Hotel Reviews

Sofitel Melbourne on Collins review

With a glittering 15-floor chandelier and sweeping views of the city, the Sofitel is all about shimmer and shine.

The Atrium Bar on level 35.
A marquee name in a top-end city location, the Sofitel prevails among newcomers because of old-fashioned virtues: service par excellence delivered with Gallic charm. Guestrooms are beginning to date but it's hard to quibble when the views are so glorious – even entry-level rooms have views from the 36th floor and above – and the generously sized bathrooms are an ageless paean to the power of marble. The sparkle that's fading in guestrooms shines bright in communal areas; the potentially awkward inward-looking nature of the 35th-floor Atrium Bar, for example, is overcome with a spectacular 15-storey mirrored chandelier.

We love

Admire the grandly proportioned lobby and adjoining Sofi's Lounge, home of elegant afternoon teas where guests laden with shopping bags from Collins Street's boutiques assemble for refreshments.
All rooms have breathtaking city views.

Thoughtful extras

With two types of iced tea offered during check-in, massage chairs in the 36th-floor gym, and in-room tablets to order anything from a taxi to a dental kit, Sofitel leaves the impression that everything has been thoroughly considered.
View from the top.

Dining options

The magnificent marble-clad No 35 is the home of a well-considered breakfast buffet ($45), where juice shots mix it with cooked-to-order eggs and Asian specialties mingle with muesli and yoghurts.

Drink up

Minibars reach peak excitement with bottled cocktails from Melbourne's favourite mix-masters, The Everleigh Bottling Co, or head to the Atrium for a classic cocktail. But with bars such as Siglo and Romeo Lane so close by, there are plenty of reasons to venture further afield.