Sofitel Queenstown Hotel & Spa

I stayed at Sofitel Queenstown as an Accor STEP guest and Accor Gold member during my birthday and unfortunately this hotel falls dramatically short of the standards one would expect from the Sofitel brand. The property is, quite simply, completely mismanaged, and the operational leadership appears overwhelmed at every level. From the moment we arrived, the experience was disappointing. The bellboy greeted us with a dismissive glance, turned away, and left us entirely on our own with our vehicle and six suitcases. We carried all our luggage to the reception ourselves, where staff watched us struggle without offering assistance. Check‑in was indifferent, mechanical, and provided no information whatsoever. The first room assigned to us was unacceptable: located on the lowest floor next to a kitchen ventilation unit and directly opposite a public stairway, offering zero privacy. The room smelled musty, and the bathroom was poorly cleaned. When we requested another room and referenced both our status and our booked VIP programme, we were told that no alternatives were available. Only after escalating the issue through a European contact did management suddenly “find” another room – a suite on an upper floor. While larger, it was clearly dated and long overdue for refurbishment. I want to acknowledge that the hotel offered us a room change and a bottle of sparkling wine as a gesture of goodwill. We appreciated this. However, these gestures do not compensate for the fundamental service shortcomings, nor do they reflect an ability to turn a negative guest experience into a positive one – something that should be a basic expectation at a Sofitel‑branded property. What added to the overall disappointment was the handling of my birthday. Despite informing the Interim General Manager in advance, there was no gesture of recognition whatsoever – something that is standard practice in comparable hotels. This absence of even a small acknowledgement further illustrates the lack of genuine care and service understanding within this property. The service issues continued at departure. Once again, no one offered assistance with our luggage. We checked out and left the hotel carrying all our suitcases ourselves, with staff standing by without engaging. For a hotel positioned as a luxury property, this level of indifference is simply unacceptable. To make matters worse, the hotel also forgot to apply our Accor STEP credit at check‑out. We had to raise the issue ourselves, and only after a lengthy discussion with the staff member at reception was the matter finally corrected. This lack of attention to detail further reinforces the impression of a property without structure, oversight, or service awareness. As many other reviewers have noted, breakfast is a complete disaster. The selection is extremely limited: a few slices of cheese, salami, prosciutto, and fruit consisting almost exclusively of melon and strawberries. The bread selection is far below Sofitel standards. Service is chaotic and painfully slow – it often took more than 30 minutes before anyone approached our table, and clearing was only done after guests had already left. Most staff appear to be untrained work‑and‑travel employees with no guidance, no leadership, and no sense of service culture. They prefer chatting behind the counter to serving guests. The Hotel Manager repeatedly emphasised how important food & beverage is to him and that the hotel is undergoing a “major transformation.” While the intention may be there, the current reality is far from acceptable. The interim General Manager, who oversees two properties, is friendly and seems well‑intentioned, but at no point did the hotel make a genuine effort to recover the situation or deliver a meaningful service recovery – not at dinner, not at breakfast, and not in any other area of the hotel. Compared to Sofitel Wellington or Sofitel Auckland, this property is miles behind in both service and quality. It bears no resemblance to the standards the brand is known for. Bottom line: I cannot recommend this hotel in any way. It does not meet even an average Sofitel standard and suffers from severe leadership and operational issues. For a stay in Queenstown, I strongly suggest choosing The Rees Hotel or QT Queenstown instead.

Room was spacious and good shower and aircon.

Breakfast was okay but looked understaffed and waited too long for a table. Food okay when it arrived.

Staff were very friendly and helpful

Noisy fridge and airconditioning made it hard to sleep.

Breakfast service is awful. Very few people in the dining room and after ordering a simple coffee they missed it!

This hotel is centrally located in Queenstown. It is a phenomenally comfortable hotel to stay in.

Everything

It's an interesting hotel. When you walk in you could take the view that the decor is tired or you could take the view that it is traditional - depends on how you approach it. The rooms are massive. We stayed for 6 nights and were thankful we booked this hotel. A bathroom with heated floor tiles, heated towel rails, loads of room made life very easy. A room that fits a couch at the end the bed, a table and chairs, a sofa style chair with a foot stool meant it never felt at all cramped, far from it. The employees were wonderful. Valet parking delivered our car quickly each day, the breakfast staff very helpful and pleasant. You cannot beat the location. Right in the centre. Very glad we booked here and would do it again in a heartbeat.