Originally Posted by turnips

Recently stayed here and I echo much of PJLukasik’s feedback.

While not a favourite I often end up here due to its location and reasonable rates. This was my first visit since the refurbishment and I was surprised to see kiosks as the preferred check-in method. They didn’t work for me so I checked in with an agent who was friendly and explained what had changed since my last visit. I was told the room was upgraded but I got what I booked. The refreshed style is nice and the updates to the common areas are long overdue. The beds are extremely comfortable.

The main issue with terrace-facing rooms is the lack of soundproofing - you hear buses, bar chatter from the terrace, and construction noise from Chifley Square. In contrast, the oddly shaped rooms not facing Phillip St are much quieter (I usually stay in these rooms).

A few issues stood out. Most concerning, a hairdryer shot out fire when my partner turned it on. I'm not sure if this was due to lint, dirt, or if it was broken. Either way, thankfully it was aimed away from her at the time. I phoned to report it and while a replacement was sent there was zero follow up and we were left with a smokey room. At the very least an enquiry and apology seemed in order.

I was also woken on the first morning by the housekeeper cleaning the room next door, who was doing so while having an exceptionally loud speakerphone call. I had to ask her to stop, which she did, but I’ve never had to do that before. Having consideration for sleeping guests goes without saying, one would think.

Other than that, a few niggly things. The Chromecast didn’t work, and there are no cable or satellite channels. The bathroom door was locked when we arrived, requiring a spoon to open it.

Finally, breakfast isn’t worth it - though a common opinion in Sydney. The eggs were inexplicably bad, the selection was limited, and the quality was poor.

I had only asked for breakfast for one day but was charged for every day of the stay. Resolving this was frustrating as staff, though apologetic, weren’t empowered to do anything about it and simply deferred to 'management' or 'finance' to resolve. This took several days of phone calls to deal with after we'd left the country.

Overall I think I'll be unlikely to return unless it is significantly cheaper than other options. It feels half-baked, even by Sofitel standards.