Not that I have a ton of experience staying in big city hotels, but I have enough to know that the staff makes or breaks an experience. And I must say that the staff at the Hotel Sofitel NYC was over-the-top.
There were eleven of us (ranging in age between 6 and 75) plus luggage plus a wheelchair traveling in a very large stretch hummer. Upon our arrival the doormen and bellhops were incredibly personable, professional, and efficient unloading our luggage and whisking it away and then gracefully ushering us into the grand hotel. We arrived well before check-in time, yet four of our five rooms were already prepared. The staff at the reception desk was very friendly and handled the confusion of our particular check-in quite quickly (five rooms reserved under different names but paid for by me).
Although we were on a smoking floor (as requested), the smell was very negligible. That's remarkable. Our rooms were impeccably clean, and throughout our stay the 24-hour housekeeping staff on our floor (the 8th floor) was very attentive. I will say, however, that although we all received turn-down service (which included complimentary bottles of Evian water), only some of us got all of the little touches such as the box of chocolates while some of us didn't -- that would be my only comment.
Room service was quick and efficient and, I feel, well-priced. A plate of delicious cheeses and fruit for two was $12.00 and arrived within 15 minutes. The concierge desk provided asked-for information with professionalism. The doormen were so observant and anticipated our approach every time—not once did any of us have to open a door ourselves. Although we never needed a taxi, I did observe how quickly and efficiently one was hailed for others many times.
Check-out was also handled quite quickly, and I was very impressed with the doorman who cleared the much-congested roadway outside for our hummer to pull up to the door.
I must mention Catherine (not certain of the spelling of her name), the front desk manager who administered our reservation and who was on duty during our weekend stay. I cannot say enough about her. She handled the arrangement of our five rooms with aplomb so that all of us could be accommodated comfortably and together. During our stay she was indescribably attentive, especially honoring my daughter with some special birthday gifts (which was the reason for the trip -- my daughter's 18th birthday). Catherine made us feel as if we were the most important guests in the hotel -- she remembered what our planned activities were and every time we entered the lobby she came out from behind the reception desk to ask how we enjoyed such-n-such. She is an incredible asset to the Hotel Sofitel NYC. I cannot thank her and the staff enough for such a memorable stay.
As for the accommodations themselves, the rooms were small BUT much larger than expected. We have experienced that rooms in NYC hotels tend to be small, but at the Sofitel we did not feel cramped thanks to the mirrored closet doors on one side and the huge window on the other. A plus is that the window can be opened for fresh air.
The room had just about everything one could need – except a coffee maker (presumably 24-hour room service can handle that request). The honors bar was well-stocked with snacks and drinks (alcoholic and nonalcoholic). The price list was in the closet (along with the safe and a basket of other necessities) which was a little bit too much out of the way to find before indulging, and we discovered, after the fact, that prices were very expensive ($4.50 for a small can of Pringles, for example, but I’m not experienced enough to know if this is “normal”.)
With a variety of pillows and a pillow-top mattress, the beds were very comfortable except that, although wonderfully fluffy, the duvet was the sole covering and it was a little too heavy and too warm. Adding a sheet as an alternative would have been ideal (and I’m sure a call to housekeeping could have solved that.) Among our five rooms we had 2 kings, 2 queens, and a room with 2 twins. The king was large enough to accommodate two adults and a 6-year-old. There would have been space in any of our five rooms for a rollaway although it would have been tight.
The bathroom was huge and had a tub with hand-held shower and a separate shower stall. The countertop was expansive and held a variety of luxuries including fresh flowers and a candle, as well as many nicely-appointed necessities. The mirror was large and well-lit and somehow did not fog up during a hot shower. There was also a swing-away magnifying mirror. Excellent water pressure made for a superior shower. The towels were over-sized and absorbent, and the complimentary bathrobe was a great plus. Use of the bathmat was mandatory since the beautiful marble floor was very slippery when wet. Privacy was compromised a little bit due to the crack between the double doors of the bathroom; however, the doors were not facing into the room itself, so it wasn’t a huge issue. Two fun touches were the commode seat that closed automatically and the hidden speaker which piped in the sound from the TV.
The room was well lit with a number of lamps. As for electronics and technology, high speed internet access was available for an extra fee, and there was a keyboard of some type for wireless access to something on the TV. None of us had time to try out either of these. The alarm clock was too much of a high-tech gizmo for any of us to figure out. One in our party gave up and called the front desk for a wake-up call (which they received exactly on time in the morning.)
We didn’t eat at the Gaby restaurant on-site in the hotel, but we did stop in at the bar just before last call (midnight). It wasn’t crowded at this time and there was only one server. He made up for the unfortunate slow service by offering us another round even though it was past last call—a nice touch.
I don't believe there is a health club on-site, and I'm not certain if Sofitel has a partnership with a private club -- we didn't have time to pursue that amenity.
The public areas of the hotel included a lovely gift shop and a large lobby full of very comfortable chairs and couches and tables. There was a fireplace full of lit candles, and being the holiday season, the Christmas decorations were beautiful and elegant. French influence was found everywhere from the accents of the staff and their welcoming “bonjours” to the magazines and newspapers found in the lobby and the gift shop.
For some, the price may be deemed expensive, but I feel that $500 per night for accommodations of this caliber in NYC during the Christmas season was a good value. The hotel’s location was perfect: ½ block east was Fifth Avenue and two blocks west was Times Square. Although 44th Street was sometimes congested, it was incredibly quiet and calming inside the hotel.
Without a doubt we will stay at the Hotel Sofitel NYC again. As well, if ever in a city that has a Sofitel, we will purposely seek it out. It is my belief that a fantastic staff is not unique in the NYC location but that top-notch service is a philosophy of Sofitel.
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