.

Bathrobes and ironing facilities are also provided, as well as a safe and a hairdryer.

Bathroom

An oasis of white floor-to-ceiling marble meets you as soon as you open the sliding door. The toilet and shower cabin (with rain shower) feature a beautiful mosaic. These smaller areas are separated with a door on the left side of the bathroom.

The bathroom offers a wash area with a big mirror and plenty of luxury amenities.  On the other side you can find a free standing bath from which you also have a view of the city – especially in the evening you get some nice views.

Finally, there is a large cupboard under the sink. Here you can find towels and other small amenities such as a comb, razor or ear buds. There is also a Dyson hair dryer.

Comfort of the room

As you could read earlier in this review of the Sofitel Adelaide, I was pleasantly surprised with the upgrade to the Prestige Suite. The living room is perfect to start your morning with a cup of coffee in front of the TV, or to watch a movie in the evening. The suite is generally well furnished, although the hallway felt somewhat ‘empty’. It’s also good that there is an extra toilet, which is accessible from the living room.

The bedroom is equipped with a very comfortable bed. The sheets are not too warm and provide enough comfort. The tablet and control panel make it very easy operate the lighting and the TV. 

Finally, there is the beautiful and spacious bathroom. Equipped with both a shower and a bath, so you can choose whether you want to change quickly or, for example, enjoy the view from the bath while enjoying a book or a movie. All in all, the Prestige Suite at the Sofitel Adelaide is an excellent room that offers you everything you could wish for during your stay in Adelaide.

Wondering what you can do in and around Adelaide? Have a look at our Adelaide and around Trip Report on YouTube for some inspiration! Our recommendation: an exclusive chauffeur driven wine tour with Door to Door.

Club Millésime

The Sofitel Adelaide features a hotel lounge called Club Millésime, which is located on the 10th floor. The lounge is accessible to guests staying in a Suite, or Luxury Room with lounge access. Accor ALL Platinum and Diamond members also get complimentary access, regardless the room they stay in. The hotel lounge has its own reception for check-in and check-out.

Club Millésime is open daily from 06:30 to 22:00 hrs. Breakfast is served from 07:00 to 10:00. There is a small self service buffet, but there is also a menu with hot and cold dishes. Personally, I think the selection of the buffet is a bit limited, but the menu items were very good. And you can also order multiple times – the service is very attentive.

From 15:00 to 16:00 hrs. the lounge serves ‘Le Goûter’ – kind of like a French version of an afternoon tea. While enjoying a cup of coffee or tea you get a selection of sweet and savoury snacks. The quality is very good, although it sometimes took a long time before the coffee and tea were refilled.

In the evening, there is the ‘L’Apéro’ from 17:00 to 19:00 hrs. The lounge offers a choice local Australian wines, accompanied by some savoury snacks. The Sofitel also has its own Prosecco.

I think the amenities and service at the lounge are very good. The dishes change daily, so there is variety even if you stay in the hotel for a longer period of time.

In addition to these facilities, there is also the possibility to freshen up. Separate toilet and shower rooms are available in the back of the lounge.

Restaurants and bars

On the 9th floor of the Sofitel Adelaide you can find Sofitel Breakfast and Garçon Blue. Here you can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can order from the menu, but there’s also a wide range of breakfast items at the breakfast buffet. My made to order dish wasn’t prepared well, but the restaurant staff served me a new one.

In the afternoon, I also enjoyed a luxurious lunch at the Garçon Blue restaurant. Check out the video below for an impression of the restaurant.

On the ground floor of the hotel you can find Déjà Vu Champagne Bar. During the day you can order a coffee and in the evening you can go here for snacks and drinks.

Wellness and exercise

For guests who like to stay fit during their stay, there is also plenty to do. There is a beautiful swimming pool, a sauna and a large fitness room.

The pool on the 5th floor is not very big, but fortunately it was quiet at the time of my visit. You can get a pool towel at the entrance. The fitness room is located on floor up and it very big. The hotel also provides towels and cooled water.

Photos Review Sofitel Adelaide – Australia: InsideFlyer