- Name of the hotel: Sofitel Macau at Ponte 16
- What is your Le Club status? Gold
- Were you (or for multi-stayers were you generally) happy with the hotel/stay? Mostly
- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive? Superior Room Club Sofitel. Upgraded to Luxury Room Club Sofitel
- How are the rooms? Room was a good size and the finishings were of good quality.
- What was good and what was bad?
Good: Escorted from the lobby (before even reaching the front desk) to the Club Floor and seted in the Lounge whilst the staff checked us in and served drinks. Decent room with good views over the river. The Pool and fitness areas were very smart with sauna and steam room. Excellent, attentive staff - especially on the club floor.
Bad: Despite being a non-smoking room, it smelled of smoke. The smell promptly made my pregnant wife - who is obviously extra sensitive to smells right now - sick. There were no other available rooms on the club floor so the staff tried some deodorising sprays which only vaguely worked. Disappointing they did not have a proper machine - we recently had the same issue in the JW Marriott Cannes and they were able to bring a special deodorising machine in which, after running for a couple of hours, eradicated the smell. I would hope a hotel of Sofitel standard would invest in things as simple but effective as this. Also, threat of fine for smoking in room was only 1500MOP which is €160. To many people who stay in 5 star hotels, this is nothing and certainly not enough to act as a deterrent. How often does a hotel actually follow through with a charge any way?
- Did you get club lounge access? How was the lounge? Included in rate as only Gold. Lounge was excellent. It was located overlooking the old city of Macau and has excellent views. The afternoon tea service was excellent and the evening buffet was extensive with a great alcohol selection. Breakfast was equally as good with a la carte and buffet options. Overall the lounge was a comfortable, atmospheric place to spend time, whether working or for leisure.
- What about welcome drinks, welcome amenities or any other special perks? Welcome drink voucher for two people to use at their Lobby bar (limited menu for voucher redemption but i had everything we would have wanted off the main menu anyway). Welcome gift of fruit platter and sweets. Late check out asked for and granted with a smile.
- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return? Really good value rate for the excellent facilities. We will return. The smoke issue is something that could be described as a one off, whereas the positives are all things that could be expected every time.